Southern US · Lunch & handhelds

Pulled pork sandwich

Name: Pulled pork sandwich
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 18 h
Yield: 8 sandwiches
Cuisine: Southern US
Ingredients: 1 boneless pork shoulder, about 4 pounds, excess surface fat trimmed; 2 tablespoons kosher salt; 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, divided; 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 cup apple cider vinegar, divided; 1 cup ketchup; 1 tablespoon yellow mustard; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes; 1/2 small green cabbage, very thinly sliced; 1 large carrot, coarsely grated; 2 scallions, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon neutral oil; 8 soft sandwich buns; 16 dill pickle chips, drained

Fork-tender pork shoulder with dark bark-like edges, sharp cider barbecue sauce, and crunchy vinegar slaw on soft buns.

About 18 hrTotal

About 5 hr 30 minActive

$$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 8 sandwiches

Equipment

Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Best value covered pot
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched capacity, lid fit, oven rating, heat retention, maneuverability, care, stable model identity, and usefulness outside bread baking. Kwilt has not baked with this pot.
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43: The six-quart capacity, heavy cast-iron body, and fitted lid create the enclosed high-heat environment used by these bread methods while remaining useful beyond baking. Trade-off: At more than thirteen pounds it is demanding to move when hot, and the enamel needs gentler utensils and hand washing.
Another workable path: Bake on a preheated heavy sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl, keeping face and hands clear when removing the hot cover.
Sources
Lodge six-quart Essential Enamel specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 8 sandwiches

1 boneless pork shoulder, about 4 pounds, excess surface fat trimmed
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, divided
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup apple cider vinegar, divided
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/2 small green cabbage, very thinly sliced
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon neutral oil
8 soft sandwich buns
16 dill pickle chips, drained

Instructions

Mix salt, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, paprika, pepper, and garlic powder. Rub over pork, set on a rack over a pan, and refrigerate uncovered 8 to 12 hours.
Set pork in a and roast at 300°F until a fork twists easily and the center is 195°F to 205°F, 4 to 5 hours. Uncover for the final 30 minutes to deepen the exterior. Rest 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, simmer 1/2 cup vinegar with ketchup, remaining brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, and pepper flakes for 10 minutes. Toss cabbage, carrot, and scallions with remaining vinegar and neutral oil; rest 20 minutes and drain well.
Discard large fat pockets, pull pork into bite-size strands, and fold in 3/4 cup sauce plus 1/2 cup defatted roasting juices. Spread on a sheet pan and broil 3 to 5 minutes until scattered edges crisp; fold those edges back through the pork.
Warm buns. Pile each with pork, a spoonful of drained vinegar slaw, two pickle chips, and additional sauce to taste. Serve before the slaw softens.

Southern United StatesSouthern barbecue cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Pulled-pork sandwiches belong to several distinct Southern barbecue traditions; this broad home version uses pork shoulder, cider-vinegar tang, pickles, and drained slaw without claiming one regional sauce lineage.

Southern pulled-pork traditions vary sharply by region. This broadly Southern home version uses pork shoulder, cider-vinegar tang, and slaw without claiming a specific Carolina, Memphis, or Kansas City identity. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Use an oven method with a final broil to create bark-like contrast, then sauce lightly and let vinegar slaw balance the shoulder’s richness.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe