Bone-in pork butt, dry-brined overnight and smoked low over hickory until the bark sets and the meat pulls clean. A bold, spicy rub of ancho, chipotle, and cayenne builds real heat, finished with apple cider vinegar and its own juices.
Best for: weekend cookouts, a crowd, and leftovers worth planning around. Serves 10–14 pulled. Plan a full day; most of it is unattended.
Spicy Smoked Pork Butt — Recipe
Prep
20 min+ overnight
Cook
10–14 hr
Rest
1–4 hr
Serves
10–14
Equipment
Smoker (hickory wood)
Instant-read or leave-in probe thermometer
Heavy-duty foil
Ingredients
Pork
8–10 lb bone-in pork butt
Dry brine — night before
4¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Rub
4 tbsp coarse black pepper
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tbsp granulated onion
1 tbsp dried mustard powder
1 tbsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp celery seed
2 tsp brown sugar
For wrapping & finishing
Yellow mustard (thin coat, as binder)
2–4 tbsp apple cider vinegar (in the wrap)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (in the pull)
The night before
Apply the kosher salt evenly over the pork. Refrigerate uncovered overnight to dry-brine.
Cook
Coat the pork with a thin layer of yellow mustard as a binder.
Apply the rub heavily on all sides.
Smoke at 250°F over hickory.
When the bark is set and the internal temp reaches 160–170°F, wrap tightly in foil with 2–4 tbsp apple cider vinegar.
Raise the smoker to 275°F.
Cook until probe-tender, usually 198–205°F internal.
Rest, still wrapped, for 1–4 hours.
Pull
Pull the pork, then mix in the reserved juices and 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar.
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate up to 4 days; freezes well. To reheat, cover tightly with foil: 170°F for 2–4 hours gives the best texture, or 275°F for 45–75 minutes when you're short on time. Save any rendered juices to add back when reheating — it keeps the pull moist.
Notes & variations
This is meant to be spicy — the ancho, chipotle, and cayenne are the point, building a deep, layered heat that's the character of the dish. If you're cooking for someone heat-averse, you can cut the cayenne and chipotle for a milder batch, but the recipe is built to bring real heat. Diamond Crystal salt is roughly half as salty by volume as Morton; if you swap, reduce to about 2 tsp. The stall around 160–170°F is normal — the wrap pushes through it.
