Saucy Pulled Pork Sandwiches.
Sometimes you just need some pork. You know?
I know. Oh do I know.
This recipe is so totally ME that I can barely stand it.
I know it’s a bit early to start talking Memorial Day party food, but I’m gearing up already. Of course, all I really want is a bacon cheddar hot dog and I might find another way to use that craving to trash up my site, but for now, we’re doing pork.
First up, this is oven roasted pork! I almost alllllllways use the crockpot but for some reason I just wasn’t feeling it. I wanted to do an oven-roasted version and I wanted to do it right. Yes, you can still totally do this in the crockpot, because what lunatic wants to have their oven on for eight hours straight? Besides me.
I seared the heck out of this gigantic pork butt right after smothering it in my favorite homemade spice rub complete with tons of brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic, salt and chipotle chili pepper. Among other thangs.
After adding a little liquid to the pot (beer, of course), this baby went to roast all day long until it was falling apart in shreds. Then I doused it in my favorite barbecue sauce (which is still bone suckin’ – so flipping good) and let it sit and marry all together.
And then! We made these big honkin’ sandwiches on some of my favorite whole grain buns. With lots of pickles. I’ve had a pickle obsession since I was about four years old. I used to dip potato chips in pickle juice. I still might do that. (it’s ridiculously delicious.) Oh and it has to be dill pickles. Bread and butter pickles can go take a hike.
I prefer pickles straight up, but occasionally I like to eat them on sandwiches. On this sweet and saucy pork, they are a must. With tons of pickled green beans too. GAH. They are just way too fantastic. The combo makes me giddy. It’s my new favorite thing in the universe.
My mom always serves pulled pork with freshly cut slices of provolone cheese and they melt so perfectly into they meat. I was out (depressing), but any kind of cheese is a winner in my book. Weirdly enough, I reeeeally like these sandwiches with all the pickling going on alone. I might not even need cheese. I don’t even know me anymore.
Oh hi perfection.
Saucy Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 5 to 6 pound pork shoulder
- 1/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/3 cup beer, or stock, ginger ale, another liquid
- 1 to 2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce
for serving:
- your favorite buns
- pickles
- pickled vegetables
- provolone cheese, my mom’s favorite
- potato chips!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pat the pork shoulder completely dry with paper towels.
- In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili and onion powders. Stir well to mix. Take about half of the mixture and rub it on the outside of the pork.
- Heat a large dutch oven over high heat and add the canola oil. Add the pork and sear on all sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Turn off the heat. Pour the beer (or liquid of choice) into the dutch oven and place the pot, uncovered in the preheated oven. Roast for 6 to 8 hours, until the pork is falling apart and shreds easily with a fork. Shred the pork (you can discard any bones at this time) and add in half of the remaining spice mixture. Toss the pork with a cup or so of BBQ sauce, then place it back in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Before serving, taste the pork and add the remaining seasoning and sauce if desired or needed. Serve!
- You can definitely make this ahead of time and reheat it. You can also make it in the crockpot, as well as reheat it in the crockpot on the lowest/warm setting.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Uh and I totally added those chips (salt and vinegar for life) on top of my sandwich. Only way to do. obviously.
78 Comments on “Saucy Pulled Pork Sandwiches.”
This is PERFECT timing! My mom requested pulled pork for mother’s day, and I was going to begin searching for the best version I could find. Luckily, I check your blog every morning! Thanks for reading my mind, Jessica! Enjoy the day!
I swear the pork from the oven is 100% time better because you can smell the deliciousness, it makes the final product that much more mouth watering.
Juicy pork? any time Jessica!
I’m with you on the salt and vinegar for life thing! And even though I’m not a pork-eating kinda girl, the sauce on these is making me want to make them now!!
Gah, my husband would go crazy for these! And now you’ve got me crazing pickles!
Is there a reason you roasted it uncovered? My mon usually roasts pork shoulders covered and did not know if leaving it uncovered made a difference. Thanks this looks delicious as always!!
i think you can probably do it either way! my mom roasts her uncovered but on the stovetop for a few hours. i don’t find roasting it uncovered to result in dry meat, but i doubt covering it would make much difference!
So then what are your thoughts on dill pickle chips?? I don’t know if they’re too popular in the States, but they are the best
I’ve had these and they’re not bad! They’re definitely different but if you love dill pickles you’d like ’em. Almost like a salt and vinegar variation.
i like the chips, but oddly enough i don’t like them as much as regular chips dipped in pickle juice! riddle me that.
Looks amazing! Do you guys have Extreme Beans in the US? In Canada they’re the most amazing garnish ever and are used in Caesars (our version of Bloody Marys, but way better): http://thedomesticblonde.com/tag/wasabi-caesar/
i will have to check!
THAT SAUCE?! Oh my gosh I am drooling all into my bowl of oatmeal….which I am wishing was a sandwich instead. Hello dinner! Pinned!
This post totally brings me back to Oklahoma Joe’s! And my horrible indecisiveness when it comes to menu options…
hehe me too! :) And what a fun lunch date that was!
But… But… Where is the coleslaw!!??
I agree! I thought I was the only one who smothered her pulled pork in cole slaw! :)
i am not a coleslaw fan … blasphemy, i know.
