Smoked Pork Butt with Bourbon Cherry BBQ Sauce

Directions

1. Trim any excess fat off pork butt the night before smoking it and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub all sides with a light coating of olive oil followed by a pre-made seasoning mix. Set uncovered in fridge overnight to help the rub bind to the butt. The next day, set your smoker to 250 degrees. Once it has come to temp, place butt inside and let smoke for six hours or until it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees (smokers can vary greatly on time). Pull the meat, wrap in foil with brown sugar and honey, and place back in the smoker until pork reaches 195-200 degrees. Take the pork butt out of the smoker and let it rest in a cooler for 30 minutes; this keeps the temperature high while the meat stays juicy.

2. While meat is resting, prepare the barbecue sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the garlic and bourbon. Simmer for 5 minutes; add cherries and simmer another 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Mix remaining ingredients into the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Sauce can be made earlier, if desired, which allows the flavors more time to meld together.

3. Once pork is fully rested, shred using forks or hands protected in heat resistant gloves. Serve with barbecue sauce.