Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwich

I remember the first time that I ever bit into a Pulled Pork Sandwich...I wondered where it had been all of my life.  All of that wonderful BBQ goodness topped with crunchy coleslaw.  It was pure heaven!  Maybe I had those sandwiches in mind when I got Mr. T. a new BBQ and I had found a new recipe to try.

Mr. T. now uses a BBQ/smoker.  The fire is off to the side and the smoke flows over the meat cooking "next door"!

The pork shoulder was rubbed with Head Country All Purpose Championship Seasoning which came highly recommended by Larry at Big Dude's Eclectic Ramblings.  (Mr. T is a faithful reader of his blog.)  Larry is always making delicious meals on the BBQ so when he mentioned how great this rub was, Mr. T. ordered some.  Our pork shoulder was delicious....the pulled pork sandwiches were scrumptious!

Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwich

1  8 lb. pork shoulder (Don't buy an expensive cut of meat.  You need a tougher cut as plenty of fat and connective tissue will withstand the long exposure to the heat.)

Barbecued Pork Rub (This is our usual rub for the pork.)

Combine all seasonings.
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup chili powder
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. dried thyme
1 tsp cayenne

Coat the shoulder with the rub, massaging it into the meat.

Grilling Process
Grilling indirectly is for cuts of meat that take a long time to cook.  If you don't have a grill with a side compartment, set up your grill so that half has fire and the other half does not.  Cooking is done on the area where there is no fire underneath, but there's plenty of heat!

This can be accomplished by placing chunks of wood in a foil pack (use two layers of foil)  Bundle the packet leaving a hole at the top so smoke can escape.

Preheat one side of the grill to medium high.  Place the smoke packet over the fire, drip pan is under the unlit side.

Place the pork  over the drip pan and grill  for three hours.  Check every hour to make sure there's plenty of  smoke.  Smoking takes 3 hours.  Add wood packets as needed to keep plenty of smoke circulating.

Once smoking is complete, wrap pork in to layers of foil, crimping edges to seal in moisture.  Return to grill; cook 2 more hours.  After 2 hours, insert thermometer into thickest part of meat.  You want to hit 180°.  (We cooked the pork at 225°-250° in the smoker for four hours total.)

Keep foil around the meat and let rest off heat for 30 minutes.  At this point the meat is ready to be pulled with a fork or fingers.  Don't worry about the red ring around the meat.  It's not undercooked but rather a natural reaction to the smoke.

After pulling the pork apart and removing and fat that may be remaining, remove the pork you will be eating and mix in some of your favorite BBQ sauce....just a little...do not saturate!

Serve the sandwich on a Kaiser-style bun.  (These may be buttered and toasted.)  Top the pork with a special coleslaw.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Spinach Coleslaw

Yield 10 cups

Whisk together:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup vegetable  oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cayenne

Add:
1 bag (1 lb) coleslaw mix
1 bag (10 oz) shredded red cabbage
1 bag (6 oz) fresh baby spinach,  thinly sliced

Whisk together all ingredients except the cabbages and spinach.
Add the cabbages and spinach.  Toss and let coleslaw sit 30 minutes before serving.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

I am joining Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage and Foodie Friday hosted by Michael at Designs by Gollum!  Stop by and take a look.