Ultimate Modernist BBQ Pork Shoulder
We’ve reimagined BBQ—indoors. Using sous vide, we get juicy, smoky pork shoulder with a pink smoke ring, tender shreds, and a perfect bark, all without a smoker.
Recipe guidance:
- Pork shoulder
- Dry cure: brown sugar, smoked salt, Prague powder #1, black pepper
- Honey + liquid smoke
- Bark rub: brown sugar, smoked paprika, black pepper, mustard seeds, garlic powder, onion powder
- Optional: Elixir #1 for spritzing
Steps:
1. Coat pork shoulder evenly with dry cure, honey, and liquid smoke.
2. Bag and sous vide at your target doneness for 16–28 hours.
3. Mix bark rub and apply to pork.
4. Spritz with Elixir #1 for a deep, smoky crust (layer rub + spritz for best results).
5. Finish on the grill 20–30 minutes to form bark.
6. Shred and serve.
Key tips:
• Prague powder #1 is what creates the pink smoke ring.
• Sous vide keeps pork juicy while mimicking smoker results.
• A hot grill finish gives bark and aroma without long pit smoking.
Full recipe and method available at chefsteps.com