Smoked Wild Pork Shoulder – BBQ Winter Warmer

Ingredients:

• 1 x Wild Pork shoulder (bone-in preferred, 3-4kg)

• 4 Tbsp olive oil or mustard (as a binder)

• 4 Tbsp brown sugar

• 2 Tbsp smoked paprika

• 1 Tbsp garlic powder

• 1 Tbsp onion powder

• 1 Tbsp dried thyme or mixed herbs

• 1 Tbsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 Tbsp sea salt

• Apple cider vinegar & apple juice (for spritzing)

Method:

Prep the Meat: Trim any thick silver skin or gristle off your pork, but leave a good layer of fat on top to keep it juicy.

Rub Down: Rub olive oil or mustard all over as a binder. Mix your dry rub ingredients together and coat the pork generously. Wrap it up and rest in the fridge overnight if you’ve got time — otherwise, 1 hour at room temp works too.

Fire Up the Smoker/BBQ: Set your smoker or BBQ for indirect cooking at 120°C (250°F). Use manuka or apple wood chunks for a sweet, smoky flavour that works awesome with wild pork.

Low ‘n Slow: Put your pork shoulder on the smoker, fat side up. Let it go for 3-4 hours, spritzing every hour with a mix of apple cider vinegar and apple juice to keep it moist.

Wrap & Finish: Once the bark (crust) looks right and the internal temp hits around 70°C, wrap it in foil or butcher’s paper, and keep cooking till it hits 93°C internal temp — usually another 3-4 hours.

Rest Up: Rest it for at least 30-60 mins, then shred it up and serve with fresh buns, slaw, and your favourite BBQ sauce.