Grilling & BBQ

crowdsource Community Insights

This version turns out tasty for most people, but a few things kept coming up when people who made this actually cooked it. People who used a locked lid ran into trouble, while those who left the lid loose or off had much better results. Lots of people found dry-curing the picnic roast ahead of time noticeably improved the final flavor and texture. And a small practical tip: the ones who sharpened their knife before carving found slicing so much easier when it was done. Those three points will help you avoid the common headaches people who made this ran into.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Boston butt, bone-in
• 1 onion, whole (or half an onion instead of one whole)
• Everglades rub seasoning, to taste (or any other type of rub seasoning or spices)
• Barbecue sauce (or any barbecue sauce or brand)
• 1/4 cup water

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Place the Boston butt in the slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle Everglades rub seasoning over the pork and rotate it to coat all sides.
3. Spoon barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's or other) onto the top of the pork to get a good coat.
4. Place the whole onion on top of and down the side of the pork.
5. Pour a little bit less than a quarter cup of water into the bottom of the slow cooker to keep the bottom moist.
6. Put the lid on the slow cooker, select program, set it for 10 hours, press enter, and set to low.
7. After cooking (10 hours on low; then it switched to warm for about 1 hour), remove the pork—the bone should pull out easily.
8. Transfer the pork to a bowl or pan and save some of the cooking juices by pouring them into a bowl or Tupperware for reheating.
9. Use forks to pull the pork apart into shreds; keep or remove the cooked onion pieces as desired.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

• Pork butt, bone-in, fat cap partially trimmed
• Yellow mustard
• Barbecue rub, to taste (or any barbecue rub or seasoning blend)
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper
• Garlic
• 2 pat butter
• Brown sugar, to taste
• Barbecue sauce
• Bun

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Trim some of the fat cap from the pork butt so seasoning can reach the meat, avoiding deep scores.
2. Preheat the pellet grill to 250°F and let it come up to temperature.
3. Coat the pork butt with yellow mustard to make the surface tacky.
4. Apply barbecue rub to the mustard-coated pork, using a heavy coverage where desired; add the salt, pepper, and a little garlic (the present special blend) to help build bark.
5. Place the pork shoulders fat-cap up on the hottest zone of the grill.
6. Smoke at 250°F until the internal temperature reaches 165–170°F, checking the meat (the cook hits a checkpoint at about 4.5 hours); spritz with liquid occasionally and rotate as needed.
7. When the pork reaches about 165–170°F, place the shoulders in trays, add a couple pats of butter on top and optionally a little brown sugar, then increase the grill temperature to 275°F to render more fat and rehydrate the meat.
8. Continue cooking at 275°F until the internal temperature reaches about 202–205°F, checking frequently (about every 30 minutes as the meat approaches target).
9. Remove the shoulders when they reach the target (the cook removed at ~203°F), power down the grill, move the meat to a tray, cover with a towel, and let it rest until cool enough to handle.
10. Remove the bone (it should slide out of the bone-in shoulder) and shred the pork by hand or with forks, including some of the bark if desired.
11. Optionally toss the shredded pork with additional rub and/or barbecue sauce, then serve on buns.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

We couldn't confidently pull the full ingredient list and instructions from this video yet — watch it above for the complete recipe.

crowdsource Community Insights

This one centers on two practical things people learned after actually making it: don’t trim away all the fat, and start mopping with sauce about an hour in and baste often. People who trimmed off the fat tended to regret it; most who kept the fat got juicier results. Folks who trimmed and then mixed the trimmings back in sometimes noticed a candle-wax note, so if that bothers you, skip returning the trimmings. Also, if flies are an issue, some cooks found leaving a bar of Irish Spring nearby helped keep them away.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Pulled Pork

• 10 1/2 lb (4763g) pork butt, bone-in
• Mustard
• The Gospel seasoning, to taste
• Cheerwine
• Honey Hog Hot seasoning, to taste

Sweet Coleslaw

• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Miracle Whip
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 head cabbage, cut into strips

