There’s no getting around it, this has been a brutal summer. Crazy hot days, nights as muggy as they were buggy, and no relief from all the drama of the world around us. I need a three day weekend just to catch my breath. Under normal circumstances, my husband and I would be firing up the grill for Labor Day, raising a glass to say, “peace out, Summer,” and looking ahead to my favorite season— fall!

We will cover the raising the glass part, but the first activity on that list isn’t possible this year because our grill has decided to opt out of participation. If it isn’t the burned out igniter switch or a clog in one of the tiny burner holes, it’s something else. The latest issue is apparently a faulty regulator. Yep, the fancy-ass Napoleon gas grill that we researched half to death and practically took out a second mortgage to pay for has been slowly but surely stealing my soul.

Rather than shove the thing down the embankment into the woods behind our house (I’ve been tempted, trust me), I can be thankful for our charcoal smoker. A three-day weekend feels like a great time for Les to throw a variety of meats onto the racks over some hickory (or cherry or apple) wood.

This pulled pork recipe is a favorite for a few reasons. First, the end of August is the anniversary of my arrival in North Carolina— it was 37 years ago this week that I rolled into town in my 1982 Pontiac, and one of the first foods I was introduced to was (you guessed it) pulled pork “barbecue.” Krispy Kreme was another, as they were born in Winston-Salem, and a staple here before the rest of the world knew about them. Another reason I love this pulled pork is the spice blend, and the recipe we use was given to me by my Aunt Joy. It’s a terrific balance of sweet, smoky, spicy and salty, and it gets bonus points for bringing great flavor to pork in a slow cooker, too!

Finally, I love this pulled pork because of my husband, Les, who happens to be celebrating a milestone birthday today. 🥰

OK, I’ll admit that this post is really more about him. Les handles the smoker with great finesse, and his pulled pork barbecue is just about the best I’ve ever eaten—evenly seasoned, succulent and tender, and with a perfect smoke ring.

Les begins with a hardwood charcoal fire in the base of the smoker, and he adds wood chips when the coals are nice and hot. There’s usually some kind of special liquid added to the water in the drip pan— could be beer, hard cider, root beer or cola— to lend an extra hint of flavor to whatever he’s smoking.

He masterfully opens and closes the vents to maintain the “smoke zone” of 225 to 250° F for as long as it takes to finish the meat. As with oven roasting, the smoke time varies depending on the size of the shoulder, and if you remain in that smoke zone, you’ll need about two hours per pound. If you run out of smoke before your target time, you can do what Les does; simply wrap the pork shoulder tightly in foil, and finish it in the oven at about 300° F until it pulls apart easily with a dinner fork.

When it comes to sauce, there’s a clear line in the North Carolina sand and it runs straight down the state where east meets west. The easterners prefer a sharp, vinegar-based sauce, and the other group likes “Lexington-style” sauce, which is a sweet and spicy, tomato-based bbq sauce. At our house, we frequently forgo the sauce altogether because the spice rub lends so much flavor to the pork on its own.

Smoked Pulled Pork

• Servings: About 12
• Prep Time: 5 minutes, plus waiting and smoking
• Cook Time: About 7 hours
• Difficulty: Average
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The big secret to good North Carolina barbecue isn't in the sauce, but the smoke! But if you don't have a smoker, this rub recipe is darn delicious over a pork shoulder in the slow cooker, too.

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 pound bone-in pork shoulder (see notes)
• 1 Tbsp. paprika (see notes)
• 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp. black pepper (see notes)
• 1 tsp. ground white pepper
• 1 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp. dry ground mustard

Notes: Choose the best quality pork you can find. We have a terrific butcher in town whose suppliers offer pasture-raised local pork. The best end result will come from the best meat, so splurge a little if you can.

I’ve found a great bourbon smoked paprika from Bourbon Barrel Foods. It’s worth chasing, and you may find it online or in a gourmet shop. For additional smoke flavor, I use McCormick smoked black pepper. Look for it in a larger, well-stocked supermarket.

Directions

1. Rinse the pork shoulder and wipe dry with a paper towel to remove any bone shards from the butcher.
2. Combine all dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the rub mixture liberally over all sides of the pork shoulder roast, and then rub it in so that adheres evenly. Cover and refrigerate the roast overnight or up to 24 hours ahead of smoking.
3. Take the rubbed shoulder out of the fridge about 90 minutes before you begin to smoke. Create your smoke setup with hickory, apple or cherry wood chips (Les usually soaks them in water or beer for about an hour ahead of time).
4. Place the shoulder on the lower rack of the smoker and maintain a temperature in the 225 to 250° F range for roughly two hours per pound of shoulder. If you’ll be smoking smaller items at the same time, place them on a top rack for easy removal without disturbing the shoulder.
5. If you run out of smoke before the shoulder is finished, carefully transfer it to a glass or aluminum baking dish. Wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and place in a 300° F oven until it reaches desired tenderness. The meat should easily pull with a twist of a dinner fork.