Spicy Pulled Pork Sliders
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 12 servings
- Total: 9 hr 35 min (includes chilling and cooling times)
- Active: 20 min
Ingredients
Sliders:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 jalapeno peppers, halved
1 large onion, quartered
One 6-pound pork shoulder roast/butt
One 18-ounce jar spicy barbecue sauce (Head Country makes a spicy one)
Fixings:
3 dozen mini buns, for serving
Crispy fried bacon slices, halved
Colorful Coleslaw, recipe follows
Variety of pickles such as regular, pickled red onions and pickled jalapenos
Variety of pickles such as regular, pickled red onions and pickled jalapenos
Whole-grain mustard
Spicy barbecue sauce
Hot sauce
Colorful Coleslaw:
3 mini sweet peppers (in 2 different colors), thinly sliced
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 head purple cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Couple dashes hot sauce
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
- For the sliders: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- In a food processor, combine the olive oil, brown sugar, chile powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic, jalapenos and onions and blend until a thick paste forms. Rub the paste all over the pork and place in a large Dutch oven skin-side up. Add 1 cup water, cover tightly with a lid and roast until just tender, 4 to 5 hours.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking until the pork is falling apart and a dark bark has formed, 1 to 2 hours longer. Allow to cool slightly.
- Remove the pork from the pot and remove and discard the fat. Shred the pork with 2 forks. Remove as much of the fat as possible from the sauce, then transfer the shredded pork back to the sauce. Stir in the spicy barbecue sauce to just coat the meat.
- For the fixings: Serve on mini buns with a toppings bar including bacon, Colorful Coleslaw, a variety of pickles [regular, pickled red onions and pickled jalapenos], whole-grain mustard, spicy barbecue sauce and hot sauce.
Colorful Coleslaw:
- Combine the mini sweet peppers, carrots and cabbage in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt and hot sauce. Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Add the cilantro and mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.