Pulled pork sandwiches are one of the most popular dishes that utilize pulled pork.
Let me share my take on this classic dish, which features tangy coleslaw on buttered crispy buns and, of course, freshly cooked pulled pork!
The Best Way to Cook Pulled Pork
There’s actually no “best” way to make pulled pork.
Whether you use a slow cooker, as this recipe suggests, or opt for other cooking methods, such as a pressure cooker or an oven, your pulled pork is bound to be delicious as long as you season this dish generously.
Good news: this recipe guarantees you’ll be well on your way to cooking well-seasoned, flavorful pulled pork.
Core Components of Pulled Pork Sandwiches
These are the components that make up these pulled pork sandwiches!
Pork Shoulder: This is the standard cut for pulled pork. It has good fat marbling, which results in very tender meat after cooking.
Liquid Sauce: We’ll use a combination of BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth that’s seasoned with onion, liquid smoke, and minced garlic for the liquid sauce.
Burger Buns: As with most sandwiches, you can pretty much use any kind of bread to make pulled pork sandwiches. I love using brioche buns and sourdough loaves, but for this recipe, I used inexpensive burger buns to keep things simple.
Coleslaw: This balances the richness and smokiness of pulled pork and adds a healthy touch to the dish. Homemade coleslaw is always a hit, so this recipe also includes a very easy recipe for coleslaw.
Irresistible Pulled Pork Sandwiches
This recipe features flavorful saucy shredded pulled pork partnered with tangy and crunchy coleslaw between two buttered, crispy burger buns.
Ingredients
For the Pulled Pork:
- 3 pounds of boneless pork shoulder (pork butt)
- 1 teaspoon of coarse kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 cup of BBQ sauce
- ½ cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons of liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
For the Coleslaw:
- 2 cups of shredded cabbage (or coleslaw mix)
- ½ cup of shredded carrots
- ¼ cup of mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
For the Sandwich:
- 8 hamburger buns (split into halves)
- 2 tablespoons of butter (softened)
- Extra BBQ sauce for serving
Instructions
- Start by patting the pork shoulder dry. This ensures the seasoning will better adhere to the meat, improving the flavor of your pulled pork.
- Rub the measured kosher salt and ground black pepper evenly all over the pork shoulder. Make sure to cover every inch of the meat.
- Place the seasoned pork shoulder into your slow cooker.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken broth, liquid smoke, chopped onion, brown sugar, and minced garlic cloves. Stir for about 10 seconds, just to make sure everything is well combined. After doing so, pour the mixture into the slow cooker.
- Cover the slow cooker using its lid and let it cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. If you’re short on time, you can cook on high for 5 to 6 hours instead. By the end of either cooking method, you’ll have fork-tender pulled pork that is perfect for sandwiches!
- While your pulled pork cooks, prepare the coleslaw by combining the shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, mayonnaise, and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a medium bowl. Stir until all the ingredients are fully combined, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the coleslaw until assembly.
- About 15 to 30 minutes before the pulled pork is done cooking, spread a tablespoon or two of softened butter on the inner side of each half of the hamburger buns.
- In a skillet that’s over medium heat, toast the buttered side of the burger buns for about 2 to 3 minutes. You want the inside of the buns to be golden and crispy, not burnt, so check occasionally.
- Once the pulled pork cooking time finishes up, remove it from the slow cooker and shred it into pieces using two forks. Return the shredded pork into the slow cooker, so every bite is fully drenched in the delicious cooking juice.
- At this point, you’ll be all set to assemble the sandwiches! On each bottom half of the toasted buns, spoon a generous portion of the pulled pork, top with some coleslaw, and then complete the sandwich with the top half of the bun. Avoid putting on too much sauce, as doing so can make the sandwiches soggy and messy to eat.
- Serve these pulled pork sandwiches with some more BBQ sauce on the side. You can use this for dipping or extra drizzling!
Notes
Image credit to ©bdtrapbbq.
Featured image credit to ©cravinghomecookedblog.
