Honey Hot Pulled Pork Sandwich
Honey Hot Pulled Pork Sandwich
The pork goes on the smoker at 250°F and stays there for up to eleven hours. That’s the whole plan. The honey hot pulled pork sandwich earns its reputation through a long smoke, a thick bark, and a generous coat of Kinder’s Honey Hot BBQ Sauce over pork that’s had time to become something worth shredding.
Sweet heat against slow-cooked shoulder is one of the more reliable pairings in the pulled pork recipes, and the pickles are not decoration.
Start with a 6–8 lb pork butt coated in yellow mustard and a heavy rub of Kinder’s Butcher’s All Purpose Seasoning. The mustard isn’t there for flavor, it’s a binder that helps the seasoning grip the surface and build the kind of dark, developed bark that holds up when you tear into it. Five to seven hours of hickory or fruitwood smoke gets the bark set and the internal temp to 165°F. Expect a stall around 160°F, that’s collagen breaking down, not a problem. Push through it. Then the pork goes into a foil pan with a can of beer, sealed tight, back on the smoker for another 2–4 hours until it hits 203°F and a probe slides in with zero resistance.
The rest matters. Thirty to sixty minutes in the covered pan before you touch it. Shred, pull the bone and excess fat, reserve those pan juices, and toss everything with Kinder’s Honey Hot BBQ Sauce. The sweet-heat gloss builds gradually, it doesn’t hit like a wall. It’s rounded, sticky, and right at home on pork that already has smoke running through it.
The red cabbage slaw is the counterweight: shredded cabbage, green onions, mayo, and a hit of Kinder’s The Blend. Crunchy and creamy against the tender, sauced pork. Pickle chips for acid. A toasted brioche bun to hold it together. Extra sauce on the side.
This is what people plan a Saturday around.
Flavor First.
Honey Hot Pulled Pork Sandwich
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep pork: Score the fat cap in a crosshatch pattern about ½ inch deep. Coat all sides with yellow mustard as a binder. Rub generously with Kinder’s Butcher’s All Purpose Seasoning — press it in well. Let sit at room temperature 30–60 minutes, or refrigerate overnight for best flavor.
- Smoke: Preheat smoker to 250°F using hickory or fruitwood. Place pork butt fat-side up on the grates. Smoke 5–7 hours until bark is set and internal temperature hits 165–170°F.
- Wrap and finish: Transfer pork to a large aluminum foil pan. Pour in 1–2 cans of beer. Cover tightly with foil. Return to smoker and cook another 2–4 hours until internal temperature reaches 203°F and the pork is probe-tender and shreddable.
- Rest and shred: Remove from smoker. Let rest in the covered foil pan for 30–60 minutes. Shred pork with forks or claws, discarding excess fat and bone. Reserve some of the pan juices.
- Make quick slaw: In a bowl, toss shredded red cabbage and sliced green onions with mayonnaise and Kinder’s The Blend Seasoning until creamy and well seasoned. Refrigerate until assembly.
- Sauce the pork: Toss shredded pork with Kinder’s Honey Hot BBQ Sauce until evenly coated and glossy. Start with ¾ cup and add more for bolder heat.
- Build and serve: Spread a spoonful of slaw on the bottom toasted bun. Pile on a heaping portion of sauced pulled pork. Drizzle extra Kinder’s Honey Hot BBQ Sauce over the pork. Add pickle slices, then the top bun. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Notes
- Mustard binder builds bark — Yellow mustard helps Kinder’s Butcher’s All Purpose Seasoning adhere evenly to the surface and builds a thicker, more developed bark over the long smoke. Don’t skip it.
- Probe feel over temperature — At 203°F, slide a probe into the thickest part. It should meet no resistance — like sliding into warm butter. If there’s any tightness, give it more time. Temperature is a guide; tenderness is the test.
- Beer in the wrap — One to two cans of beer in the foil pan creates steam that keeps the pork moist after the bark is already set. Apple cider works just as well for a slightly sweeter finish.
- The slaw is not optional — Kinder’s The Blend-seasoned red cabbage slaw is crunchy, creamy, and cooling — the direct counterpoint to the sweet-heat pork. Without it, the sandwich tips too rich.
- Make it ahead — Smoke and shred up to 2 days ahead. Refrigerate in reserved pan juices. Reheat covered in foil at 300°F for 20–30 minutes with a splash of beer or broth. Add sauce after reheating for a fresh glaze.
- Build the bar — For a group, set out the sauced pork alongside extra Kinder’s Honey Hot BBQ Sauce, pickles, sliced jalapeños, and extra slaw. People build to their own preference and the pork goes fast.
- Serve immediately after building — the slaw starts to wilt once it hits the warm pork, which is fine if that’s your preference, but most people want the crunch. Extra Kinder’s Honey Hot BBQ Sauce on the side is non-negotiable.
- Leftover shredded pork is almost better the next day. Pile it over fries or nachos with shredded cheese and a heavy drizzle of sauce. Reheat it in a skillet with a splash of pan juices and fold it into breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs, cheddar, and salsa. The smoke flavor deepens overnight.
- For a cookout setup, keep the sauced pork warm in a covered foil pan at 200°F or in a slow cooker on warm. Toast the brioche buns on a cast iron griddle in batches while the pork holds. Build and serve in rounds.
- Refrigerate shredded pork in an airtight container with reserved pan juices for up to 4 days. The juices keep it from drying out and re-baste the meat when you reheat. Freeze in labeled portions for up to 3 months — thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in a covered skillet with a splash of pan juices or broth over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Add the Kinder’s Honey Hot BBQ Sauce after reheating — it scorches if it sits on heat too long.
- The slaw is best made day-of. It holds for a few hours but loses its crunch by the next day.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this in a slow cooker instead of a smoker?
Place the seasoned pork in the slow cooker with 1 cup of beer or broth. Cook on LOW for 8–10 hours or HIGH for 5–6 hours until probe-tender. You won’t get the bark or smoke ring, but a teaspoon of liquid smoke added to the pot closes some of that gap. Shred and sauce as directed.
Why score the fat cap?
Scoring the fat cap in a crosshatch pattern lets seasoning and smoke penetrate deeper into the fat layer and helps the fat render more evenly over the long cook. It creates more surface area for bark development on the fat side, more bark means more flavor in every bite.
How spicy is the Kinder’s Honey Hot BBQ Sauce?
Medium heat with prominent sweetness that rounds out the spice. It builds gradually rather than hitting immediately. The sandwich has warmth without being fiery. For more heat, add extra sauce or a small amount of cayenne to the shredded pork before saucing.
What temperature is pulled pork actually done?
Target 203°F internal, but temperature is the guide, not the finish line. At 203°F, probe the pork in the thickest part. It should slide in with zero resistance. If there’s any tightness, keep it on the heat regardless of what the thermometer says.
How do you keep pulled pork moist when reheating?
Always reheat with the reserved pan juices. The juices from the smoke carry all the rendered fat and drippings, add a splash to the skillet or foil pan and cover it. If you’ve lost the juices, beer or chicken broth works. Add BBQ sauce after reheating, not during.
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