Even when living in a foreign country, the Fourth of July is always a special occasion for us. So we fired up our ugly barrel drum smoker and cooked one mean pork shoulder. We made pulled pork sandwiches out of the finished product which turned out fantastic. This sauce wasn’t perfect for the sandwiches but it still tasted really good. If you make it, keep in mind that most of the flavors won’t come out until it’s cooled – and the shoulder crust will have a LOT of flavor itself from the dry rub. I just wished I had thought ahead a bit more and made some coleslaw too.

Last night we sliced off a few pieces from the roast and made sandwiches again. But we topped it with a different kind of sauce (which I can’t believe I haven’t blogged about yet), a bit of lettuce from our garden and a little mayo. YUM!

We still have a bit left for tonight. I’m thinking about enchiladas with it but I’m not sure there’s enough. At any rate, I see more smoked brisket/pork shoulder in our future. It’s well worth the 5-7 hour wait!

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Hickory Smoked Pork Shoulder with Carolina Barbecue Sauce
Hickory Smoked Pork Shoulder with Carolina Barbecue Sauce Serves 6 to 8.
Cuisine German
Servings
Ingredients
Hickory Smoked Pork Shoulder Ingredients
Sweet-Tangy Barbecue Sauce Ingredients
Cuisine German
Servings
Ingredients
Hickory Smoked Pork Shoulder Ingredients
Sweet-Tangy Barbecue Sauce Ingredients
Instructions
Directions for the Pork
  1. Mix all the spices together. Rub the entire shoulder with dry spice mixture, reserving 1/2 tablespoon for the sauce. Refrigerate shoulder for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
  2. Place the shoulder in a grill or smoker with hickory chips or chunks that is preheated to 265 degrees and has smoke present. Place the pork indirectly over the heat source and smoke it for 5 to 7 hours, or until the shoulder reaches an internal temperature of 185 degrees for sliced pork shoulder and 190 degrees for pulled pork shoulder. If you are using wood chips and a grill, the chips should be soaked and applied about every 40 minutes.
  3. When the shoulder has reached the desired temperature, remove the meat, and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Use immediately or cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Directions for Sweet-Tangy Barbecue Sauce
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over medium heat and allow to cook slowly for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature. Check the seasoning and use immediately or put into a storage container, cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate.
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