There’s nothing like tender, juicy, sweet and spicy pulled pork sandwiches! Especially with a homemade rub and a slow cooker.
Once upon a time, taking the long way home on back roads, I stopped into a little BBQ joint (which, unfortunately, has changed hands since then). Nine times out of ten, if I’m in a BBQ restaurant, I order a pulled pork sandwich. They had one with jalapenos! Bonus. And with honey drizzled on top! Double bonus. Give me two!!
I Should Make These at Home
Mid-way through our sandwiches, I thought: “I should make sandwiches like these at home!”
Despite my love for pulled pork, I had never made it at home before, that I could remember. So I pulled out my crock pot and gave it a go. And after some trial and error, I created a recipe I use every time now.
Some Tips
On the “error” side was trying to use pork loin roast one time instead of pork shoulder roast. I should have known better, but I prefer leaner meats and had high, unrealistic hopes and expectations for the pork loin, but it did NOT work for this sandwich. The fattier cut gives the meat more flavor and moisture, and you can pull the fat out of the crock pot after the meat is fully cooked, before you shred it.
Another tip – dragging out a dozen+ spices and concocting the pork rub is what takes the most time for this recipe (oh, but it’s worth it!!). I typically double (or triple+) the rub, and store the extra in a labeled container, so I can skip this step the next time or two I make it.
And finally, these are perfect for parties (or any other day) to make sliders. The smaller buns are pretty easy to find in most grocery stores these days.
Pin it to save it for later … or make it sometime soon! Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think. 🙂
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people
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- 1 3-4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast (you can use bone-in; will take a little longer to cook)
- slider buns (or regular-sized buns)
- sliced jalapenos from a jar (as many as you like!)
- honey
- your favorite BBQ sauce
- 3 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch ground cloves
Ingredients
The Rub
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- Mix together all of the ingredients for the rub.
- Pull the pork out of the package, place on a plate and pat dry.
- Pour some of the rub on top of the pork and, literally, rub it on and in the pork; turn it over and add more of the mixture, rubbing it on the meat until it's covered. Note: If you have some spice mixture left that hasn't touched the meat, save it for the next time you make this!
- Let it sit for an hour.
- Turn your crock pot on high.
- Place the meat in the crock pot (do not add water or anything else); close the lid and cook for 4-6 hours (it will break apart easily when it's done).
- Pull the fat off the meat and discard.
- Use a fork to break up the meat in the crock pot (it should break apart easily); break into chunks as thin or thick as you prefer
- Scoop as much meat out of the crock pot as you'll need for your sandwiches and place on a plate or cutting board. Chop as many sliced jalapenos as you would enjoy and then mix the chopped jalapenos in with the meat you have pulled out (if one person prefers more or less, you can add them accordingly). Note: if you don't think you'll have leftovers, chop the jalapenos and then add them to the crock pot and mix there.
- Open the slider buns (or regular sized buns) and split in half; butter the inside of each bun.
- Heat a skillet or electric griddle and then place the buns, butter side down, on it to "toast" them; I flip them and let the other side get warmed before pulling them out of the pan or off the griddle.
- Put the bun(s) on your plate; add as much meat as you'd like; drizzle a little honey on top; add as much of your favorite BBQ sauce as you'd like ... and ENJOY!
