Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- 5 lb bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt)
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard (binder)
- Rub: 1/4 cup light brown sugar; 2 tbsp sweet paprika; 1.5 tbsp kosher salt; 2 tsp black pepper; 2 tsp garlic powder; 2 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp mustard powder; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp cayenne
- Sauce: 1 1/2 cups ketchup; 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar; 1/3 cup dark brown sugar; 2 tbsp molasses; 1 tbsp yellow mustard; 1 tbsp Worcestershire; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp smoked paprika; pinch cayenne; 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Slaw: 6 cups shredded green cabbage; 1 large carrot (shredded); 1/4 small red onion (thinly sliced); 1/2 cup mayo; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon; 1 tsp sugar; 1/2 tsp celery seed; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 10 soft buns; 2 cups dill pickle chips; 2 tbsp unsalted butter (for toasting)
Do This
- 1. Stir rub. Pat pork dry, coat with mustard, and cover all sides with rub; rest 30 minutes.
- 2. Smoke at 250°F to 165°F internal (about 4.5–5.5 hours), wrap, then continue to 203–205°F (3–4 hours). Slow-cooker option: LOW 8–9 hours to 203°F.
- 3. Simmer sauce 12–15 minutes; set aside.
- 4. Toss slaw ingredients; chill.
- 5. Rest pork 45 minutes in its wrap; save juices.
- 6. Shred, discarding large fat; moisten with reserved juices and 1–1.5 cups sauce.
- 7. Butter and toast buns; pile pork, spoon on sauce, add slaw and pickles; serve hot.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Classic East Texas profile: sweet, tangy, and fully sauced with gentle smoke.
- Works with a smoker, slow cooker, or oven—same great flavor, flexible method.
- Balanced brown sugar–paprika rub builds bark and keeps the meat tender.
- Meal-prep friendly: makes 10 generous sandwiches and reheats beautifully.
Grocery List
- Produce: Green cabbage, carrot, red onion
- Dairy: Mayonnaise, unsalted butter
- Pantry: Pork shoulder, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar (light and dark), molasses, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, paprika (sweet and smoked), garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, ground cumin, cayenne, black pepper, kosher salt, celery seed, dill pickle chips, soft buns
Full Ingredients
Pork & Rub
- 5 lb bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt)
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard (binder)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Sweet-Tangy East Texas Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Pinch cayenne, to taste
Creamy Slaw
- 6 cups finely shredded green cabbage (about 1/2 medium head)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
- 1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
For Serving
- 10 soft sandwich buns (potato or brioche)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (for toasting buns)
- 2 cups dill pickle chips
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Rub the pork and let it sit
Pat the pork shoulder dry. Coat all sides with the yellow mustard to help the rub stick. In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, cumin, and cayenne. Sprinkle the rub generously over the pork, pressing it into every surface and into crevices. Let the pork rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate uncovered for up to 24 hours for deeper flavor; bring to room temp 45 minutes before cooking).
Step 2: Make the sweet-tangy East Texas sauce
In a saucepan, combine ketchup, apple cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, molasses, yellow mustard, Worcestershire, garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until glossy and slightly thickened, 12–15 minutes. Taste and adjust sweet/heat with a little more sugar or vinegar as you like. Cool; reserve 1.5 cups for tossing the pork and more for serving.
Step 3: Mix the slaw
In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon, sugar, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Add cabbage, carrot, and red onion; toss to coat. Chill until serving (at least 30 minutes) to lightly soften while staying crisp.
Step 4: Cook low and slow (choose smoker or slow-cooker/oven)
Smoker method (classic): Heat smoker to 250°F using hickory or pecan wood. Place pork on the grates, fat cap up. Smoke until internal temp reads 165°F in the thickest part, about 4.5–5.5 hours, spritzing with water or apple juice every hour after the first 2 hours. Wrap tightly in heavy-duty foil or pink butcher paper (add 1/4 cup apple juice inside), return to smoker, and continue cooking at 250°F until 203–205°F and probe-tender, 3–4 hours more.
Slow cooker or oven method (saucy and simple): Put the rubbed pork in a slow cooker with 1/2 cup water or apple juice. Cook on LOW 8–9 hours (or HIGH 5–6) until 203°F and fork-tender. For oven: place pork in a Dutch oven with 1/2 cup liquid, cover, and bake at 300°F for 5–6 hours until 203°F and butter-soft.
Step 5: Rest, then shred
Transfer the pork (still wrapped if smoked) to a pan and rest 45 minutes to reabsorb juices. Unwrap over the pan to catch drippings. Skim excess fat from the juices. Remove the bone and any large fat. Shred the meat with two forks or gloved hands into bite-size strands.
Step 6: Sauce and moisten the meat
Toss the shredded pork with 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the sauce until every strand is glossy and well-coated. Add 1/4–1/2 cup reserved juices to reach your ideal sauciness—East Texas style is juicy and well-sauced. Taste and adjust with salt, vinegar, or a dash of cayenne.
Step 7: Toast buns and assemble
Split buns and lightly butter the cut sides. Toast in a skillet or on a griddle over medium heat until golden, 1–2 minutes. Pile about 1/3 lb sauced pork on each bun. Spoon on a little extra sauce if you like, top with a scoop of slaw and a handful of dill pickle chips, then cap with the top bun. Serve hot with extra sauce on the side.
Pro Tips
- Bone-in pork shoulder stays juicier and shreds more easily than boneless.
- Wrap at 165°F to push through the stall and keep the bark from over-drying.
- Reserve and degrease the cooking juices—the liquid gold that makes perfect, moist pulled pork.
- For deeper flavor, dry-brine the pork with the rub overnight, uncovered, in the fridge.
- Hold finished, sauced pork in a slow cooker on WARM with a splash of juices for party service.
Variations
- Spicy East Texas: Add 1–2 minced jalapeños to the sauce and increase cayenne in both rub and sauce.
- Vinegar Slaw: Swap the mayo dressing for 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp sugar, salt, and pepper for a lighter, tangier crunch.
- Pressure Cooker: Cook rubbed pork with 1 cup water on High Pressure for 70 minutes; natural release 20 minutes. Finish saucing as directed.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Refrigerate pulled pork (sauced) up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in a 300°F oven with a splash of reserved juices or water until hot and juicy. Slaw keeps 24 hours (best texture day-of). Toast buns to order. The sauce keeps 2 weeks refrigerated.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate for 1 sandwich with bun, 5 oz sauced pork, slaw, and pickles: 650 calories; 32 g fat; 53 g carbs; 33 g protein; 7 g fiber; 17 g sugars; 1100 mg sodium. Values will vary with bun size and saucing.
