Serious Eats' Pulled Pork Sandwiches With Coleslaw

For the Pulled Pork: Mix brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, coriander, and salt in a small bowl. Set spice mixture aside. Place both slabs of the belly on a cutting board rind side down and rub them evenly with one-fourth of the mixture on each slab. Pick up one slab and place it rind side up on the other slab to create a single 4-inch-thick slab of belly, with rind on both the top and the bottom. Using butcher’s twine, secure the slabs tightly in this position. Rub remaining spice rub on exterior of tied pork belly. (At this point, belly can be stored in refrigerator, uncovered, for up to 24 hours.)

Place a disposable aluminum baking sheet on the rack underneath one half of a charcoal grill. Ignite a large chimney starter half full with charcoal (about 50 coals). When coals are mostly covered with gray ash, empty them onto the other half of the grill and arrange them into an even layer. Add 2 cups of soaked wood chips directly on top of coals. Set cooking rack in place and cover grill with vents fully open until wood begins to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. Add pork belly to the cool side of grill, keeping it as far from the live coals as possible. Cover grill.

Every hour, for 6 to 8 hours total, flip and rotate the belly, and add 12 coals and 1/2 cup of wood chips. Cook until the belly is tender enough to shred with a fork (the rind will be hard and crusty—check the sides of the belly for doneness). Remove it from the grill, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 30 minutes. While pork is cooking, make sauce and the coleslaw.

For the Sauce: Combine vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk until sugar is dissolved.

For the Coleslaw: Combine cabbage, onion, carrot, salt, vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise, sugar, and ground pepper in a large bowl and toss to combine. Allow slaw to rest for at least 1 hour, covered in the refrigerator, then toss again. Adjust salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.

When pork is done resting, use heatproof gloves or two forks to shred the meat into 1-inch pieces, discarding the bones, fat, and rind, if desired. Toss pulled pork with the sauce to season to taste. Serve immediately on soft buns topped with coleslaw.

Notes

Look for two large slabs of pork belly with the rib bones and rind still attached. Pork shoulder can be substituted for the belly. Pork shoulder is often labeled “Boston butt” or “pork butt.” Look for bone-in, skin-on shoulders, if using.