Barbecue Sauce

• Cheerwine BBQ Sauce

book_ribbon Instructions

Pulled pork

1. Trim any loose or excessive fat from the pork butt, leaving the fat cap but shaving it down where too thick.
2. Apply a mustard binder all over the pork butt.
3. Generously coat the pork butt all over with The Gospel seasoning; pat the rub on and let sit at least 15 minutes, preferably 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight if desired.
4. Preheat and prepare an indirect-heat smoker or pellet grill (he used a Traeger Ironwood XL with cherry pellets).
5. Place the pork butt on the cooker meat side up.
6. About two hours into the cook, pour Cheerwine into a hog sprayer and begin spritzing the pork with Cheerwine; spritz every hour.
7. When the pork has developed the visual bark and color you want, start probing to check tenderness; at that point you may either continue unwrapped to finish or wrap in foil.
8. If wrapping: wrap the pork in a piece of foil and return it to the cooker at 250 degrees Fahrenheit to finish until the internal temperature is just north of 200 degrees Fahrenheit (about 201–202 noted).
9. Remove the pork and let it cool enough to handle; pull the bone out and shred the meat by hand.
10. Pour the collected cooking juices into a fat separator, separate off the fat, then mix the reserved juices back into the shredded pork.
11. Taste and, if desired, finish the pulled pork by sprinkling Honey Hog Hot seasoning and mixing it in.

Sweet coleslaw

1. In a bowl whisk together 1 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup salad dressing (Miracle Whip), and 2 teaspoons yellow mustard.
2. Remove outer leaves from one head of cabbage, cut it in half, remove the core, then slice across the grain into strips to your preferred thickness.
3. Mix the shredded cabbage with the wet dressing mixture thoroughly.
4. Refrigerate the slaw; it can be eaten immediately but is best after sitting 2–4 hours so juices develop.

Cheerwine BBQ sauce

1. Bring the barbecue sauce ingredients together (see recipe link) and simmer until thickened to your liking.
2. Simmer the sauce about 30–35 minutes to reach desired thickness.

Assemble

1. Build sandwiches with shredded pork, slaw, and Cheerwine BBQ Sauce if using.
2. Store or hold pork at keep-warm conditions if needed (creator noted 165 degrees Fahrenheit keep-warm option on some cookers).

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.
• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Spice Rub

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar (or honey)
• 6 tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt (or rosemary salt)
• 1 tbsp chipotle powder
• 1 tbsp ground mustard
• 1 tbsp black pepper

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

• 1 onion, large, quartered and sliced
• 1/3 cup malt vinegar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 cup ketchup
• 2 1/2 tbsp molasses
• 6 oz (170g) chipotle peppers in adobo
• 1/3 cup soy sauce, dark soy sauce
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• Black pepper
• Cooking oil, a tiny bit

Coleslaw & Dressing

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp celery seed
• 2 tsp white sugar (or honey)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or rosemary salt)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Carrot, sliced into thin planks and julienned
• Cabbage, shaved thin

Main & Assembly

• 8-12 lb (3629-5443g) Boston butt roast, trimmed slightly
• Rendered pork fat, a little poured over cooked pork
• Brioche bun
• Avocado oil, spray

book_ribbon Instructions

Rub, Roast, and Rest

1. Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 6 tablespoons paprika, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 tablespoons onion powder, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon chipotle powder, 1 tablespoon ground mustard, and 1 tablespoon black pepper in a bowl to make the barbecue spice rub.
2. Trim a little of the external fat from the Boston butt roast and leave the softer fat beneath intact.
3. Generously coat the pork on all sides with the spice rub.
4. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven, set the pork on a sheet pan fitted with a rack, and put it in the oven set to 250°F; roast until the internal temperature is right about to hit 200°F (this can take about 7 to 10 hours depending on size).
5. Increase the oven to 300°F for the last two hours if you want more color; remove the pork when nearly 200°F internal.
6. Transfer the cooked pork into a pot that has a lid, pour a little of the rendered fat over the meat, cover, and let rest for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

1. Halve and roughly slice 1 large onion for blending.
2. Set a saucepan over medium-low heat, add a tiny bit of cooking oil and a pinch of salt, and sweat the onions (cook without color) until soft and slightly translucent, about 8 minutes.
3. Add 1/3 cup malt vinegar, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 cups ketchup, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, 2 1/2 tablespoons molasses, 2 tablespoons honey, 6 ounces chipotle peppers, 1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2/3 cup water, and pepper to taste; stir to combine.
4. Return to the stove and simmer gently over low heat, bubbling lightly, for about 25 minutes until the sauce is thickened.
5. Strain the sauce through a fine strainer into a bowl, pressing solids through with a spoon; reserve the strained onions (use as an onion jam) and let the sauce cool (it will thicken further as it cools).

