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Tender, smoky pulled pork stacked on buttery toasted brioche and finished with a tangy Carolina Gold mustard BBQ sauce and sweet browned onions. A crowd-crushing, low-and-slow classic with bold smoke, bright acidity, and savory depth.
Plan your cook: allow about 1 hour of smoking per pound; this recipe is timed for a 9 lb pork shoulder.
Pat the pork shoulder dry, coat all sides with olive oil as a binder, then generously apply Carolina rub; season with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit at room temperature while the smoker preheats.
Set up the smoker with a base of unlit charcoal and a small batch of lit coals on top. Place a water pan beneath the cooking grates and fill with equal parts water and apple cider vinegar; add a splash of beer if desired.
Preheat the smoker with vents fully open until it passes 200°F, then partially close bottom vents to stabilize around 250°F.
Add 4–5 chunks of smoking wood (Applewood recommended).
Place the pork shoulder on the grates fat-cap up. Insert a probe into the meat and, if available, a grate-level probe.
Smoke between 220–275°F for the duration of the cook. Do not open the lid for the first 3 hours.
After 3 hours, check color and fuel; add charcoal as needed to maintain temperature.
Around the 6-hour mark, spritz the pork with the water/apple cider vinegar/beer mixture and top off the water pan.
Continue smoking, aiming for an internal temperature of about 200°F. Around 9 hours, spritz any dry areas and ensure steady heat for the home stretch.
When the pork reaches approximately 200°F internal and is probe-tender (about 11 hours total), remove it carefully. Wrap in butcher paper and rest for 1 hour in a small to medium cooler.
Make the Carolina Gold sauce: combine yellow mustard, raw honey, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, hot sauce, red pepper flake, chili powder, garlic powder, and olive oil. Blend until smooth and set aside.
While the pork rests, brown the sliced onions in a hot skillet over direct heat until savory and lightly crisp; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Brush brioche buns with melted butter and toast until golden.
Unwrap the rested pork. If bone-in, remove the bone. Pull and shred the meat, mixing bark with interior meat.
Assemble sandwiches: pile pulled pork on toasted brioche, slather with Carolina Gold sauce, top with browned onions, and serve.
This is a recipe preview shared on Recipio. Click "View Original Recipe" above for the complete instructions.
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