Perfect Pulled Pork With Slaw & Asian BBQ Sauce

Juicy, smoked pulled pork with a simple slaw and asian BBQ sauce that will make your tailgating dreams come true.

Juicy. Delicious. Melt in your mouth pulled pork.

If you have a smoker and you’re ready to make the pulled pork of your dreams, consider this your sign.

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There are plenty of smoked pulled pork recipes out there so why should you make this one?

1. TIME. Many pulled pork recipes call for a smoking temperature of 225°F, which takes the phrase “low and slow” to a whole new level. Have you actually smoked a Boston butt (aka pork shoulder) at 225°F? It takes FOREVER. Like 12-15 hours forever. And while some pit masters believe that this low temperature yields the best results, I’m here to reassure you that can get the same melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness cooking at a slightly higher temperature for less time.

2. FLAVORS. This recipe combines the flavors of classic Texas barbecue with Asian ingredients, inspired by two of my favorite Asian barbecue fusion restaurants in Austin: Loro and Kemuri Tatsu-Ya (if you know, well, you KNOW). We’re sticking to fairly traditional barbecue seasoning for the pork itself, and pairing it with a simple red cabbage slaw and the *dreamiest* Asian style barbecue sauce to drizzle on top.

3. BE THE HERO. Let’s be honest, the superbowl or neighborhood BBQ is a great time for some healthy competition. If you’re going to all the effort to smoke something for hours, the end result should be life-changing.

My promise: if you make this pulled pork according to the directions, it will be the best thing on the table. 100% customer satisfaction guaranteed.

8 a.m.: pork getting ready to go into the smoker.

Plan Ahead

One of my favorite restaurants in Austin (yes, another Austin restaurant!) that closed shortly after the pandemic was called Salt & Time. Not only was the food at this restaurant & butcher shop phenomenal, but they made the absolute best burger in Austin. I loved the name of their small business because I firmly believe that there are endless delicious things you can create with a little bit of salt and time.

This recipe is no different.

If you’re cooking for a crowd and need dinner on the table between 5-7 p.m., I’d start cooking at 7 or 8 a.m. Although various cuts of pork may cook differently, you should plan on smoking the pork for roughly 8-10 hours from start to beginning (and that’s once the meat is completely prepped and placed on the smoker). My suggested timeline is below.

3:14 p.m.: the fat cap has officially split.

Sample Timeline

This timeline is not to be followed exactly. Make sure and read the full recipe to understand markers that will indicate progress throughout the recipe.

7:00 Remove pork from fridge & preheat smoker

7:30 Prep pork with mustard & rub

8:00 Begin smoking pork

11:00 Spray with apple cider vinegar

12:00 Spray with apple cider vinegar

1:00 Spray with apple cider vinegar

2:00 Spray with apple cider vinegar

3:00 Spray with apple cider vinegar, wrap in foil, & continue to smoke

4:00 Probe for doneness

4/4:30 Remove from smoker and let rest

5:00 Serve pulled pork

5:17 p.m.: straight out of the smoker & heaven on earth.

• food handler’s gloves

• instant-read thermometer

• spray bottle

• aluminum foil

• disposable aluminum pan, optional

Perfect Pulled Pork

• 1 (8-10 lb.) boneless pork shoulder*

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

• 1/4 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt (not table salt)

• 2 Tablespoons fresh cracked pepper **

• 1 Tablespoon paprika

• 3-4 Tablespoons honey mustard

• apple cider vinegar, for spritzing

• 8 brioche or potato buns, cut in half

• butter for buns

Simple Slaw

• 1 head red cabbage, thinly sliced

• 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Asian BBQ Sauce

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/4 cup mirin

• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon ketchup

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Perfect Pulled Pork

1. One hour before you plan to begin smoking, remove the pork from the refrigerator. 30-60 minutes before you begin smoking, preheat the smoker to 275°F (for a pellet grill like a Traeger, this should be closer to 30 minutes). In a small bowl, make the rub by combining the brown sugar, kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and paprika.

2. Place the pulled pork shoulder on a cutting board and pat dry. Slather the mustard all over the outside surface of the pork until coated. Using food handler’s gloves, sprinkle the rub all over the mustard-covered pork, gently pressing the rub into the meat. Be sure that the top, bottom, and sides are generously coated (you should use most of the rub, if not all), and when you’re finished place the fatty side (that’s the “fat cap”) face up.

3. Place the pork shoulder directly on the grill grates or in a disposable aluminum pan inside the smoker, and smoke for 3-4 hours undisturbed. Once the pork has been smoking for 3-4 hours, use the spray bottle to gently spray the pork with apple cider vinegar. Close the lid and continue smoking. Continue to spray every hour until the fat cap splits (you will be able to see this visibly), and the internal temperature of the pork is roughly 180° F, give or take. This should take roughly 6-8 hours from the time you start smoking.

4. Briefly remove the pork shoulder from the smoker, spray once more with the apple cider vinegar, wrap in 2-3 layers of foil, and return to the smoker. Continue smoking until the internal temperature of the pulled pork is between 200-205°F, and the meat is buttery and can be easily cut into with a butter knife. Remove from the smoker and let rest for 30-60 minutes. If you aren’t serving within the hour, wrap the foil-covered pork in a towel and store in a cooler until serving.

Simple Slaw

1. Toss together the red cabbage, apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and set aside.

Asian BBQ Sauce

1. In a medium-sized saucepan whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, mirin, rice vinegar, ketchup, sesame oil, ground ginger, and garlic powder. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. BBQ sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Assembly

1. To serve, spread butter on the inside surface of the buns and toast under the broiler for 1 minute on the top rack, watching carefully. Place some of the simple slaw on the bottom bun, pile high with as much of the perfect pulled pork as possible, and drizzle with the Asian BBQ sauce to your heart’s content. Top with the upper bun and devour immediately.

Perfect Pulled Pork With Slaw & Asian BBQ Sauce

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• *I like to get my pork shoulder from Costco. It comes in a two-pack (called “pork shoulder butt”) so you can easily double this recipe if needed, or simply use one of the pork shoulders and freeze the other for another use. This recipe was developed using a boneless pork shoulder, but you may also use a bone-in pork shoulder as well.

• **I highly discourage using pre-ground black pepper and recommend either using a pepper grinder or mortar and pestle to grind black peppercorns for optimal flavor. If using pre-ground pepper (again, highly discouraged), you will not need the full 2 Tablespoons called for in the recipe.

Have any questions? Please drop them in the comments below! I know that smoking can feel intimidating sometimes, so please know that I’m here to help! I have notifications turned on and I am READY to respond to my Substack community ASAP.

NOW. Last but not least, tell me who you’re cheering for this Super Bowl!