Shred and Season Pork

1. Shred the rested pork into mostly larger chunks for varied texture; remove excess fat pieces if desired.
2. Taste the shredded pork and add a little less than a teaspoon of kosher salt if needed, then mix so the seasoning is distributed.

Coleslaw

1. Whisk 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar with 2 teaspoons white sugar (or honey as an alternative) and 1/2 teaspoon salt until the sugar dissolves.
2. Stir the vinegar mixture into 1 cup mayonnaise and add 1 teaspoon celery seed; mix to make the dressing.
3. Slice carrot into thin planks, then cut the planks into thin shoestrings using a mandoline or a knife.
4. Shave cabbage into thin slices (mandoline recommended), sprinkle with a little salt and black pepper, and toss with the dressing and the prepared carrot until juicy.

Toast and Assemble

1. Heat a grill pan over medium (slightly under medium if necessary), spray with avocado oil, and toast brioche buns in the pan for about 3 minutes until crunchy.
2. Assemble sandwiches: place pulled pork on the bottom bun, spoon reserved onion jam and chipotle barbecue sauce over the pork, top with coleslaw, and cap with the top bun.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Repeat Worthy: People who make this tend to come back and make it again.

grocery Ingredients

Green Salt

• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp thyme leaves, chopped

Pork

• 7-8 lb (3175-3629g) bone-in pork butt (or lower part of the shoulder (picnic ham))

Smoking and finishing

• 2-3 heaping handful soaked medium-sized wood chips, soaked, medium-sized (or any wood)
• Parchment paper
• 2 layer aluminum foil

Serving and toppings

• 5-6 oz (142-170g) pulled pork, large chunky shreds
• Brioche bun, toasted
• Mayonnaise
• Cabbage slaw, creamy
• Baguette, refreshed for about 2 minutes
• Cucumber, cut into batons
• Pickled shredded daikon and carrots, shredded, pickled
• Jalapeno, sliced
• Cilantro, rough chopped
• Corn tortillas, heated, double-decker
• Onion, diced
• Tomatillo salsa, fresh
• Chihuahua cheese, shredded (or queso fresco)
• Queso fresco

book_ribbon Instructions

Green salt and cure

1. In a large bowl, combine 100 grams (1/2 cup) salt, 100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar, 25 grams (5 cloves) minced garlic, and 3–5 grams (1.5 tablespoons) chopped thyme leaves; stir until evenly distributed to make the green salt.
2. Rub about 1/4 cup of the green salt mixture over the top of the pork butt and massage it into the meat, then rub another 1/4 cup onto the backside and massage it in so the mixture adheres.
3. Place the seasoned pork shoulder uncovered in the refrigerator to cure for at least 2 hours and preferably 24 hours.

Smoking

1. Remove one grate from the grill to expose the direct heating elements and place a smoker chip box directly on those grates.
2. Fill the smoker box with 2–3 heaping handfuls of soaked medium-sized wood chips (applewood recommended) and seal the box.
3. Turn the burner under the smoker box to high and set the other burners to very low or off to maintain a smoking temperature between 275–325°F (135–163°C).
4. Place the cured pork shoulder on the side of the grill where the burners are turned off, close the lid, and maintain a temperature between 275–325°F (135–163°C).
5. Smoke the pork for 45 minutes, add another round of wood chips to the smoker box, then smoke for an additional 45 minutes.

Oven roasting

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. Transfer the smoked pork shoulder to a roasting pan, cover the pan with parchment paper, then wrap the pan tightly with two layers of aluminum foil.
3. Roast the pork in the oven for 4–6 hours, flipping the pork after 3 hours to promote even cooking.

