Sweet and Sour Pulled Pork

• 6–10 pound pork shoulder butt (boneless or bone-in)
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 red onion
• 1 can of pineapple slices, drained (or fresh pineapple, sliced)
• Preferred buns or rolls for serving

SEASONING
• 1/3 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon 16-mesh black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Chinese 5-spice
• ½ tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon cayenne

SWEET & SOUR SAUCE
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

1. Prep the pork butt. Remove any excess fat or silverskin if any. Season the pork with an even layer of the seasoning blend. Allow the pork to rest at room temperature while the smoker warms up. If possible, season the pork butt the night before and rest in the fridge uncovered.
2. Preheat the smoker to 265°F. Once your smoker has reached temperature, place the pork butt inside with the fat cap facing up. Leave the pork undisturbed for about 2 hours.
3. Prep the vegetables and sauce. Diced all of the peppers and onions in half, and then slice into long strips. Cut the pineapple rings into halves. Add all of the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a medium simmer on the stove. Whisk the sauce until it has thickened, which should take about 5 minutes simmering. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Spritz along the way. After the first 2 hours, open the smoker and spritz the outside with the apple cider vinegar. Continue to cook the pork butt at the same temperature for another 5-6 hours, spritzing every hour or more as needed. The pork will visibly shrink, and the fat cap will eventually start to crack and split as the 7-hour mark approaches.
5. (optional) Wrap the pork butt in foil. This step helps to speed up the cooking process while also making the pork very tender. Roll out 2 large sheets of heavy duty foil, about 3–4 times as long as the widest side of the pork butt. Place the foil on your workstation, overlapping the two sheets, with the shiny side facing up. Spritz the pork butt one last time before wrapping. Tightly roll the pork butt in the foil, folding in the sides as you roll to ensure it is completely sealed. Continue to roll and fold in the sides, gently patting the foil to make sure there are no air pockets inside. Place the foil-wrapped pork back into the smoker and continue to cook for another 2 hours or until the pork registers just over 200°F internal temperature.
6. Smoke the pork butt until probe tender. Around the 195-200°F mark is when the temperature probe should slide easily into the meat with little resistance. Don’t be afraid to keep cooking until it does. Remove the pork when ready and allow it to rest while wrapped at room temperature for about an hour before shredding.
7. Prepare sweet and sour topping. Heat up a large skillet or fry pan on the stove to medium-heat with a little oil. Add in the sliced pepper and onions once the oil is hot and starts to smoke. Stir them around until they start to soften with a little char, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the sliced pineapple and cook for about 2 minutes. Turn down the heat to low and pour in some of the sauce to coat the ingredients. Use as much sauce as you need to coat everything, and turn off the heat.
8. Remove the bone and shred the pork. Build the sandwiches with the shredded pork and sweet and sour topping.

Notes

• Feel free to slice the vegetables ahead of time and keep them sealed in the refrigerator. You will want to store the pineapple separately from the onions and peppers.
• Don’t be afraid to reseason! Once you’ve shredded all of your pork, sprinkle additional rub over the pulled pork and mix it together. This will infuse flavor into every bite.