Everyone in my family loves East meets West dishes. What’s not to love?
Everyone else loves a do-ahead-meal.
I have one for you.
Day 1: Step 1
First I want to put a dry rub on a pork butt roast and let it sit overnight.
You will need:
4 – 5.5 lbs pork butt or pork shoulder roast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depending on what heat level you want)
In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons brown sugar with 1 tablespoon ground ginger.
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion salt.
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper. I like it hot.
Mix it up.
Place the pork butt on a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Pour the dry rub over the pork butt.
Rub it ALL over. Rub it good.
Gather up the ends of the foil.
Fold the ends to and crimp them together tight. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
Day 1: Step 2
I’m now going to make pickled jalapenos and shallots to top off the pulled pork.
You will need:
1 1/2 cups rice vinegar (divided)
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 jalapenos
3-4 shallots
For the pickled jalapenos:
In a small bowl or measuring cup add 3/4 cup of the rice vinegar.
Add 1 tablespoon sugar.
1 teaspoon salt. (I use kosher)
Whisk together to dissolve.
Add the jalapenos to the vinegar mixture.
For the pickled shallots:
Just repeat the process. Pour the remaining 3/4 cup rice vinegar into a small bowl.
Add the remaining tablespoon of sugar.
Add the remaining teaspoons of salt.
Stir to dissolve.
Peel and slice the shallots.
Add to the vinegar mixture.
Tightly cover. Refrigerate over night.
Day 2: Step 1
I’m going to cook my pork in a crock pot, but you can bake in a low oven.
I’m cooking my pork low and slow for about 7-8 hours. If you are baking in an oven, preheat the oven to 250 – 275 degrees F.
Cover. Let simmer slowly all day.
After 8 hours of cooking time, open the foil.
I love using the sealed foil method. It keeps all of the juices and flavors around the pork to create a moist flavorful pork.
Using two forks shred the pork.
Keep in the crock pot or oven while making the sauce.
Step 2
To make the Asian sauce you will need:
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil (oops not pictured)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ground garlic paste (Sambal Oelek found in grocery store)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup water
Peel and slice the fresh ginger. Ahhhh I just love that fragrance.
Cut the slices into match sticks.
Slice the match sticks into a fine dice.
Finely chop garlic or put through a garlic press.
Chop the fresh cilantro.
Add oil to a medium size sauce pan.
Add chopped ginger.
Add chopped garlic.
Saute until fragrant, but don’t the the garlic brown.
Add the garlic paste, but don’t inhale the fumes (experience).
Add soy sauce.
Add brown sugar.
Add sesame oil and rice vinegar (I don’t know what happened to that pic)
Add Hoisin sauce.
Add water. Bring to a simmer.
Add chopped fresh cilantro.
Mix well and simmer for a minute or two.
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Pour over shredded pork.
I like to keep the pork in the crock pot simmering until I’m ready to serve.
I just love the crunch of cabbage on a pulled pork sandwich. I can’t resist.
Shred 1/2 head of cabbage very fine, if desired (I desire)
To assemble:
Remove the picked shallots and jalapenos from the refrigerator.
I’m pretty sure I didn’t mention that you will need soft rolls or buns.
Layer with pork, pickled veggies and cabbage.
If you are feeling brave and want an amazing sandwich, just whip up some steamed Chinese buns.
I was brave.
I should let you know that I eat ALL of the photo’s that I take. Right now my lips are still burning from the heat of the pickled jalapenos. Love, love, love the burn baby.
Asian Pulled Pork Sandwiches
4 – 5.5 lbs pork butt or pork shoulder roast
Dry rub:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depending on what heat level you want)
Pickled veggies:
1 1/2 cups rice vinegar (divided)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided)
2 Tablespoons sugar (divided)
3 jalapenos
3-4 shallots
Asian Sauce:
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil (oops not pictured)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ground garlic paste (Sambal Oelek found in grocery store)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup water
Shredded Cabbage, if desired
8 – 10 buns or 1 dozen small rolls
For the Pork and rub:
In a small bowl mix all ingredients for the dry rub. Place the Pork on a sheet of heavy aluminum foil. Pour rub mixture over pork and rub all over. Seal the aluminum foil around the pork and refrigerate over night.
For the pickled veggies:
You will need two small bowls. Pour 3/4 cup vinegar into each bowl and mix in 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar into each bowl of vinegar. Stir to dissolve. Thinly slice jalapenos and add to one of the bowls. Peel and slice shallots and place in the other bowl of vinegar. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to cook the pork. Place foil packet into a crock pot and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours. Alternatively bake in a low oven temperature of 250 – 275 degrees for 7-8 hours. When meat is tender and pulls apart easily, take two forks and shred the meat. Remove the foil and let pork simmer in crock pot while prepare sauce.
