Pulled Pork Sandwich with Cattleman's Grill Spicy Pickles

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

Can I use store-bought pickles instead of making the spicy pickles?
You can, but the homemade version is genuinely worth the 24-hour wait. Combining store-bought dill pickles with sugar, hot sauce, and Cattleman's Grill 8 Second Ride Seasoning creates a sweet-heat pickle brine that transforms the pickles into something with a noticeably different flavor than anything you can buy off the shelf — and they keep for two weeks in the fridge.

What type of buns work best for this sandwich?
Standard hamburger buns work well given the 20-serving scale of this recipe — they're easy to source in bulk. For a more premium result, brioche or potato buns hold up better to the juicy pulled pork without falling apart as quickly.

Can I prepare the pork in advance?
Yes — the pork can be smoked, shredded, and refrigerated for up to 4 days before serving. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of the cooking juices or apple cider vinegar to restore moisture. The spicy pickles also improve with more time in the fridge — making both components ahead of time actually produces a better sandwich than serving everything fresh.

How long do the spicy pickles last?
Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, the spicy pickles keep for up to two weeks. The flavor continues to develop and the pickles get better over the first few days as the sugar fully dissolves and the seasoning permeates the brine.

Is there a recommended sauce besides the mustard?
Holmes Made Smoky Cowboy Mustard is the suggested pairing, and its smoky profile specifically complements the 8 Second Ride seasoning used on both the pork and the pickles. Any good smoked or spicy mustard works as a substitute; a plain yellow mustard won't have the same depth.

Can I make this indoors?
1 out of 5 — Best on the grill. This recipe depends on a full outdoor smoke session to build the bark and smoke flavor that defines the pulled pork. An oven can cook pork to the same internal temperature, but you'd lose the smoke entirely — at that point it's a braised pork sandwich rather than a smoked pulled pork sandwich, which is a fundamentally different dish.

Recipe Highlights

• Start the spicy pickles 24 hours ahead: The pickle brine needs a full day in the refrigerator for the sugar to dissolve completely and the hot sauce and seasoning to fully infuse the pickle slices. Starting them the night before you smoke the pork means both components are ready at the same time without any day-of prep pressure.

   

• Inject before rubbing, not after: Injecting the Smoke on Wheels Marinade first, then applying the 8 Second Ride rub, ensures the injection holes seal shut under the rub rather than leaking seasoning back out through open channels during the first phase of the cook.

   

• Wrap tightly at 150–160°F, not before: Waiting until the shoulder reaches 150–160°F internal before wrapping in foil allows the bark to fully set and harden before the steam from foil wrapping begins to soften it. Wrapping too early produces a softer, less textured exterior bark.

   

• Rest a full hour before shredding: A 5 lb shoulder that's been cooking for 5+ hours needs a genuine rest — not just 15 minutes — to allow the connective tissue and rendered fat to redistribute through the meat. Shredding too soon produces drier pulled pork as the juices run onto the cutting surface rather than staying in the meat.

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