Project Smoke

heavy chefs knife, coarsely chop the

pork into pieces. Alternatively, pull

the pork into shreds using meat claws,

two large forks, or your hands. Note:

You need to pull the pork when it’s

uncomfortably hot to the touch (wear

insulated food gloves).

5. When the pork is cooked, transfer
   it to a large cutting board or chopping
   block. Loosely tent with aluminum
   foil and let rest for 20 minutes.
   (Don’t bunch the foil around the pork
   or you’ll make the crust soggy.)

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6. If your pork shoulder came with
   skin (not all will), pull it off and
   scrape off any excess fat (for crisping
   the skin, see “Don’t forget the skin,”
   page 93).
   8. Transfer the pork to a large bowl
   and stir in enough sauce to give the
   pork a terrific flavor and keep it moist
   but not soupy. You’ll need 1 to 2 cups.


7. To serve, butter then grill or toast
   the buns. Place % cup pork (about
   Ya pound) on each bun. Serve any
   leftover sauce on the side. Top the
   meat with slaw, if using, and dig in.


8. Pull out and discard any bones
   from the meat. Pull the meat into fist-
   size pieces, discarding any internal
   bones and large lumps of fat. (But
   remember, you need some fat to keep
   the pork moist.) Using a cleaver or a

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In $

YIELD: Makes 2 cups

Think of this as the alter-ego of the thick, sugary sauces served too often

I with American barbecue. It’s thin. Sharp. Salty and fiery, with only

faint whisper of sweetness. But when it comes to saucing pulled or chopped

pork, nothing else comes close to counterpointing the rich fatty meat.

a

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes

(optional)

IV2 cups cider vinegar

Va cup water

2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

V/2 tablespoons coarse salt

(sea or kosher)

and salt are dissolved. Alternatively,

place the ingredients in a large jar

with a tight-fitting lid and shake to

mix.

Place the vinegar and water in a

nonreactive bowl. Add the sugar, salt,

black pepper, and hot red pepper

flakes, if using. Whisk until the sugar

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PORK I 91