BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Slow cooked pork shoulder rubbed with smoky spices, shredded, tossed in BBQ sauce, and served on soft buns.
Equipment
- Slow cooker or Instant Pot
- Two forks
- Large bowl
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 4 lb pork shoulder boneless or bone in, also called Boston butt, fully thawed
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup BBQ sauce plus more for tossing
- 8 soft buns brioche or potato rolls
Instructions
Cooking
- Season. Trim thick fat, then rub the pork with the salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, and chili powder.
- Cook. Place the pork in the slow cooker with the water and vinegar and cook on low for about 8 hours until it shreds easily. For an Instant Pot, cook large chunks on high pressure for about 60 minutes.
- Shred. Shred the meat with two forks, discard large pieces of fat, and skim the cooking liquid.
- Sauce. Toss the pork with 1 cup BBQ sauce and a few spoonfuls of cooking liquid.
- Serve. Pile the warm pork onto soft buns and add extra sauce.
Notes
Substitutions: Use vinegar based or Kansas City style BBQ sauce and swap buns for slider rolls.
Tips: Never start with frozen pork. Pork is safe at 145 degrees F but shreds easily near 195 degrees F.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat to 165 degrees F.