Fall Apart Pulled Pork Sandwiches

After curing overnight and spending some time on the grill, this delicious recipe for barbecued pulled pork from Olive Magazine is sure to satisfy the hungriest of crowds this summer.

While this meticulous recipe requires about four and a half hours of preparation and cooking time, the best results in both flavor and texture can be achieved by dry curing your pork shoulder overnight before roasting it in the oven the following day.

While this recipe gives you a delectable entree with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that can be enjoyed all on its own atop a soft bun, it pairs excellently when it’s topped with crunchy cole-slaw (also included below).

Ingredients:

Pulled Pork:

BBQ Sauce:

  • 9 oz. of ketchup
  • 5 oz. of red wine vinegar
  • 4 ½ oz. of light brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons of chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of mustard powder
  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 3 slices of lemon
  • 2 crushed cloves of garlic

Dry Rub:

Coleslaw:

  • ½ of a yellow onion (finely sliced)
  • 1 lemon (zested & juiced)
  • 1 lb bag of shredded red cabbage
  • 7 oz. carrot (grated)
  • 4 oz. celery (finely sliced)
  • Sprig of parsley (chopped)
  • 1-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons of sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of mustard powder
  • 2 teaspoons of celery salt
  • Optional: 1 large handful of roasted peanuts (roughly chopped)

Recipe:

  1. Begin by mixing the dry rub ingredients together with 1 tbsp of salt and then spread the dry rub all over your pork shoulder. You’ll want to ensure that it’s well-coated will the entirety of the rub. Wear gloves and pat the dry rub into the meat on all sides before wrapping the pork shoulder in aluminum foil. Lastly, your pork shoulder prep concludes by curing the shoulder in a chilled environment minimum of four hours but preferably overnight.
  2. Make your barbecue sauce by combining all ingredients in a small saucepan, and then cook the sauce over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. Afterward, take the saucepan off the heat, and fish through the BBQ sauce, removing the lemon slices.
  3. For the coleslaw, begin by softening your onion in your lemon juice for 10 minutes. Afterward, mix the onion with your cabbage, celery, carrot, and parsley. Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, and lemon zest together, add it to the cabbage mix, and toss it.
  4. After a patient curing period, take your pork shoulder out of the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature. While it’s sitting on the countertop, preheat your oven to 300°F. Heat some soil in a large, non-stick frying pan or skillet, and then brown the pork shoulder on all sides by frying it.
  5. Afterwards, place the browned pork shoulder into a roasting dish, and roast it in the oven “low and slow” for at least 3 ½ hours. The best results can be achieved by roasting the pork shoulder for about 6 hours. You can tell it is done whenever the meat is falling apart or when an instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the porkregisters at 170°F.
  6. After your meat is cooked, shred the pork shoulder into large chunks that would be ideal sizes for your sandwich buns. Toss the shredded pork with your barbecue sauce and heat throughout, adjusting your seasoning to taste. You’ll want to mix the pulled pork with ⅔ of your barbecue sauce and use the remaining 1/3rd of the sauce for topping off the buns. Serve the pulled pork into soft buns, top it with sauce and a dollop of crunchy coleslaw, and enjoy!

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