BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
Pulled pork has its roots in the slow-barbecue traditions of the American South, where pork shoulder — a tough, collagen-rich cut — was cooked low and slow for hours, often overnight, until tender enough to pull apart by hand. Every region of the South has its own sauce: South Carolina favors a mustard-based sauce, North Carolina a tangy vinegar one, while Memphis and Kansas City lean toward thicker, sweeter tomato-based versions. These days, most people cook pulled pork in a slow cooker or the oven, without losing much of the original texture, as long as the meat spends enough time at low heat. The key is patience: low temperature and long time turn the tough collagen into soft gelatin, which is what makes the meat fall apart on its own rather than needing a knife.
Pork shoulder cooked for hours
The cut simmers low and slow for 8 hours, until it falls apart on its own at the touch of a fork.
Dry spice-rub crust
A mix of brown sugar, smoked paprika and garlic is rubbed over the whole surface of the meat before cooking.
BBQ sauce mixed right into the meat
The shredded pork is stirred with the sauce, not just drizzled on top, so every strand is coated.
Coleslaw goes on top, not on the side
The crunchy slaw is piled directly onto the meat, inside the bun, for texture contrast in every bite.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 1.5kg pork shoulder (Boston butt), boneless
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- Salt and black pepper, generously
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup BBQ sauce, plus more for serving
- 6 soft burger buns
- Coleslaw and pickles, for serving
How to make it
- 1RUB THE PORK: Combine the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, then rub the mixture all over the pork shoulder, pressing it into every surface.
- 2LET IT SIT: Wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight for deeper flavor.
- 3SLOW COOK: Place the pork in a slow cooker or a covered pot with the apple cider vinegar, and cook on low 8 hours, until it falls apart at the touch of a fork.
- 4SHRED IT: Remove the pork, discard any large pieces of fat, and shred it into strands with two forks, right in the cooking juices.
- 5STIR IN THE SAUCE: Mix in most of the BBQ sauce, tasting as you go, until the meat is glossy and well coated.
- 6TOAST THE BUNS: Split the buns and toast them lightly, cut-side down, in a dry skillet.
- 7BUILD THE SANDWICH: Pile the pulled pork generously onto the buns, top with coleslaw and pickles, and finish with an extra drizzle of BBQ sauce.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