Might have to make these for a snack? lol.. Jessica what buns are these? I’m always stalking your blog and keep seeing these yummy buns pop up?
they are just the buns that my local grocery store bakes in their bakery!
Sliced smoked gouda is the way to go on pork bbq sammiches. No disrespect to your mom, but… SMOKED. GOUDA.
Perfect sandwich for a Friday! Love pulled pork. I am also a pickle fiend. They are pretty much the best thing ever. Your sandwich looks so saucy, which is making my mouth water!
Oh man this looks sooo good. The last time I made pulled pork I was a little underwhelmed by the sauce I made, but this looks great!
I. CANT. EVEN.
Yum. Looks totally delish. And I’m totally with you on the pickle thing. Pickles and potato chips ON a samich, hello!! Dill only, none of that sweet crap.
Mmmmmmm beer and pork = magic! Magic in my belly!
omg looks amazzzzing. One of my favorite dishes, definitely making soon.
If you cook it in a crockpot, would you still sear the meat beforehand?
i usually do, but you don’t have to.
Drooling. Pork with sauce and pickles. YUM.
Jessica, do you have a recipe for pickling other veggies? Pickled green beans sounds delicious and I never thought of it.
I am anxiously awaiting my cookbook delivery from Amazon in Sept.
Thanks!
i don’t! somewhat because i’m lazy… but mostly because i don’t have room for my own garden and find that buying the veggies and then pickling is double the work. someday when i have room for a garden, i’m sure i will pickle them!
thank you for ordering my book!!
I ALWAYS want to make pulled pork but I don’t have a crockpot and thought it was otherwise impossible. Though my gas bill will be through the roof, it’s necessary in this case. Will be making this as soon as I figure out where to buy pork butt!
Oh yummy! The pulled pork looks so juicy and flavorful!
Ahhh this is my dream sandwich!! So good with the pickles and chips! And I love that it’s NOT made with the slow cooker (I am still holding out). I have got to make this ASAP!! Especially since it’s… saucy!
If thinking about a Memorial Day that involves that sandwich this early is wrong, I don’t want to be right. I want to crash any and every Memorial Day party serving a pulled pork sandwich like this one.
Did Jessica just say she might not need cheese? Apocalypse much??
I’d go camping in that thang. And I don’t camp. But I would.
In that.
I’ll take two. GAH
I started looking at your blog when I was in college to try to attempt to save money and learn to cook myself. I’m so happy to have found it-amazing photography and even more amazing recipes.
SO excited to have now pre-ordered the book! I can’t wait. I squealed in my head with excitement.
thank you so much!!
I can’t even express how amazing this looks. WOW!
I love pickles. That is all. :)
Amazing sandwich! The sauce is making my mouth water! And those pickled green beans!? I need them now! :P
Thank god you told me you added the chips. After seeing those chips in the photo, I keep thinking why in the heck aren’t those chips on that sandwich. I really didn’t read the recipe even though I kept staring at it. I was to busy compulsing over the chips that I felt needed to go on top of that yummy looking sammy. Soooo relieved when I read the Sammy got the chips !! Made my day. I know I have no life.
I love your sweet spice rub, that sounds so yummy! But what I really think is the most important thing I am taking away from this post is the idea of dipping my chips in pickle juice! THAT sounds really good! Thanks for the flavor wisdom, lol!
I made this today for dinner! My husband was baking homemade buns, so I opted for the crockpot. I seared it on all sides, then plopped it in the crockpot to start cooking. About 20 minutes into it these ridiculous thunderstorms rolled through and knocked our power out! We waited it out for about 20 minutes, and the power still hadn’t come back on. So we strapped the crockpot in the car, loaded up with the dog and drove to my work.
We then decided to cook it on high – it was probably about 4 hours. Power was restored at home, so we headed back home to finish cooking. I took the cover off the crockpot so some of the liquid would evaporate. FINALLY we were able to eat ir around 8:30, and oh my was it worth the wait and the trouble. I served it on homemade whole wheat rolls with some pepper jack cheese, and some Famous Dave’s Spicy Pickle Chips. So amazing.
Oh and my lucky mother is getting the leftovers tomorrow when we join her for Mother’s Day – she’s lucky I used an 8 lb pork shoulder!
Gahhh this looks SO amazing, I want this today!!! I love dill pickles, those bread&butter things are gross..
Gahhh this looks SO amazing, I want this today!!! I love dill pickles, those bread&butter things are gross..
Oh and I don’t know what brand of S&V chips are in this pic but “Dirty” salt and vinegar are amazingggg.. SO. CRUNCHY.
Oh holy pork sandwich do I want to eat this right this second!
You have to come to Hawaii and eat kalua pig with me some time.
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I am seriously drooling over this!
I have that same dutch oven! It was my husbands grandmothers. We love it and use it all the time. Where did you get yours?
it was my grandmother’s too! how funny. it’s probably close to 50+ years old. :)
My mouth just watered like when Homer Simpson sees doughnuts. YUMMY!
Oh Jessica. What have you done!? This looks amazing! I may have to try it in a crockpot since it’s a million degrees in Napa until forever..
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Thank you for the recipe!! I made this for dinner yesterday and my husband loved it and told me to save the recipe. This is coming from someone who doesn’t even like pulled pork… well before yesterday! :)