Finish and shred

1. Check doneness by confirming the shoulder blade bone slides out easily and that a pair of tongs can be pushed into the middle of the roast, indicating the meat is tender enough to be pulled.
2. Allow the cooked pork shoulder to rest for 30 minutes.
3. Break the shoulder down into large, chunky shreds and mix the meat with its rendered fat and juices.

Serving suggestions

1. Smoked pork sandwich: Toast a single squishy brioche bun, spread a dollop of mayonnaise on the bottom bun, add 5–6 ounces of pulled pork, top with creamy cabbage slaw, place the lightly mayo'd top bun and press gently to assemble.
2. Smoked pork bahn mi: Refresh a soft bahn mi–style baguette in the oven for about 2 minutes, spread a big spoonful of mayonnaise, add 5–6 ounces of pulled pork, top with cucumber batons, pickled shredded daikon and carrots, sliced fresh jalapenos, and rough-chopped fresh cilantro.
3. Smoked pork taco: Place 4 ounces of pulled pork onto a double-decker of heated corn tortillas, top with fresh diced onion, chopped fresh cilantro, drizzle with fresh tomatillo salsa, and finish with shredded Chihuahua cheese or queso fresco.

crowdsource Community Insights

People who made this found a couple of practical things: cooking the roast low-and-slow in a slow cooker overnight is a popular hands-off route, and others used a pressure cooker when they wanted it faster, both are fine options. The part that actually trips people up is shredding the meat while it’s still steaming; letting it cool a bit makes shredding cleaner and less messy. Also, some people tried very long sous vide cooks (around 18 hours) and ran into problems, so most recommend avoiding sous vide-in-plastic for this recipe.

military_tech Why This Recipe Stands Out

• Reliable Results: It turns out well consistently, with few reported problems.

grocery Ingredients

Spice Rub

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp dry ground mustard
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1-2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp freshly ground pepper

Vinegar Sauce (Eastern North Carolina)

• 1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1-3 tsp cayenne pepper
• Hot sauce
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper

Tomato-based Barbecue Sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup (packed) brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 3 tbsp butter
• Hot sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 grated onion
• 1 tbsp spice rub, heaping
• 1/2 cup water

Pork and Smoking/Finishing

• Bone-in Boston butt
• Liquid smoke
• Hickory wood, to taste
• Applewood, to taste

Coleslaw

• 1/2 head cabbage, shredded
• 2-3 tbsp white vinegar
• Celery seed
• Mayonnaise

book_ribbon Instructions

Make the dry spice rub

1. Combine about 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, and about 1/2 cup paprika in a bowl.
2. Add 1 tablespoon dry mustard, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1–2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper.
3. Mix the rub thoroughly by hand to remove any lumps and transfer it into a shaker for easy distribution.

Make the Eastern North Carolina vinegar sauce

1. Whisk about 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar with the juice of 1/2 a lemon.
2. Add cayenne pepper (between 1 and 3 teaspoons), a shot of hot sauce, and salt and black pepper to taste.
3. Whisk to combine and transfer into a plastic squeeze bottle for serving.

Make the tomato-based barbecue sauce

1. Combine about 1 cup ketchup, about 1 cup packed brown sugar, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, 3 tablespoons butter, a few splashes of hot sauce, a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce, and about 1/4 of a grated onion in a saucepan.
2. Stir in a heaping tablespoon of the prepared spice rub and about 1/2 cup water.
3. Simmer the sauce over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, until thick and viscous, then cool and transfer for service.

Prepare the pork (common prep)

1. Trim some excess fat from the bone-in Boston butt while preserving as much of the dark brown crust potential as possible.
2. Liberally and evenly coat every surface of the pork with the prepared spice rub.

