These ghost pepper pulled pork sliders are for heat lovers only

Prep time: - minutes | Cook time: - minutes | Serves: -

Just last year, Pepper X became the hottest chili pepper known to man, measuring a whopping 3.18 Million units on the scoville heat scale. It displaced the Carolina Reaper, which had been the hottest at 1,641,183 units, after it replaced the Moruga Scorpion and its 1.2 million units. But before our obsession with crossbreeding increasingly spicier peppers, one naturally growing pepper reigned supreme: the ghost pepper of Northeast India.

This mouth-scorching variety clocks in at more than 1 million heat units, which is 400 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. After it ranked as the world's spiciest pepper in 2007, you could bet that any hot sauce with the name "ghost" in the title was not for the faint of heart.

One such hot sauce – Ghost Scream – has taken its tear-inducing heat to pulled pork sliders with its Chili Garlic Jam, which is made with California-grown produce. Ghost scream is the winner of the New York City Hot Sauce Expo for “Best in Show Grand World Champion,” selected from more than 1,000 entries.

And while these slow-cooked- dry-rubbed, Ghost Scream-slathered little guys will melt in your mouth, they'll also scorch it – so heat-lovers only please!

Recipe and photo by Ghost Scream, via The Food Channel 

Ingredients

For the dry rub

• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 tablsepoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

For the glaze

• 4 tablesponos Ghost Scream Chili Garlic Jam

For the pork

• 4-7 pounds whole Boston Butt or pork shoulder (bone-in with a layer of fat on the bottom)

For the brine solution

• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 quarts cold water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons dry rub mix
• 2 bay leaves

Preparation

For the pork rub

1. Mix all ingredients together well and store in air-tight container.

For the brine solution

1. Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Add brown sugar, dry rub and bay leaves, and stir well to combine.
2. Once the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven.

To prepare the pork shoulder

1. Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, add brine solution until shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
2. Remove pork shoulder from brine solution. Pat dry with paper towels. Place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least an inch in length and width, and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such a way that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking.
3. Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree F oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees.
4. When the temperature in the center has reached 180 degrees, brush the pork with Ghost Scream Chili Garlic Jam to glaze the shoulder.  
5. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven.
6. Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, remove large sheet of crusted fat on top. Pull apart with two forks (it will pull apart very easily). Serve on the bun or bread of your choice.