Pulled Pork Sandwiches With Black Raspberry BBQ Sauce Recipe

To make sure the blackcap’s nuanced flavors aren’t drowned out by other seasonings, the recipe doubles down with homemade black raspberry liqueur and vinegar. The key is adding more black raspberry purée after the sauce cooks, which lends a burst of bright fruitiness that plays especially well with its smoky, spicy notes.

Note that the black raspberry vinegar needs three days to infuse, and the pork is best seasoned overnight before smoking. This recipe makes 1 liter of sauce, so you’ll have plenty left over—it’s a great addition to ribs, brisket, or burgers.

For the raspberry vinegar:

• 1¾ cups black raspberries, fresh or thawed frozen
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. sugar

For the pork:

• ¼ cup yellow mustard
• One 2½–4-lb. boneless pork shoulder (about ½ shoulder)
• 2 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp. paprika
• 2 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp. onion powder
• 1½ tsp. dry mustard powder
• 1½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar, in a spray bottle for spritzing
• ½ cup apple cider
• 1–2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into tiny pats

For the sauce:

• 3 cups black raspberries, fresh or thawed frozen
• 2 Tbsp. black raspberry liqueur (homemade or Chambord)
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp. tomato paste
• 1½ tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. dry mustard powder
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. chipotle chile powder
• 1½ cups ketchup
• ½ cup molasses
• 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp. liquid smoke
• Buns and coleslaw, for serving

Instructions

• Make the raspberry vinegar: At least 3 days before making the pork, to a medium glass bowl, add the berries and white wine vinegar, cover, and set aside to infuse at room temperature, stirring and lightly mashing the berries a few times a day.
• On the third day, strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined strainer into a small pot. Stir in the sugar and bring to a boil, then simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the vinegar is reduced slightly, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely, then pour into a pint jar or bottle.
• Make the pork: The day before cooking the meat, slather the yellow mustard all over the pork, making sure to get under any flaps. In a medium bowl, stir together the garlic powder, paprika, salt, sugar, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, mustard powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Sprinkle the rub generously over the meat, making sure to cover the whole surface and patting it down to stick. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.
• When ready to cook, heat a smoker to 225°F. Add the pork shoulder and cook, spraying it with apple cider vinegar every hour and checking the temperature every 30 minutes after 5 hours, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, 5–7 hours, depending on size.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a food processor or blender, pulse the berries to a seedy purée. Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl to strain out the seeds, pressing on the mixture with a silicone spatula to extract as much purée as possible. You should have about 1¼ cups.
• To a medium pot over medium heat, add the liqueur, garlic, and onion and cook until the onion is translucent, 7–8 minutes. Add the tomato paste, salt, mustard powder, black pepper, and chipotle and cook until the spices are fragrant and the tomato paste is brick-red, 1–2 minutes. Stir in the ketchup, molasses, Worcestershire, lemon zest and juice, liquid smoke, 1 cup of the raspberry purée, and ⅓ cup of the raspberry vinegar. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, until thickened and glossy, 15–20 minutes. Remove from the heat, then add the remaining raspberry purée. Set aside to cool.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 225°F. When the pork has reached 165°F, transfer it to a deep pan. Pour the cider over the meat, add the pats of butter on top, and cover with foil. Bake until the meat breaks apart easily when pierced with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 195°F–203°F, 1–2 hours. Set aside to cool slightly.
• While the meat is still warm but not too hot, shred with gloved hands or two forks. Toss with enough sauce to coat, then serve on buns with coleslaw and more sauce.