Indoor method — sous-vide then oven finish

1. If using the indoor/sous-vide option, optionally sprinkle the pork with a little liquid smoke.
2. Place the seasoned pork in a vacuum-seal bag and vacuum seal it.
3. Cook the sealed pork in a 165 degrees Fahrenheit sous-vide bath for 18 to 24 hours.
4. To prevent evaporation for long cooks, weigh the meat down with a heavy ceramic bowl or plate, wrap the bath area with plastic wrap, and punch a small hole in the wrap to give the sous-vide access while limiting evaporation.
5. After the sous-vide cook, remove the pork, drain and reserve the bag juices (strain and save for adding to sauces if desired), and pat the pork completely dry.
6. Give the pork a heavy additional dusting of the smoky spice rub and place it in a 300 degrees Fahrenheit oven for about 60 to 90 minutes, until dark brown, crisp, and deeply flavored.
7. Remove the bone, shred the pork with forks, and serve on buns sauced liberally with your sauce of choice.

Traditional smoker method

1. After applying the spice rub, ideally wrap the pork in plastic wrap and chill overnight, if time allows.
2. Place the pork fat-cap-up into a 250 degrees Fahrenheit smoker heated with your choice of smoking wood (he used hickory and applewood).
3. Probe the pork to its thickest point and place foil trays of water around the meat to maintain humidity early in the cook to encourage bark formation.
4. Smoke the pork until the internal temperature reaches 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, which may take approximately 6 to 12 hours.
5. Remove the pork from the smoker, remove the bones, shred the meat, and serve with sauce and coleslaw.

Simple coleslaw

1. Shred about 1/2 a head of cabbage.
2. Toss the shredded cabbage with 2 to 3 tablespoons white vinegar, a good shake of celery seed, and a few tablespoons of mayonnaise if desired.
3. Keep the slaw simple so it does not compete with the pork, then serve alongside the pulled pork.

grocery Ingredients

• 8-10 lb (3629-4536g) pork shoulder, bone-in
• 3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
• 2 tbsp coarse salt
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil)
• 2 cup water
• Barbecue sauce, Texas-style, wet and spicy
• Buns

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Combine 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons coarse salt, 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin; stir to combine.
2. Wear rubber gloves and rub the spice mixture all over the pork shoulder.
3. Wrap the coated pork shoulder tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
4. Before searing, pat the pork as dry as possible with paper towels.
5. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and move all racks so they are two inches from the bottom to leave room for the pot.
6. Heat about 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pan and sear the pork on all sides until nicely caramelized.
7. Position the pork in the pot with the fatty side up so that the fat will baste the meat while it braises.
8. Add 2 cups of water to the pot.
9. Cover the pot and braise in the preheated 325-degree oven for 5 to 6 hours, basting the meat every hour.
10. Remove the pork and shred it using two forks.
11. Serve the shredded pork on buns with Texas-style barbecue sauce, adding additional sauce as desired.

crowdsource Community Insights

People who made this found two things matter most. First, check your cooking temperature, several cooks accidentally ran it at 170°F for about 4 hours 53 minutes and that threw things off, so double-check your cooker and timing before you start. Second, a number of people did theirs in a smoker, so expect that version to feel a bit different and adjust smoke/time the way you like. Also, tying your hair back came up as small but important housekeeping, people who skipped it usually wished they hadn’t while handling and shredding the meat.

grocery Ingredients

• Pork shoulder
• Onion, halved, roots left on
• Garlic, crushed into a paste
• 3 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp brown sugar, large
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• Thyme, stalks
• Mayonnaise, shop-bought
• Honey, to taste
• Smoked chipotle paste
• Mustard

book_ribbon Instructions

1. Halve the onions and leave the roots on; place the halved onions under the pork so they sit underneath the shoulder.
2. Peel the garlic and crush it into a paste.
3. In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 large tablespoons brown sugar, the crushed garlic, salt and black pepper with olive oil and some thyme to form a fragrant paste.
4. Pour the paste all over the pork shoulder and rub it in thoroughly; drizzle a little olive oil on top.
5. Note: the pork can be marinated days in advance (for example, start marinating Thursday/Friday for Sunday).
6. Roast the pork shoulder in the oven for five and a half to six hours in the oven at 140.
7. While the pork roasts, make the chipotle mayonnaise: mix shop-bought mayonnaise with salt, black pepper, a little touch of honey, smoked chipotle paste and a spoon of mustard to taste.
8. Store the mayonnaise in the fridge if not using immediately; it can sit in the fridge.
9. When the pork is done, shred it with a fork and serve with the chipotle mayonnaise.