The Lexington 'Outside Brown' Sliced Pork Sandwich

Before you start

• The Dry Brine

  Coat the trimmed pork shoulder evenly with the 3 tablespoons of kosher salt, black pepper, and paprika. Refrigerate uncovered on a wire rack for 12 to 24 hours to draw out moisture and set up the bark.

• The Dip

  Whisk the vinegar, 1/2 cup ketchup, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper, hot sauce, and water. Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld into a thin, penetrating liquid.

Ingredients

• bone-in pork shoulder8 lb
• coarse kosher salt3 tbsp
• coarse ground black pepper1 tbsp
• sweet paprika1 tbsp
• apple cider vinegar2 cup
• ketchup1/2 cup
• dark brown sugar1/4 cup
• coarse kosher salt1 tbsp
• crushed red pepper flakes1 tbsp
• finely ground black pepper1 tsp
• hot sauce1 tsp
• water1/2 cup
• green cabbage1 med
• kosher salt1 tbsp
• ketchup2 tbsp
• white sugar2 tbsp
• soft white hamburger buns8 large
• liquid smoke1 tsp

Method

1. 01

   Set your smoker to 250°F using pecan wood and place the dry-brined pork shoulder directly on the grates.

   See the notes below if you are adapting this for a charcoal kettle or an indoor kitchen oven.

2. 02

   Smoke the meat entirely naked, resisting the urge to wrap it in foil when it hits the stall.

   The 160°F evaporative stall is where the magic happens. Wrapping creates steam, which will destroy the bark you need for a true outside brown.

3. 03

   After four hours, begin mopping the pork with a small amount of the prepared dip every hour.

   The sugars from the dip will caramelize, layering deep, complex flavors directly into the developing crust.

4. 04

   Toss the chopped cabbage with a tablespoon of kosher salt in a colander and let it sit for two hours.

   This purges the excess water. Rinse it lightly and pat it entirely dry with paper towels so your slaw stays crisp.

5. 05

   Dress the dried cabbage with one cup of the dip, the extra ketchup, and the white sugar.

   Refrigerate until serving. If you serve a Lexington sandwich with a mayonnaise-based slaw, you have failed the authenticity test.

6. 06

   Pull the pork from the heat when the internal temperature reaches a highly specific 190°F to 195°F.

   At this crucial window, the collagen has broken down for tenderness, but the meat retains enough structural integrity to be sliced instead of turning to mush.

7. 07

   Let the shoulder sit at room temperature for fifteen minutes before wrapping in butcher paper and resting in a dry cooler for one to four hours.

   Resting is non-negotiable; it lets the muscle fibers relax and hold onto their juices. Never wrap it straight off the heat or you will steam away the bark.

8. 08

   Use a sharp knife to harvest the dark, crusty, heavily smoked exterior of the rested shoulder into quarter-inch slices.

   You want the mahogany bark on one side and the tender, pink smoke-ring on the other.

9. 09

   Pull the remaining interior meat by hand, but build your sandwich by layering the coveted outside brown onto soft buns with a heavy scoop of red slaw.

   The acid of the vinegar, the crunch of the sweet slaw, and the intense chewy bark make a bite that justifies standing in any line in America.

Notes

• The Kettle Snake Method

  For a standard Weber kettle, arrange unlit charcoal in a semi-circle along the outer edge. Place pecan chunks on the first half, light one end, and use the vents to hold a steady 250°F.

• The Oven Workaround

  If you're an apartment dweller lacking a backyard, rub the pork with the liquid smoke before the dry brine. Roast uncovered on a wire rack at 300°F with a foil 'smoke bomb' of dry pecan chips placed on the oven floor. The higher heat compensates for the lack of true airflow to dehydrate the bark.