3 pounds Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and chopped into ½-inch pieces

1¼ cups brown sugar

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 lemon, seeded and finely chopped (including peel)

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

1 cinnamon stick

⅛ teaspoon allspice

For the spicy pear BBQ sauce: 

1 cup ketchup

½ cup fresh pear juice

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon ground oregano

For assembling the sandwiches: 

Soft potato buns

Prepared pear chutney

Prepared smoked pork shoulder

Thinly sliced Napa cabbage

Prepared spicy pear BBQ sauce

Preheat your smoker to 220ºF for indirect smoking. I use white oak in my restaurant, but also recommend hickory or apple.

Prep the meat: Remove the pork from the packaging and dry it on all sides with paper towels. I like to score the fat cap and skin lightly on a cross hatch, but this isn’t necessary.

Season the pork all over with the dry rub. Rub the seasoning into the meat, making sure the pork is coated all over.

Place the seasoned pork on the smoker fat-side up, preferably in the middle of the grate, avoiding any direct heat spots. Close the lid and smoke the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 200ºF—this can take anywhere between 12-16 hours depending on the consistency of heat in your smoker and the size of your pork shoulder.

Remove the pork shoulder from the smoker and wrap it tightly in foil.

Allow the pork to rest for at least an hour, then pull it apart. I like to finish it with a sprinkle of Maldon salt.

While the pork rests, make the pear chutney: In a large saucepan, stir together all of the chutney ingredients to combine. Place the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chutney is slightly reduced and the pears begin to soften and fall apart when you stir, 30-40 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high and continue cooking until the chutney has reduced to about ⅓ of its original volume, about 20 minutes more. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

While the chutney cooks, make the BBQ sauce: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together all of the sauce ingredients to combine. Let simmer for 15-30 minutes. You can use the sauce warm or let it cool, pour into a jar, and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the sandwiches, top the bottom buns with a layer of the chutney, then the pulled pork, then the cabbage. Drizzle with the BBQ sauce, close the sandwiches with the top buns, and serve.