By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 11, 2026
Serves 12
849 cal · 500 min
Brett Schreyer's Competition Pulled Pork
Recipe GLPR2442c4580256fb
A championship-style pulled pork featuring a bold, complex dry rub with brown sugar, paprika, and warming spices, braised in a sweet and savory apple-peach juice mixture. The result is tender, smoky, and perfectly seasoned meat that pulls apart effortlessly. Serve as a main course with your favorite sides.
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Ingredients
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1 1/2 cups peach juice or nectar
1 tablespoon mild hot sauce
1 bone-in, skinless pork shoulder (8-9 pounds)
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the light brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly until all spices are evenly distributed and there are no lumps.
Pat the bone-in pork shoulder dry with paper towels. Generously apply the dry rub to all sides of the pork, working it into the meat and creating an even coating. Ensure every surface is well covered with the spice mixture.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the apple juice, peach juice, and mild hot sauce. This liquid will serve as the braising base.
Place the rubbed pork shoulder in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven. Pour the apple juice mixture around the pork, not over it. This keeps the rub on the exterior intact while the meat cooks in the aromatic liquid below.
Cover the pan tightly with foil or a lid. Preheat your oven to 300°F and roast the pork for approximately 6 to 8 hours, depending on your oven. The pork should reach an internal temperature of 190-205°F at the thickest part, away from the bone.
Check the pork at the 4-hour mark and every 45 minutes thereafter. The meat should be extremely tender and pull apart easily when fork-tested. If it still feels firm, continue cooking until it reaches the proper tenderness.
Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes, uncovered, at room temperature. This allows the juices to redistribute and makes shredding easier.
Using two sturdy forks or meat shredding claws, pull the pork apart into bite-sized pieces. Discard the bone and any excess fat as desired. Transfer the shredded pork to a serving bowl.
Skim excess fat from the braising liquid in the pan if desired. Pour some of this flavorful liquid over the shredded pork and mix gently to redistribute moisture and seasoning throughout. Serve warm.
Comments
This is a legitimate competition-style pulled pork that hits the mark on availability and cost. Every ingredient—brown sugar, paprika, chilis, peppers, apple juice, peach juice, hot sauce, and a pork shoulder—lives at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, or Walmart year-round; no special trip required. The pork shoulder, the main cost driver, runs $2–3 per pound at Charlotte chains, landing this at roughly $3.50–4.50 per serving for a family-sized batch. The 500-minute stated time is honest for low-and-slow smoking or oven-braising, though it's almost entirely hands-off after the initial rub. This scales beautifully for a crowd, reheats excellently, and requires zero fussy technique—it's the kind of recipe that rewards patience, not precision.
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