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| Blue Ribbon Pulled Pork Sandwiches |
The instructions given here are for a standard 22� Weber kettle barbecue. Grilling
times and vent adjustments will vary with different types of barbecues.
For the Barbecue Sauce :
1/4 cup unsalted butter
6 tablespoons minced yellow onion
1 1/3 cups cider vinegar
1 1/3 cups ketchup
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 3
minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat
and simmer until sauce is reduced to 2 2/3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 30
minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sauce can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate
For the Dry Seasoning Rub :
3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight
For the Barbecue Mop :
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup fresh cold water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix all ingredients in bowl. Set aside until ready to use
For the Coleslaw :
1 cup Hellmann's or Best Foods mayonnaise
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
6 tablespoons Barbecue Sauce [recipe above]
3 tablespoons sugar
12 cups lightly packed shredded green cabbage [about 2 small heads]
Mix first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in cabbage. Season with salt and pepper.
Chill at least 1 hour.
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated
Pork :
2 untrimmed boneless halves of pork shoulder [also known as Boston butt; about 6
pounds total weight]
4 cups hickory wood [smoke] chips
1 20-pound sack charcoal briquettes
12 soft hamburger buns with sesame seeds, warm
Method
Place pork, fat side up, on work surface. Cut each pork piece lengthwise in half,
forming total of 4 long strips. Place pork on baking sheet. Sprinkle Dry Seasoning Rub
all over pork; rub into pork, covering completely. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and
up to 6 hours
Place wood chips in large bowl. Cover with cold water and let stand 30 minutes.
Place handful of torn newspaper into bottom of charcoal chimney.* Top with 25
charcoal briquettes. Remove upper rack from barbecue grill. Place chimney on lower
grill rack. Light newspaper and let charcoal burn until gray ash color, about 30 minutes
Open 1 bottom grill vent. Turn out hot charcoal onto 1 side of lower rack. Using metal
spatula, spread charcoal to cover approximately 1/3 of rack. Remove 1 cup of wood
chips from water and drain [keep remaining chips in water]. Scatter over coals [avoid
using too many wet chips, which may douse the fire]. Fill foil loaf pan halfway with
water and place on lower grill rack on opposite side of coals
Place upper grill rack on barbecue. Arrange pork, fat side up, on upper grill rack
above loaf pan. Cover grill with lid, positioning top vent directly over pork. Place stem
of candy thermometer through top vent, with gauge on outside and tip near pork
[thermometer should not touch meat or grill rack]; leave in place during cooking.
Check temperature after 5 minutes. Use top and bottom vents to maintain temperature
range between 225° and 250°, opening vents wider to increase heat and closing to
decrease heat. Leave any other vents closed
After 30 minutes, use technique described above to light an additional 15 charcoal
briquettes in same charcoal chimney set atop bricks, cement or other nonflammable
surface
When cooking temperature of barbecue falls below 225°, use oven mitts to lift off
upper grill rack with pork and place on heatproof surface. Using tongs, add half of hot
gray charcoal to bottom rack. Sprinkle about 1 cup drained wood chips over
charcoal. Reposition upper rack on barbecue with pork above loaf pan. Brush pork
lightly with Barbecue Mop. Cover with lid
About once an hour, light more charcoal in chimney and replenish charcoal and wood
chips as necessary to maintain temperature between 225° and 250°, brushing pork
lightly with Barbecue Mop each time grill is opened. Open grill only when necessary
and cover as quickly as possible to minimize loss of heat and smoke. Cook pork until
meat thermometer inserted into center of meat registers between 165° and 170°,
turning occasionally, about 3 hours total
Transfer pork to baking sheet. Let stand 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle,
shred pork into bite-size pieces, discarding any fat. Mix any meat juices accumulated
on baking sheet into pork
Spoon pork onto bottom halves of buns
Drizzle with Barbecue Sauce
Top with Coleslaw and bun tops
*Available at many cookware stores and some hardware stores
times and vent adjustments will vary with different types of barbecues.
For the Barbecue Sauce :
1/4 cup unsalted butter
6 tablespoons minced yellow onion
1 1/3 cups cider vinegar
1 1/3 cups ketchup
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 3
minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat
and simmer until sauce is reduced to 2 2/3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 30
minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sauce can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate
For the Dry Seasoning Rub :
3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight
For the Barbecue Mop :
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup fresh cold water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix all ingredients in bowl. Set aside until ready to use
For the Coleslaw :
1 cup Hellmann's or Best Foods mayonnaise
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
6 tablespoons Barbecue Sauce [recipe above]
3 tablespoons sugar
12 cups lightly packed shredded green cabbage [about 2 small heads]
Mix first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in cabbage. Season with salt and pepper.
Chill at least 1 hour.
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated
Pork :
2 untrimmed boneless halves of pork shoulder [also known as Boston butt; about 6
pounds total weight]
4 cups hickory wood [smoke] chips
1 20-pound sack charcoal briquettes
12 soft hamburger buns with sesame seeds, warm
Method
Place pork, fat side up, on work surface. Cut each pork piece lengthwise in half,
forming total of 4 long strips. Place pork on baking sheet. Sprinkle Dry Seasoning Rub
all over pork; rub into pork, covering completely. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and
up to 6 hours
Place wood chips in large bowl. Cover with cold water and let stand 30 minutes.
Place handful of torn newspaper into bottom of charcoal chimney.* Top with 25
charcoal briquettes. Remove upper rack from barbecue grill. Place chimney on lower
grill rack. Light newspaper and let charcoal burn until gray ash color, about 30 minutes
Open 1 bottom grill vent. Turn out hot charcoal onto 1 side of lower rack. Using metal
spatula, spread charcoal to cover approximately 1/3 of rack. Remove 1 cup of wood
chips from water and drain [keep remaining chips in water]. Scatter over coals [avoid
using too many wet chips, which may douse the fire]. Fill foil loaf pan halfway with
water and place on lower grill rack on opposite side of coals
Place upper grill rack on barbecue. Arrange pork, fat side up, on upper grill rack
above loaf pan. Cover grill with lid, positioning top vent directly over pork. Place stem
of candy thermometer through top vent, with gauge on outside and tip near pork
[thermometer should not touch meat or grill rack]; leave in place during cooking.
Check temperature after 5 minutes. Use top and bottom vents to maintain temperature
range between 225° and 250°, opening vents wider to increase heat and closing to
decrease heat. Leave any other vents closed
After 30 minutes, use technique described above to light an additional 15 charcoal
briquettes in same charcoal chimney set atop bricks, cement or other nonflammable
surface
When cooking temperature of barbecue falls below 225°, use oven mitts to lift off
upper grill rack with pork and place on heatproof surface. Using tongs, add half of hot
gray charcoal to bottom rack. Sprinkle about 1 cup drained wood chips over
charcoal. Reposition upper rack on barbecue with pork above loaf pan. Brush pork
lightly with Barbecue Mop. Cover with lid
About once an hour, light more charcoal in chimney and replenish charcoal and wood
chips as necessary to maintain temperature between 225° and 250°, brushing pork
lightly with Barbecue Mop each time grill is opened. Open grill only when necessary
and cover as quickly as possible to minimize loss of heat and smoke. Cook pork until
meat thermometer inserted into center of meat registers between 165° and 170°,
turning occasionally, about 3 hours total
Transfer pork to baking sheet. Let stand 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle,
shred pork into bite-size pieces, discarding any fat. Mix any meat juices accumulated
on baking sheet into pork
Spoon pork onto bottom halves of buns
Drizzle with Barbecue Sauce
Top with Coleslaw and bun tops
*Available at many cookware stores and some hardware stores
