Bbq Pork Mac & Cheese Recipe

Prep and season

Preheat oven to 325°F. Trim excess fat from the pork shoulder if needed and pat dry. Combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and brown sugar; rub mixture evenly over entire pork shoulder.

Sear

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sear pork 3–4 minutes per side until browned (work in batches if necessary). Remove pork and set aside.

Braise base

Lower heat to medium, add the peeled and roughly chopped onion and 2–3 crushed garlic cloves to the pot and sweat 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in apple cider vinegar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and deglaze scraping brown bits. Return pork to pot, add chicken stock (enough to come about 1/3 up the side of the pork). Cover tightly.

Oven braise

Place covered pot in the oven and braise 2.5–3 hours, or until pork is fork-tender and pulls apart easily. Check once after 90 minutes and add a bit more stock if the pot is dry.

Shred and sauce

Remove pork to a cutting board, let rest 10 minutes, then shred with two forks. Skim fat from braising liquid, then stir in 1 cup prepared BBQ sauce and simmer briefly to meld (2–3 minutes). Toss shredded pork in the BBQ-braised sauce until evenly coated. Keep warm until assembly.

If using pre-cooked pulled pork: place 4 cups pulled pork in a wide skillet over medium heat, add 1 cup prepared BBQ sauce, 2 tbs apple cider vinegar, and 1 tbs brown sugar. Warm, stirring, until heated through and sauce is glossy, 6–8 minutes. Keep warm for assembly.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente (follow package minus 1 minute). Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.

Make roux

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tbs butter. Add the 4 tbs flour and whisk continuously for 1–2 minutes to cook the raw flour taste but do not let it brown.

Slowly whisk in 2 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream, bringing mixture to a gentle simmer. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens slightly (2–3 minutes).

Whisk in 1 tbs Dijon mustard, then gradually add the shredded sharp cheddar, fontina, mozzarella and grated Parmesan off the heat (or over very low heat) to prevent separation. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. If the sauce is too thick, loosen with reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, to reach a creamy consistency.

Season the cheese sauce with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne if using. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl or in the pot used for the pasta, combine the drained pasta, enough cheese sauce to coat pasta nicely (reserve ~1 cup of sauce for topping if you like), and 3 cups of the warmed BBQ pork (reserve a scoop for garnish). Fold gently to combine; add a little reserved pasta water if needed to loosen.

Transfer mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish (or two smaller dishes). Sprinkle the reserved cheese sauce over the top if using.

Panko topping

Mix 1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs with 2 tbs melted butter and 2 tbs chopped parsley. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Evenly scatter the panko mixture over the mac & cheese.

Bake in the preheated 375°F oven until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling, 20–25 minutes. For an extra-crisp top, broil on high for 1–2 minutes watching carefully.

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Spoon remaining BBQ pork on top or to the side; drizzle with extra BBQ sauce if desired. Garnish with remaining parsley.