Calling all sandwich lovers! If you’re a fan of fully loaded sandwiches, you’ll love: Reuben Sandwiches, Monte Cristo Sandwiches, French Dip Sandwiches, Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches, Italian Beef Sandwiches, Beef Brisket Sandwiches, Cuban Sandwiches, Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, and of course, this incredible pulled pork sandwich recipe!
HOW TO MAKE PulLed Pork Sandwich VIDEo
Pulled Pork Rub Ingredients
The rub is earthy, smoky, salty with a ginger, garlic zing. It manages to be flavorful but not overpowering, so you can still smother the pulled pork sandwiches with barbecue sauce. You will need:
braising liquid
Braising the pork in a few inches of seasoned liquid helps to transform the tough pork shoulder into a tender, succulent, fall-apart masterpiece. The moist environment gently cooks the pork while the liquid continuously infuses the pork with moisture and flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
BARBECUE SAUCE INGREDIENTS
My homemade BBQ Sauce recipe is an intoxicating blend of sweet, tangy, spicy, smoky and ready in less than 20 minutes – 15 of those minutes are hands-off simmering! So, while it’s easier and more convenient to squeeze a bunch of store-bought barbecue sauce all over the pulled pork, I promise the homemade sauce will make your pulled pork sandwich recipe 1000X better! This homemade BBQ Sauce recipe comes together very quickly with just a handful of ingredients. You will need (measurements included in the printable recipe card):
HOW TO MAKE pulled pork Sandwiches with BBQ Sauce
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches are the epitome of a minimal prep and maximum flavor recipe! Once you’ve gathered the ingredients, it’s a simple season, sear and cook until fall-apart tender. While the pork is cooking, whip up an easy batch of barbecue sauce, and if you’re feeling more ambitious, whip up some coleslaw and onion rings too! Here’s how:
Step 1: Braising liquid. Combine the Coke, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, orange zest and green chilies in a lightly greased slow cooker; set aside. You want to prep these ingredients first so you can transfer the pork directly to the crockpot after searing.
Step 2: Spice rub the pork. Whisk all the seasonings together in a small bowl. Lightly drizzle the pork with vegetable oil, then rub it on the top and sides of the pork, then coat all over with seasonings, pressing to adhere. Flip the pork over, drizzle oil over the top and finish rubbing in the spices.
Step 3: Sear the pork. Wait until the vegetable oil is smoking hot before you add the pork. I find two forks the easiest to rotate the pork to sear it on all sides.
Step 4: Cook the pork until fall apart tender. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 to 12 hours OR until the pork easily shreds with a fork. Make sure to check the pork at the early part of the cooking window and continue to cook if needed.
Step 5: Shred and braise. You can either shred the pork directly in the crockpot or it’s a little easier to remove any excess fat by shredding it on a cutting board. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and allow to cook for 20 minutes on LOW to soak up the juices.
Step 6: Add barbecue sauce. Add the pork to a colander over a large bowl and strain all but about ½ cup broth from the pork. Return the pork to the slow cooker/pot and stir in the desired amount of barbecue sauce.
Pulled Pork Sandwich Toppings
Pulled pork sandwiches are scrumptious on their own, but even better loaded with toppings! In this recipe, I’ve added my favorite toppings of coleslaw and fried onion rings. This homemade coleslaw recipe combines traditional coleslaw ingredients with sour cream, Dijon, lemon juice, celery seed and dried dill for dynamic layers of texture and flavor! You can also create a topping bar of the below ideas so your eaters can customize their own sandwiches:
coleslaw fried onion rings bacon caramelized onions pickles pickled vegetables jalapenos or pickled jalapenos pepperoncini onion jam avocados horseradish sauce hot sauce
What cheese goes with pulled pork?
Cheddar cheese pairs excellently with pulled pork, offering a sharp, tangy contrast to the rich, savory meat. Smoked gouda is another great option, adding a smoky depth that complements the barbecue flavors. Monterey Jack and pepper jack provide a mild, creamy texture, with the latter adding a bit of spicy kick. Provolone and mozzarella are also good choices, as their mild flavors and excellent melting qualities enhance the overall sandwich without overpowering the pulled pork.
INGREDIENTS FOR ONION Rings
The crunchy fried onion strings really elevate this pulled pork sandwich recipe to restaurant delicious. They are so addicting, I could at them all day sans sandwich! Here’s what you’ll need:
Onions: use yellow onions for the most flavor. Buttermilk: I often don’t have buttermilk, so I will use a DIY buttermilk. To make your own buttermilk, Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar to a 3 cup+ measuring cup. Add enough milk to equal cups. Give it a stir then wait 10-15 minutes for it to curdle, then give it another stir before using. If you only have 1% milk, then add a splash of heavy cream before filling the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Egg: helps bind the flour and panko to the onions. Flour: I use all-purpose flour and have not experimented with gluten free flour but I imagine it would work fine. Panko: is a Japanese breadcrumb sold in every grocery store (including Walmart) usually next to the other breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs are larger and dryer than normal breadcrumbs so they absorb less moisture and become much crispier. Please do not substitute panko breadcrumbs with Italian breadcrumbs or you will be missing out on the gorgeous, satisfying CRUNCH. If you need to omit the panko, then substitute with flour instead. Salt and pepper: to season those onions! I don’t recommend adding herbs because they can burn when fried. Oil: you will need oil with a neutral flavor and high smoking point to fry the onions. Vegetable or canola oil work great.
