Joe's Smoked Butt is hot smoked over low heat for several hours, then shredded and sandwiched to create the perfect meal for your Fourth of July celebration. Sarah Nasello / The Forum

Joe’s Smoked Pulled Pork Butt

Serves: 10 to 12

Ingredients: One 8-10-pound bone-in pork butt roast (aka pork shoulder) Meat Church BBQ Fajita seasoning (or your favorite BBQ seasoning blend) Meat Church BBQ Honey Hog Hot seasoning

Directions: Heat your grill/smoker to 215 degrees.

Place the pork butt on a large baking sheet or cutting board and use a paper towel to pat it down all over, to remove excess liquid and any bone fragments.

Cover the entire roast (top, bottom and sides) with a light sprinkling of the fajita seasoning (about 3 tablespoons). Next, rub a generous coating of the Honey Hog Hot seasoning (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup) over the entire roast until the texture resembles thick, wet sand.

Place the seasoned pork butt on the center of the hot grill, fat side up. Close the cover and let smoke, low and slow, for about 12 to 16 hours, until the exterior bark is dark and richly caramelized, and the internal temperature of the meat has reached 205 degrees.

The meat can reach an internal temperature between 145 to 160 in as little 3 hours and then stall for several hours before climbing up again, which is a normal stage of the process. It is critical to have a good meat thermometer to check the temperature of the meat often (every 30 to 45 minutes). Once the temperature reaches 165 degrees, it will slowly continue to climb.

Remove the pork butt from the grill when it has reached 205 degrees. Wrap the entire roast in aluminum foil and let rest for at least an hour before serving. To keep the pork as hot as possible, it can be stored in an insulated cooler for 2 to 3 hours before serving and will still be piping hot once removed.

Use meat claws or 2 large forks to pull the pork into shreds (sized to your preference), removing any obvious fatty pieces as needed. The meat will fall away easily from the bone, which should be discarded once it is cleaned of meat.

Serve as is or mix with your favorite sauce. Perfect for sandwiches, tacos and burritos. Leftover pulled pork may be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for several days.

South Carolina Mustard

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter ½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup Dijon mustard ¾ cup brown sugar, packed ¼ cup distilled white vinegar 1 tablespoon hot sauce (like Tabasco or Frank’s), add more to taste ½ cup water 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the mustard, brown sugar, vinegar and hot sauce. Add the water and let simmer (stirring occasionally), uncovered, until thick and richly flavored, about 6 to 10 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper; taste and add more seasoning as desired.

Let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving. The sauce may be made up to 1 week and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before serving. Adapted from "" by Steven Raichlen.

Lexington (N.C.) Vinegar Sauce

Ingredients: 2 ½ cups apple cider vinegar ½ cup ketchup 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed 1 tablespoon hot sauce (like Tabasco or Frank’s) 4 teaspoons salt 4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 ½ teaspoons of your favorite rub seasoning (we use Meat Church Hot Honey Hog seasoning) ½ cup water

Directions: Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl or large jar, and whisk or shake vigorously until the sugar and salt dissolve.

The sauce may be made in advance and stored in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks. Bring to room temperature and shake well before serving.

Adapted from "The Barbecue Bible" by Steven Raichlen.

Published July 1, 2020, by The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead / InForum.com

“Home with the Lost Italian” is a weekly column written by Sarah Nasello featuring recipes by her husband, Tony Nasello. The couple owned Sarello’s in Moorhead and lives in Fargo with their son, Giovanni. Readers can reach them at [email protected].