Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 12 to 16 servings
- Total: 12 hr 20 min
- Prep: 50 min
- Inactive: 1 hr 30 min
- Cook: 10 hr
Ingredients
8-pound bone-in pork picnic shoulder
1/3 cup freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons granulated garlic powder
2 tablespoons granulated onion powder
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup hot dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne
Mop Sauce, recipe follows
Wilsons' BBQ Award Wining Eastern Carolina Vinegar Sauce, recipe follows
Fo Slaw, recipe follows
Ciabatta rolls or other crunchy, chewy rolls
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
Wilsons' BBQ Award Wining Eastern Carolina Vinegar Sauce:
1 quart cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/8 cup red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoons Worcestershire
1 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoons black pepper
One 16-ounce bottle ketchup
Fo Slaw:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 head cabbage, cored, tough leaves removed and shredded
2 small carrots, shredded
Directions
Special equipment:
1 cup hickory chips, prepped (see Cook's Note)- Rinse and dry the pork shoulder. Let rest at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours. In a small bowl, combine black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, dry mustard and cayenne. Rub mixture all over the pork.
- Arrange the oven racks in the middle and lower parts of the oven and preheat to 225 degrees F. Put a sheet tray on the lower rack and the pork directly on the middle rack, uncovered. Put the cast iron pan with the hickory chips on the floor of the oven. Remove the chips after 2 hours of cook time. The entire cooking time will be 8 to 10 hours.
- Apply Mop Sauce every hour throughout the cooking time.
- In the last hour of cook time, remove pork, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and then in aluminum foil and return to the oven for 1 more hour. Remove the pork from the oven to a work surface. Let rest until cool enough to pull the pork from the bones.
- To serve, cut the buns in half and pile up some pulled pork. Top with the Vinegar Sauce, then a large spoonful of the Fo Slaw and a final spoonful of sauce. Cover with the bun top and serve.
- Mop Sauce:
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and reserve.
Wilsons' BBQ Award Wining Eastern Carolina Vinegar Sauce:
- In a large saucepan, mix together all the ingredients, in the order given, over low heat. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Recipe courtesy Ed Wilson, Wilson's Holy Smoked BBQ
Fo Slaw:
- Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. Adjust seasonings, if necessary. Add the cabbage and the carrots and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Cook’s Note
Soak the chips submerged in water for 15 minutes. While chips are soaking, preheat a 9-inch cast iron pan on the stove top over medium heat until it is ash-white hot. Remove chips from the water and add to the cast iron pan. Put the pan on the bottom floor of the oven for the first 2 hours of pork cooking time.