Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwiches
If you know anything about me, or have been on a fan of this blog for any time, you will probably have noticed that I simply love pork. As much as I love every bit of the pork, including bacon, ham, and chops, my favorite has got to be, hands down, the pork shoulder. It is my favorite part of the pig, well, maybe the bacon is, but I use it all the time. Everything from egg rolls, to tacos, but if there is something that shouts out summer time to me, it is probably pulled pork, and a great sandwich, along with some really great baked beans.
Instead of going with a traditional pulled pork sandwich with the usual barbecue sauce, I wanted to do something a bit different, twisting up the rub on the pork, as well as making a pineapple barbecue sauce. The end result was something fantastic. Great pulled pork, with just the right amount of heat from the rub, and the sweetness of the barbecue sauce really made this a perfect sandwich.
Pineapple Barbecue Sauce:
- 2 cups of pineapple juice
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, minced
- 2 inches of fresh ginger, skin removed, minced
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 cup of ketchup
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
Rub for the Pork Shoulder:
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 habanero pepper, minced
Mix the spices together, and rub all over your pork shoulder, cooking the way you want, either in a dutch oven, roasting pan, smoker, or slow cooker. Cook until it falls apart and is fully cooked, roughly 4 hours, or more depending on the size of the shoulder.
To make your barbecue sauce, get a sauce pan out and add in your pineapple juice, the ginger, garlic, jalapenos, and cilantro, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring on occasion. When your sauce has reduced, add in your vinegar, ketchup, worchestershire sauce, and brown sugar. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 15 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and let it come to room temperature.
When you are ready to serve, pull apart the pork, load it on a sandwich, and generously add the barbecue sauce. The great balance of the sweetness, and heat really make this a unique sandwich and a great pairing. Hope you enjoy.
10 Comments
Lex
Did you mean 2 cups of pineapple juice in the above recipe?
daxphillips
Lex – sorry, yes, I meant juice, but had my mind on the sauce! Thanks for the catch, and hope you try it out.
Jessica
This exudes the feeling of summer perfectly!
Chocolate Shavings
Love pulled pork sandwiches – one of my favourite comfort foods!
http://www.chocolateshavings.ca
Lynne @ CookandBeMerry
Saw your photo on TasteStopping, so you know I like your pics.This is my first visit to your blog and I be back regularly. Pulled pork ~ I have officially died and gone to heaven. Yum!
Debs
I’ve made pulled pork a couple of times now, but I love the sound of your pineapple bbq sauce. I may just try out your recipe next time. Thanks for sharing
Jayne
Is it possible to add the sauce to the pork ahead of time and serve it all together?
daxphillips
Sure Jayne. It’s up to you. I like to leave the sauce towards the end, just to keep everyone happy. I have three kids, of which a couple like their pork straight up, no sauce.
Lynn
I am having a luau themed 50th b’day lunch for 25-30 people and would like to add this to the menu.
How many pork shoulders would you suggest? Thanks…
lisa
What size pork butt do you use for your recipe?