Carolina-style Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Boston Butt is taken from the upper shoulder of a pig and usually weighs between 3 1/2 to 8 pounds. Slow smoked with apple and hickory wood, the shoulder turns into a flavorful, tender and moist piece of meat. Once cooked, the shoulder may be sliced or pulled and served Carolina-style with vinegary coleslaw atop a hamburger bun. A 3 1/2-pound boneless pork butt will take about 6 to 8 hours to smoke while a 7-pound butt could take 12 to 14 hours. (A general rule of thumb is 2 hours per pound for a bone-in butt and 1 1/2 hours per pound for a boneless butt.)
1 (8 1/2-pound) pork butt
1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup Carolina Rub (recipe follows)
2 cups hickory wood chips, soaked for 1 hour
2 cups apple wood chips, soaked for 1 hour
12 hamburger buns, split, buttered and lightly grilled
6 cups Carolina Slaw (recipe follows)
For the mop:
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Prepare the mop by combining all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Using a utility knife, trim any heavy fat from the butt and score the remaining fat into a diamond shape (similar to preparing a ham for cooking). Lightly brush the pork with mustard and liberally coat with the rub. Wrap the butt with food film and refrigerate at least six hours or up to 24 hours.
About 45 minutes before cooking, fill the Grill Dome firebox 3/4 full with lump charcoal and ignite with pieces of a SuperCedar fire starter or electric igniter.
When the temperature of the Grill Dome stabilizes at 225 degrees F. (about 30 to 45 minutes after lighting), add one cup of the drained hickory chips and one cup of the drained apple chips to the coals and place the pork in the smoker. Cover and cook for four hours.
(For my Grill Dome Infinity, maintaining 225 degrees F. means having the bottom damper open about 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch and the top damper open about 10%.)
After 4 hours, mop the butt and cook for another 10 to 12 hours, mopping every couple of hours, until the meat is very tender and has an internal temperature 195 to 205 degrees F. Add more chips and preheated coals as needed to maintain a 225 degrees F. temperature in the smoker.
Remove the meat from the smoker and allow it to cool slightly. Using two forks pull the meat into shreds discarding as much fat as possible. Cool, cover and refrigerate or immediately prepare pulled pork sandwiches.
To make the sandwiches:
Scoop about 5 cups of pulled pork into a large cast iron skillet. Heat the pork over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of pulled pork sauce (or enough to saturate the pork) to the skillet and stir to combine. Heat until the meat and sauce are thoroughly warmed.
Repeat with remaining pork and sauce.
Place a 4- to 5-ounce portion of pulled pork on the bottom of a grilled hamburger bun and top with 1/3 cup of Carolina Slaw. Place roll top aside slaw and serve.
Yields about 3 3/4 to 4 pounds of pulled pork (about 12 servings)
Carolina Rub
As with most barbecue recipes, there is a wide variety of rubs and spice concoctions for “Carolina-style pork.” This rub will form a nice bark and a nice layer of seasoning on the butt. It could also be used for pork roasts or chops.
1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons granulated onion
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dry mustard
Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well to incorporate. This seasoning blend will keep about 2 months if stored in an airtight container.
Yields about 1 1/4 cups
Pulled Pork Sauce
4 cups cider vinegar
1 cup good quality ketchup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
Combine the ingredients in a medium stockpot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Keep warm until service.
Yields about 6 cups