Easy Carolina Pork-Shoulder Sandwich

Light lump charcoal (it burns cleaner than briquettes) in a chimney starter. Set up your charcoal grill for indirect grilling (if you have a gas grill, see above) and heat it to 350 degrees.

For the rub: Mix kosher salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, mustard powder, and dark brown sugar in a small bowl. Season pork shoulder with the rub, massaging it into the meat with your fingers. So the dripping fat bastes the meat as it cooks, place the spice-rubbed pork shoulder fat side up in the center of the grate over the drip pan.

Now toss a handful of soaked (in water or beer) wood chips on each mound of coals. Cover the grill and indirect-grill the pork until it's the color of mahogany and as tender as a broken heart. The internal temperature should register 195 degrees on your instant-read meat thermometer, a process that will take four to five hours. You'll need to add fresh charcoal every hour. (Leave the grill lid off for five minutes when you do, so the new coals have plenty of air to ignite.) You should also add a handful of soaked wood chips to each mound of coals every hour for the first three hours.

Make the sauce and slaw while your pork shoulder sizzles away on the grill. For the sauce: Combine mustard, brown sugar, and vinegar in a saucepan and boil until thick, whisking often, for three to five minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

For the mustard slaw: Stir 1 cup of sauce into the chopped cabbage in a large mixing bowl. The slaw will accompany the pork on the bun. Brush the insides of 12 sesame buns with melted butter, set aside.

When the pork shoulder is cooked, transfer to a cutting board, cover with foil, and let rest for ten minutes. Meanwhile, rake the remaining charcoal in the grill into an even mound and grill the insides of the buns until golden brown.

You can't achieve the perfect pork sandwich without this step. Chop the pork into small pieces with a cleaver. It's okay for a few burned bits of skin or fat to wind up in the mix — they add extra flavor. Pile some pork on a bun and top with mustard slaw and a spoonful of mustard sauce. It's the closest a sandwich gets to paradise.