Chef notes
The injection in this recipe seasons the meat all the way through to the bone and provides extra moisture to the meat. The spicy mustard coleslaw is the perfect complement, adding both acidity and crunch to the moist and juicy barbecue pork.
Technique Tip: My preference is cooking this recipe on a charcoal grill. The time and temperature of indoor and outdoor cooking are the same. If cooking in the oven, place a drip pan below the meat and add 2 cups of water. Gas is a dry heat, so the extra moisture is needed to keep the meat moist during the cooking process.
Swap Option: If an 8 pound whole pork butt is too big, swap it for a 4 pound pork shoulder roast. Cook for 5 hours at 450°F, or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 195°F.
Special equipment: Meat injector and charcoal grill.
Ingredients
- 1 8-pound pork butt
- 2/3 cup apple juice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons garlic salt
- 2¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1¾ cups shredded white onion
- 1 cup shredded green bell pepper
- 1/3 cup shredded carrot
- 1/4 cup shredded celery
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 6 tablespoons yellow prepared mustard
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Barbecue sauce
- Burger buns
Preparation
For the injection:
In a medium bowl, combine the apple juice, sugar, salt and Worcestershire. Pour the mixture into a meat injector and inject pork butt evenly with solution.
For the dry rub:
In a small bowl, combine the sugars, garlic salt, kosher salt, paprika, chili powder, oregano, cayenne, cumin and black pepper. Coat the pork butt evenly with half of the dry rub (reserve the rest for another use).
For the pork butt:
Build a fire (I like to use a combination of charcoal and wood) in the grill for indirect cooking. Heat grill to 250°F.
Put the pork butt over indirect heat and cook for 10 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 195°F. Add hot charcoal or wood coals as needed during the cooking process to keep temperature stable.
For the coleslaw:
Combine the cabbage, onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery and sugar in a large bowl and mix well.
In a separate bowl combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, sour cream, mayonnaise, salt and cayenne pepper, and blend until smooth. Pour the dressing over cabbage mixture and stir together. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
To serve:
Slice, pull or chop meat and drizzle with your favorite barbecue sauce and serve on a bun with the coleslaw.
