Soak it first for sure, like give it a good minute to work into the old paste. A plastic spudger is totally fine if you go slow and don't force it. The big mistake is reaching for a metal tool out of frustration, that's when scratches happen.

Ugh yes, a candy glaze sounds awful for pork. It's like they're hiding the meat instead of showing off the smoke.

A pinch of borax... does it really cut down on slag that much? Tried it and didn't see a huge change.