California Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1. Make the rub by mixing all ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Cover the pork shoulder completely with all of the rub mixture. Place pork on a sheet pan and refrigerate for 8 hours.
3. Prepare a charcoal grill by lighting your coals in a chimney charcoal starter. While the coals are burning, soak a handful of wood chips in water. When the fire has died down in the chimney and they are starting to turn gray, pour the coals onto one side of your grill, leaving room on the other half to place a disposable aluminum pan half full of water. Scatter the soaked wood chips over the coals. Place the grill grate over the coals and the aluminum pan. Place the pork shoulder on the rack over the aluminum pan, on the cool side of the grill, and close the lid, keeping the vents open. The goal is to keep the temperature at about 225°F. You may need to add more coals half way through the cooking time. Check the grill often to make sure the temperature hasn’t gone too low or too high.
4. Grill the pork shoulder for about 3 hours. The internal temperature of the finished pork shoulder should be 190°F–195°F.
5. When the pork has reached 190°F–195°F, remove from the grill and let rest for 30 minutes. Using two forks, pull pork apart in large chunks.
6. Meanwhile, during the last 10 minutes of grilling, place the bell peppers on the grill rack directly over the hot coals. Turn the peppers after each side gets charred. Once all sides of both peppers are charred (approximately 10 minutes), place the peppers in a paper bag and close. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove peppers from bag and slip the skins off. Remove and discard the seeds and stems. Cut each pepper into 4 large pieces.
7. Place two butter lettuce leaves on each bottom bun. Top each with two large pieces of bell pepper. Add 4 oz. of pulled pork to each and finish with ¼ of the avocado slices and the top bun on each. Serve with barbecue sauce if desired.

*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.