HOW TO MAKE ONION STRINGS
STEP 1: SOAK ONIONS
Add onions to a shallow baking dish and pour buttermilk/egg mixture over top. Press the onions down so they’re submerged as much as possible. Let them soak at room temperature for 15 minutes to an hour, stirring and pushing down occasionally. Cover and refrigerate if soaking longer.
STEP 2: PREP WORKSTATIONS
When ready to fry onions, fill a deep frying pan, Dutch oven or deep heavy-duty pot with approximately 2 inches of oil. Heat to 375 degrees F. While heating, combine flour, panko, salt and pepper in a large bowl; set aside. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels; set aside.
STEP 3: Bread ONIONS
Using tongs, transfer a handful of onions from the buttermilk to the flour/panko mixture. Toss to combine, shake off any excess flour, then carefully transfer to the hot oil. You can also bread all of the rings at once and transfer to a baking sheet so they’re all ready to fry.
STEP 4: FRY ONIONS
Test the oil with a small pinch of panko; if it bubbles and fries, then it is hot enough. Fry onions until golden brown (just 1-2 minutes), watch closely! Remove fried onions with a spider strainer, heat-proof slotted spoon or tongs to paper towels. Repeat with the remaining onion slices.
Use smoked paprika in the spice rub and barbecue sauce. The difference between smoked paprika and normal paprika may seem nominal, but it has a big impact on the the overall flavor. Normal paprika uses crushed dried chilies, whereas smoked paprika uses chilies that are first smoked with oak, then dried and crushed. This adds a smoky, woody, outdoorsy flavor that elevates your BBQ Pulled Pork to next level. For the best pork, sear first. This extra step is well worth it. It caramelizes the outside of the pork for a depth of flavor and increases its moisture capacity so its’s extra juicy. It also binds the seasonings to the pork. That being said, the original recipe did not sear the pork, and readers still found it delicious – so, your call! Use a cast iron skillet. I recommend a large cast iron skillet because it gets piping hot and sears more evenly. When searing, the pork will naturally release from the pan once it’s properly seared. If it’s sticking to the bottom of the pan, it most likely needs more time. Use a high smoking point oil. Use vegetable oil, avocado oil or sunflower oil to sear the pork– don’t substitute with olive oil. Olive oil has a lower smoking point and will not only smoke like crazy but can burn leaving behind a bitter taste and harmful chemicals. Cook the pork until tender. If your pork isn’t crazy tender, then cook on! It just means the proteins needs more time to break down and tenderize. Even 30 more minutes can make the world of difference between “okay” and melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork. If it’s your first time making this recipe, plan on the full cooking window, but check the pork for doneness at the early part of the cooking window to be safe. Don’t skip soaking the pork after shredding. Cooking the shredded pork on low for 20 minutes is crucial to allow the flavorful slow cooker juices to seep into every nook and cranny before adding the barbecue sauce. Drain pork using a colander. I place my strainer on top of a large bowl to catch the braising liquid so the fat doesn’t go directly in my sink, then refrigerate the bowl and skim the fat later and ditch the rest of the juices in the sink sans fat. Use homemade barbecue sauce! This is the number one tip for the best BBQ pulled pork sandwiches! Splatter screen. If you have a splatter screen, you might want to place it over the barbecue sauce in between stirring. Thinly slice onions. Thinly sliced onions ensure the ideal proportions of onions to coating. To shortcut this process, use a mandolin slicer if you have one. Stir onions. Once you add the onions to the hot oil, give them a stir to break up any of the onions that may be sticking together. Watch closely. The onions don’t take long at all to fry up – just a minute or two per batch, so make sure to watch closely. To check for doneness, use your slotted spoon and lift a few out of the pot because it can be hard to see their true color in the oil. Don’t over-fry. The onions should be golden and not dark golden when you remove them from the oil.
Make it sweeter: add more brown sugar. I suggest you simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, taste and add additional sugar at this time if desired (and not right off the bat); continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Make it tangier: add additional apple cider vinegar at the end of simmering. Make it smokier: add additional liquid smoke, ½ teaspoon at a time. Make it spicier: add additional chipotle chili powder for smoky heat or cayenne pepper for penetrating heat. Make the seasonings your own. Like more garlic? Use more garlic. Like more mustard? Use more mustard. You can adjust all of the seasonings to suit your tastes and even add additional seasonings such as oregano or parsley. Make it thicker: simmer the sauce for upwards of 15 minutes until it reaches your desired consistency, however, it is already gorgeously thick after 15 minutes so I don’t think you’ll find this necessary. Make it gluten-free: double check your ingredients to ensure they are gluten free. Homemade Maple BBQ Sauce: substitute half of the brown sugar for pure maple syrup – not the breakfast imitation kind! Homemade Honey BBQ Sauce: substitute the brown sugar for honey.
Recipe INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
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