Ultimate Smoked Apple Pork Butt – A Mind-Blowing Recipe

1. Make dry rub: Combine brown sugar, salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, and sage in a small container. Measure 1 tablespoon dry rub mixture into a container large enough to fit pork butt. Refrigerate remaining dry rub.

2. Make marinade: Pour apple cider, apple juice concentrate, honey, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke into the large container with dry rub; mix well.

3. Prepare pork: Score top of pork butt in a checkerboard pattern. Inject some of the marinade into the bottom, sides, and top of pork butt. Place pork in the container with remaining marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight.

4. Prepare wood chips: Combine whiskey barrel wood chips, apple wood chips, apple juice concentrate, and water in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal and let soak, about 20 minutes.

5. Preheat an electric smoker to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Fill smoker box with wood chips according to manufacturer’s instructions.

6. Remove pork from marinade; rub mustard and honey evenly on top. Coat pork butt heavily with reserved dry rub. Place pork fat-side up on a rack.

7. Place the rack in the smoker and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) for medium or 170 degrees F (77 degrees C) for well done, 4 to 6 hours. Add additional soaked wood chips halfway through cooking time.

8. Place pork butt fat-side up on a serving platter. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes, turning over halfway through resting time.

Tips

You can use fresh herbs instead of dried in the rub.

You can use orange concentrate, or a combination of apple and orange concentrates in the marinade. Concentrated juice may be substituted with fresh. You’ll need to cut down or eliminate the amount of water if fresh juice is used.

You can use all apple or all Jack Daniel’s wood chips. Other wood types will change the flavor.

Smoking time may be adjusted as desired. The meat will continue to cook while resting, so I recommend removing it just before the desired doneness is reached to avoid overcooking.

Editor’s Note:

Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of marinade and dry rub. The actual amount of marinade and dry rub consumed will vary.