Pulled Pork with Lexington-Style BBQ Sauce
Photo: Christina Holmes
PUBLISHED July 22, 2025
It’s true what they say: To get pork so tender you can tease it apart with a fork, you’ve got to go slow-and-low. Start with a piece from the shoulder, hard-working muscles laced with lots of fat and collagen-the same protein that gives us gelatin. When the meat is 170°F, all that stuff melts, leaving behind meat that comes apart at the seams. I like an hour of smoke; don’t go beyond two hours or you’ll mask the taste of the pork. If you’re cooking with a charcoal grill, have an extra bag of coals on hand. This is not the time to run out of fuel. The matter of seasoning is serious business in states that pride themselves on barbecue. The main techniques are rubs (a mix of dry ingredients massaged into the meat before smoking), mops (usually flavorful vinegar- or juicebased sauces used to baste the meat as it cooks), and sauces (which may be brushed on during or after smoking and are served as a condiment). The “proper” method and sauce can vary from state to region to cook. To make the pork ahead, cook it the day before you want to serve it, pull the meat, toss it with the sauce, and then cover and refrigerate. The next day, reheat it gently, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven just until hot. Or just make the sauce up to a couple of days ahead; refrigerate in a covered jar. The classic way to eat pulled pork is on a hamburger bun (don’t bother toasting it), topped with coleslaw-what type is a whole ’nuther story but there’s a great option here.
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