Shelly's Recipe

LEXINGTON-STYLE PULLED PORK FOR CHARCOAL GRILL

Category: Sandwiches I

Spice Rub and Pork
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp table salt
1 boneless pork shoulder roast (4- to 5-pound)
4 cups wood chips

Lexington BBQ Sauce
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

For the spice rub and pork: Combine spices, sugar, and salt in small bowl, breaking up any lumps as necessary. Massage entire pork roast with spice mixture. (Roast may be wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes. Open bottom grill vents. Light large chimney starter filled halfway with charcoal briquettes (about 50 coals) and burn until charcoal is covered with fine gray ash. Pour coals into pile on one side of grill and scatter wood chips over coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and let grill heat up 5 minutes. Scrape grate clean.

Position pork on cooler side of grill. Cover, positioning half-open lid vents directly over meat, and cook until meat has dark, rosy crust and charcoal is spent, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Transfer pork to large roasting pan, wrap pan and pork tightly in foil, and roast in oven until fork inserted into pork can be removed with no resistance (see related Tip), 2 to 3 hours. Remove from oven and rest, still wrapped in foil, for 30 minutes.

For the sauce: Whisk together all ingredients until sugar and salt are dissolved. Using hands, pull pork into thin shreds, discarding fat if desired. Toss pork with 1/2 cup vinegar sauce, serving remaining sauce at table. Serves 8 to 10

NOTE: If barbecuing a bone-in roast, or if your pork butt weighs more than 5 lbs, plan on an extra 30 to 60 minutes of oven cooking time. •Relying on the fork test, not time, to determine doneness is key: Just stick a fork straight into the top of the roast and lift. If the fork comes out with little or no resistance, the meat is fork-tender (just right).