BBQ Pulled Pork

Method

1. Mix all of the dry rub ingredients in a bowl.
2. Pat the pork dry and rub it all over with the yellow mustard, which helps the rub stick. Coat the whole shoulder generously with the dry rub, pressing it into the meat.
3. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight if possible, or at least 2 hours.
4. Set up a smoker for indirect heat at 225–250°F with hickory, apple, or cherry wood, or heat the oven to 250°F. Place the pork fat-side up on a rack in a deep pan with 1 cup of water in the bottom.
5. Smoke or roast 8–10 hours, spritzing every hour with apple juice or apple cider vinegar to keep it moist. In the oven, tent with foil after 4 hours to prevent over-browning.
6. Go by temperature, not time. the pork is done at 195–205°F internal, when the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
7. For the Carolina sauce, heat all the vinegar sauce ingredients in a saucepan until the sugar and salt dissolve, then let cool.
8. For the Alabama white sauce, whisk all the ingredients together and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
9. Tent the finished pork with foil and rest 30 minutes. Slide out the bone and pull the meat into shreds with two forks or heat-resistant gloves, discarding any large pieces of fat.
10. Toss the pulled pork with the Carolina vinegar sauce, adding more to taste; the vinegar cuts through the richness.
11. Pile onto soft buns and top with coleslaw, pickles, and pickled jalapeños, with the Alabama white sauce on the side.