Carolina Smoked Pulled Pork with Mustard-Vinegar Sauce

Steps

1. Step 1

   Stir the brown sugar, paprika, salt, mustard powder, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne together in a small bowl until evenly combined.

   5 min

   • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
   • 3 tbsp sweet paprika
   • 2 tbsp kosher salt
   • 1 tbsp mustard powder
   • 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
   • 2 tsp garlic powder
   • 2 tsp onion powder
   • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
2. Step 2

   Pat the pork butt dry. Trim the fat cap down to about 1/4 inch thick. Smear the whole roast with the yellow mustard (it just helps the rub stick), then pack the rub on all over, pressing it into the meat. Set the pork on a rimmed tray, cover loosely and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

   15 min

   • 8 lb bone-in pork butt (pork shoulder)
   • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
3. Step 3

   Take the pork out of the fridge. Set up your smoker for 250°F with hickory wood and let it come up to a steady temperature with clean, thin smoke. Fill the water pan if yours has one.

   30 min · 250°F

   • hickory wood chunks or chips
4. Step 4

   Put the pork on the grate fat side up and smoke undisturbed until the outside is deep mahogany and firm, about 5 to 6 hours. Add wood as needed for the first 6 hours and keep the smoker at 250°F. An instant-read thermometer in the thickest part should read about 160–170°F.

   5 hr 30 min, hands-off · 250°F

   • 8 lb bone-in pork butt (pork shoulder)
5. Step 5

   Wrap the pork tightly in a double layer of heavy foil (or butcher paper) and return it to the smoker. Cook until a thermometer slides into the meat with almost no resistance and reads 200–205°F, another 3 to 4 hours.

   3 hr 30 min, hands-off · 250°F

   • 8 lb bone-in pork butt (pork shoulder)
6. Step 6

   While the pork finishes, make the sauce: whisk the yellow mustard, cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire, hot sauce, black pepper and salt in a small saucepan. Simmer gently over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, for 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Cool; it keeps a week in the fridge.

   15 min

   • the rest of the yellow mustard
   • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
   • 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
   • 2 tbsp honey
   • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
   • 1 tsp hot sauce
   • 1 tsp coarse black pepper
   • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
7. Step 7

   Make the slaw: toss the cabbage and carrots with the mayonnaise, cider vinegar, sugar and a few pinches of salt. Chill until serving.

   15 min

   • 1 small green cabbage (about 2 lb)
   • 2 carrots
   • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
   • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
   • 1 tbsp sugar
   • salt
8. Step 8

   Leave the pork wrapped and let it rest in a cooler or turned-off oven for 1 hour. This is what makes it juicy, so don't skip it.

   1 hr, hands-off

   • 8 lb bone-in pork butt (pork shoulder)
9. Step 9

   Unwrap the pork over a bowl to catch the juices. Pull out the bone (it should slide free) and shred the meat with two forks or your hands, discarding big lumps of fat. Pour the saved juices back over the meat and toss with about 1 cup of the mustard sauce, adding more to taste.

   20 min

   • 8 lb bone-in pork butt (pork shoulder)
   • 1 cup yellow mustard
10. Step 10

    Pile the pork on the buns, top with slaw and pickles, and pass the rest of the sauce at the table.

    5 min

    • 12 soft hamburger buns
    • 1 cup dill pickle chips

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026