Ingredients
Pulled Pork
- 1 pork butt or pork shoulder, about 4 to 7 pounds, boneless or bone-in
- 1 onion
- 1 bottle barbecue sauce
- Powdered mustard
- Paprika
- Powdered onion
- Powdered garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 bottle or can of beer or dark soda
- Optional: a premixed meat rub instead of the individual seasonings
Mac and Cheese
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta
- 3 to 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon ground powdered mustard
- 3 cups milk
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Sweet Heat pepper flakes (link)*
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 16 ounces Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar, shredded*
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
Do not use pre-shredded cheese here. The anti-caking starches interfere with the sauce.
Topping
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
Mise en Place
Pasta
- 1 pound cavatappi
Bowl 1
- 3 to 4 tablespoons butter
Bowl 2
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon ground powdered mustard
Bowl 3
- 3 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
Bowl 4
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
Bowl 5
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Sweet Heat pepper flakes OR 1/2 teaspoon Hatch Valley Green and 1/2 teaspoon Smoke Show Peppers
Bowl 6
- 16 ounces shredded Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar
Added to Taste
- Kosher salt
- Fresh black pepper
Directions
Pulled Pork
- Roughly chop the onion and place it in the bottom of a crock pot.
- Add the beer or dark soda.
- Pat the pork dry and trim excess fat thicker than about 1/4 inch.
- Season the outside generously until fully coated.
- Cook on low for 9 to 11 hours, until tender and falling apart.
- Remove, shred, and add barbecue sauce to taste. Add a little cooking liquid if you want extra flavor, but avoid making it too wet.
- Set aside for the mac and cheese.
Mac and Cheese
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente.
- In a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about 5 minutes until smooth.
- Stir in the milk, liquid smoke, onion, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the bay leaf.
Temperature control matters. I will typically raise the temperature to medium high as soon as I add the milk to bring the mixture up to temp,
but only for a short amount of time. Do not let the mixture boil. Instead, once you get to a simmer, drop the temp down to medium/medium-low
to maintain a slow simmer. The mixture needs to be hot enough to melt the cheese in the next step without dropping too much temp in the process.
- While still on heat, stir in about three-quarters of the cheese a handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding more. Season with salt and pepper.
- Fold in the pasta. Add pulled pork to taste, usually somewhere between one-quarter and three-quarters of the total pork.
- Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese.
- Melt the butter, toss with the bread crumbs, and spread over the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
House Notes
- This recipe works well as a proper main dish, not just a side.
- The pulled pork is intentionally adaptable, so swap rubs or liquids if you already have a method you like.
- Keep the pork in balance with the pasta and cheese so it adds richness without dominating the texture.
- The PDF version is the best option for printing or kitchen use.