Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
This is a sandwich you’d expect to find at a food truck in Austin or Honolulu. In fact, it’s at the Market Cafe at the Student Union in Storrs. We found that using a 3.5-pound pork shoulder or loin, but keeping the rest of the pulled pork ingredients the same, and cooking for eight hours in a slow cooker on low, worked well, too. You then need only half the amount of buns, sauce, and slaw, and it will serve six.
Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich
Serves 12
For the pulled pork:
- 3 Tablespoons paprika
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon dry mustard
- 3 Tablespoons Kosher salt
- 1 (7 pound) pork shoulder
- ½ cup pineapple juice
Mix paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub all over pork shoulder, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Unwrap pork and place in a roasting pan with the pineapple juice. Cook for 6 to 7 hours until the internal temperature is 170 degrees and pork begins to fall apart. Allow to rest 20 minutes, then shred pork using two forks and set aside.
For the red cabbage mango slaw:
- 3 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 large fresh mango, peeled and diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 serrano pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Kosher salt, to taste
Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl and add mango, onion, red pepper, serrano pepper, and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, cider vinegar, and sugar. Add to cabbage mixture and mix until coated. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate until needed.
For the sandwiches:
- 12 pineapple brioche rolls
- 3 pounds pulled pork
- 1 ½ cups smoky barbecue sauce (store bought)
- 1 ½ pounds red cabbage slaw
Place opened brioche buns on a flat surface. Place 4 ounces of the pulled pork on each of the bottom slices of brioche buns, followed by 2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce and 2 ounces of the mango slaw. Place tops on sandwiches and serve.
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