Grilled Pork Shoulder With Butter Vinegar Sauce

Name: Grilled Pork Shoulder With Butter Vinegar Sauce
Prep time: 2 h 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 3 h 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp fennel seeds; 2 Tbsp dried oregano; 2½ lb boneless pork shoulder; 3 Tbsp grapeseed oil; 1 Tbsp kosher salt; 3 whole chiles de árbol; ½ cup apple cider vinegar; ½ cup unsalted butter; 2 Tbsp sugar; 1 piece spice mill or mortar and pestle

A flavorful grilled pork shoulder rubbed with fennel and oregano, then glazed with a tangy-sweet butter vinegar sauce. The meat is slowly grilled until perfectly browned and served with a rich chile-infused sauce.

6 servings

3 hr

Published October 4, 2025

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Ingredients

•1 Tbsp fennel seeds
•2 Tbsp dried oregano
•2½ lb boneless pork shoulder
•3 Tbsp grapeseed oil
•1 Tbsp kosher salt
•3 whole chiles de árbol
•½ cup apple cider vinegar
•½ cup unsalted butter
•2 Tbsp sugar
•1 piece spice mill or mortar and pestle

Cooking Instructions

1.
Toast fennel seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until golden brown and starting to pop, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a spice mill or mortar and pestle and let cool; coarsely grind. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in oregano. Place pork on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and rub with oil. Season all over with 1 Tbsp. salt, then rub with spice mixture, packing it on. Let sit at room temperature 2 hours or chill, uncovered, up to 2 days.
120 min
2.
Bring chiles, vinegar, butter, and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and sauce is reduced by about a third, about 5 minutes. Season with salt; cover and keep warm over low heat until ready to use.
5 min
3.
Prepare a grill for medium heat. Drizzle pork all over with oil, then grill, turning every 5 minutes or so, until extremely, gorgeously browned and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 120°F, 35-45 minutes. Continue to grill, brushing with sauce and turning not quite every minute (you're going to see flare-ups, but don't worry), until pork is glazed and shiny and temperature on thermometer has risen to 130°F, 5-10 minutes more. Transfer pork to a platter and let rest 30 minutes; reserve remaining sauce.
45 min
4.
Transfer pork to a cutting board and pour any accumulated juices on platter into reserved sauce. Return sauce to a simmer. Slice pork against the grain 1/4" thick. Arrange on platter, spoon some sauce over, and season with salt. Serve remaining sauce alongside.
10 min
5.
If using a charcoal grill, a bed of medium-hot coals will gradually lose heat. Get a chimney started when the meat first hits the grill. About halfway through, throw some new glowing coals on the pile to keep things going.

Cooking Instructions

Toast fennel seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until golden brown and starting to pop, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a spice mill or mortar and pestle and let cool; coarsely grind. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in oregano. Place pork on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and rub with oil. Season all over with 1 Tbsp. salt, then rub with spice mixture, packing it on. Let sit at room temperature 2 hours or chill, uncovered, up to 2 days.

120 min

Bring chiles, vinegar, butter, and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and sauce is reduced by about a third, about 5 minutes. Season with salt; cover and keep warm over low heat until ready to use.

5 min

Prepare a grill for medium heat. Drizzle pork all over with oil, then grill, turning every 5 minutes or so, until extremely, gorgeously browned and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 120°F, 35-45 minutes. Continue to grill, brushing with sauce and turning not quite every minute (you're going to see flare-ups, but don't worry), until pork is glazed and shiny and temperature on thermometer has risen to 130°F, 5-10 minutes more. Transfer pork to a platter and let rest 30 minutes; reserve remaining sauce.

45 min

Transfer pork to a cutting board and pour any accumulated juices on platter into reserved sauce. Return sauce to a simmer. Slice pork against the grain 1/4" thick. Arrange on platter, spoon some sauce over, and season with salt. Serve remaining sauce alongside.

10 min

If using a charcoal grill, a bed of medium-hot coals will gradually lose heat. Get a chimney started when the meat first hits the grill. About halfway through, throw some new glowing coals on the pile to keep things going.