Pork Barbecue Sandwiches with Coleslaw

Barbecue Sauce:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons minced onion
• 1 1/3 cups cider vinegar
• 1 1/3 cups ketchup
• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Dry Seasoning Rub:

• 3 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Barbecue Mop:

• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• Coleslaw

Pork:

• 2 untrimmed boneless halves of pork shoulder (also known as Boston butt; about 6 pounds total weight)

• 4 cups hickory wood (smoke) chips
• 1 20-pound sack charcoal briquettes

• 12 soft hamburger buns with sesame seeds, warm

For Barbecue Sauce:
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced to 2 2/3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Sauce can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For Dry Seasoning Rub:
Mix all ingredients in small bowl. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight.)

For Barbecue Mop:
Mix all ingredients in bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

For Pork:
Place pork, fat side up, on work surface. Cut each pork piece lengthwise in half, forming total of 4 long strips. Place pork on baking sheet. Sprinkle Dry Seasoning Rub all over pork; rub into pork, covering completely. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

Place wood chips in large bowl. Cover with cold water and let stand 30 minutes. Place handful of torn newspaper into bottom of charcoal chimney.* Top with 25 charcoal briquettes. Remove upper rack from barbecue grill. Place chimney on lower grill rack. Light newspaper and let charcoal burn until gray ash color, about 30 minutes.

Open 1 bottom grill vent. Turn out hot charcoal onto 1 side of lower rack. Using metal spatula, spread charcoal to cover approximately 1/3 of rack. Remove 1 cup of wood chips from water and drain (keep remaining chips in water). Scatter over coals (avoid using too many wet chips, which may douse the fire). Fill foil loaf pan halfway with water and place on lower grill rack on opposite side of coals.

Place upper grill rack on barbecue. Arrange pork, fat side up, on upper grill rack above loaf pan. Cover grill with lid, positioning top vent directly over pork. Place stem of candy thermometer through top vent, with gauge on outside and tip near pork (thermometer should not touch meat or grill rack); leave in place during cooking. Check temperature after 5 minutes. Use top and bottom vents to maintain temperature range between 225°F. and 250°F., opening vents wider to increase heat and closing to decrease heat. Leave any other vents closed.

After 30 minutes, use technique described above to light an additional 15 charcoal briquettes in same charcoal chimney set atop bricks, cement or other nonflammable surface.

When cooking temperature of barbecue falls below 225°F., use oven mitts to lift off upper grill rack with pork and place on heatproof surface. Using tongs, add half of hot gray charcoal to bottom rack. Sprinkle about 1 cup drained wood chips over charcoal. Reposition upper rack on barbecue with pork above loaf pan. Brush pork lightly with Barbecue Mop. Cover with lid.

About once an hour, light more charcoal in chimney and replenish charcoal and wood chips as necessary to maintain temperature between 225°F. and 250°F., brushing pork lightly with Barbecue Mop each time grill is opened. Open grill only when necessary and cover as quickly as possible to minimize loss of heat and smoke. Cook pork until meat thermometer inserted into center of meat registers between 165°F. and 170°F., turning occasionally, about 3 hours total.

Transfer pork to baking sheet. Let stand 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, shred pork into bite-size pieces, discarding any fat. Mix any meat juices accumulated on baking sheet into pork. Spoon pork onto bottom halves of buns. Drizzle with Barbecue Sauce. Top with Coleslaw and bun tops.

*Available at many cookware stores and some hardware stores.