Pulled Pork Sliders with Citrus Pineapple Slaw and Balsamic Soy Sauce
Sweet and savory Smoked Pulled Pork Sliders recipe is a take on Asian-meets-Hawaiian flavors with an Asain inspired dry rub and grilled pineapple coleslaw.
Servings: 10 people
Cost: $35
Ingredients
- 1 6 - 8 pound pork shoulder, bone-in
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar (placed in a food safe spray bottle)
For the Dry Rub
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Chinese five spice
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon coarse ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
For the Savory Soy and Balsamic Sauce
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon diced shallots
- 1 teaspoon diced garlic
- 1 ¼ cups balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 slices fresh ginger, sliced thin
- 2 sprigs rosemary (approximately 3" long)
Instructions
For the Dry Rub
- Mix: Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and stir.
For the Savory Soy and Balsamic Sauce
- Sauté: In a small sauce pan over medium heat add olive oil and shallots. Soften shallots for 6 to 8 minutes, but not caramelized. Reduce heat if they are browning. Add garlic and cook another minute.
- Combine: Add balsamic, soy, brown sugar, honey, salt and stir to incorporate. Add ginger and rosemary, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer on a low heat and let reduce. About 20 - 25 minutes.
- Cool: Remove from heat and then strain, discarding solids. Place the sauce in the fridge to cool. Can be made in advance.
For the Pulled Pork
- Season: The evening before cooking, place pork shoulder on a sheet tray, trim the pork shoulder of excess fat. Coat with Dijon mustard, and the dry rub liberally. Cover with foil or plastic wrap, and place in fridge.
- Smoke: The next day, preheat the smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and remove the pork from the fridge and uncover the meat. When smoker comes to temperature, place pork, unwrapped, onto the smoker. Insert a probe thermometer if you have one.
- Spritz: Smoke for 3 hours. After 3 hours spritz with apple cider vinegar each additional hour, until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F (approximately 3 or 4 additional hours). At 165 degrees, remove any thermometer and set aside.
- Wrap: Place pork shoulder into a large oven safe tray (or a 9x13 glass baking dish). Add remaining spritz liquid into the bottom of the tray, and then cover with foil. Insert meat thermometer back into the pork shoulder for monitoring if using one.
- Smoke: Continue cooking, covered, another 3 to 4 hours until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 200 degrees F. When the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees begin inserting an instant read thermometer into several places. It is done when the probe inserts like butter (and the temperature reads between 200 and 205 degrees).
- Rest: Remove from smoker and let sit, covered, for at least 30 minutes (ideally 60). Then remove the bone and pull the meat, discarding any remaining fat or cartilage.
- Serve: For sliders on a bun, place the pulled pork, then the grilled pineapple slaw (recipe in notes), then drizzle a small amount of reserved savory soy and balsamic sauce.
Notes
This is fantastic with Grilled Pineapple Coleslaw served over the top of the pulled pork. Find the simple recipe here.
Nutrition
Serving: 300grams | Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 1823mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 31IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