To prepare sauce:
In a medium pan, saute the ginger and garlic in oil until beginning to soften and become fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for a minute or two. Pour sauce over shredded pork. Let simmer until ready to serve.
To serve:
Place shredded pork on one side of the bun. Layered with pickled veggies and shredded cabbage.
Serves 8- 10
Best recipe ever! This has been my go to for years.
Awesome! Thank you so much. The recipe is a keeper.
Hi Janet – just wanted to tell you I finally made this pulled pork and its amazing! I have enjoyed so many of the recipes on your site (the famous no-knead bread brought me here) and I think you do a great job showing each step and taking pictures to help readers understand. It's a lot of fun to work my way through these posts.
Thanks again!
Thank you, Shelley. I'm so happy to hear you loved the pulled pork. It's a great and unique meal. We love it!
Made this last night and my family LOVED IT!!!! Didn't make the pickled jalapenos, they don't like real spicy food, but the pulled pork is AWESOME!!! Thank you for the recipe!!
Thank you for our kind comment. I so happy the family approved.
Love this recipe!!!!!!!! I serve it on tortillas btw
Love the torilla idea. Thanks for your comment.
Ooooh HOOOOO! We just got through eating the finished product and even though I am not much of a sandwich girl, I ate TWO for dinner! It was FANTABULOUS!!!!!Thanks for a super incredible recipe! I love the fact we have beacoup leftovers…of the meat…I'm gonna have to make more pickled shallots – we ate those like candy!Thanks again!
Great news. Thanks for making my day!
Hi Janet!
I just made the Asian pulled pork sandwiches…well PART of the recipe at any rate! I made the dry rub and cooked the pork roast in the crock pot according to your directions but since we live waaaay out in the country and my grocery store is a 90-mile round trip affair and I didn't have any hoisin sauce on hand (funny! I thought I did!) I combined the shredded pork with some homemade BBQ sauce, put it on buttered, toasted buns, added the pickled veggies and lay the sandwiches down on the table for dinner. The raves are still going on! Tomorrow my husband goes to town armed with my grocery list and so I am looking forward to finishing out the recipe and giving the family something "new" for dinner…again! Thanks for a super recipe!It is AWESOME!
Oh my gosh! I would save so much money if I loved 90 miles from a grocery store. I'm so happy the family loved the pulled pork. You made my day. Thanks for such a fun comment.
Hey there Janet! Glad you liked my comment!
I am having an ingredient issue! My husband ran into a problem at the grocery store – he found the Hoisin sauce no problem but when it came to the freshly ground garlic paste, he found a "Ground fresh chili paste" labeled Sambal Oelek (with the gold label as in your photo) OR a Chili Garlic Sauce, also made by Huy Fong Foods with the rooster on the bottle (but this rooster is printed in white right on the bottle, NOT on a gold paper label like the Sambal Oelek is). He went with the product that looked like what is pictured in your ingredients photo, the Ground Fresh chili paste called Sambal Oelek….was this the correct choice? It doesn't contain garlic and apparently adds heat to any dish…was wondering if I need to add garlic or have him pick up some of that Chili Garlic Sauce. Thanks!!!!
P.S. Wish I could figure out how to leave my name in the post rather than this sort of sinister "Anonymous" handle I have had to adopt! ha ha! My name is Kat by the way!
P.P.S. I am a die-hard foodie and although I live 90 miles round-trip away from a grocery store, girl, YOU SHOULD SEE MY PANTRY! It's a big walk-in room with shelves on all sides, and wide enough to hold a double bed with room on each side! (I know, we have put one in there before!!!) I don't let a little distance get in the way of my passion for food!
Gotta go now….we picked up some whole milk, buttermilk, and cream while in town…guess what I'm making tonight?!?!? soooo EXCITED!
Hi Kat, Sambal is the stuff! It will be perfect! I have a huge storage room in my basement that I use for bulk purchasing. I hate going to the store. I'd must rather run downstairs for an ingredient. Your pantry sounds amazing! I hope you love the ricotta. It's so dang good. So fun to hear from you.
Hi Janet. I discovered your blog over the weekend and am obsessed. I really enjoy your playful writing style and beutiful photos. I made these pulled pork sandwiches (I love any recipe that saves me time after work)for dinner today and they were delicious. My husband is currently standing over the stove picking at the leftovers. I also made two loaves of the crusty no-knead bread over the weekend. The first time I made it was for my in-laws who came over for dinner. It was gone before I turned around and had to make myself another loaf the next day. Thank you!
Thank you so much for your kind comments. I'm so glad you enjoy my blog. I'm sure your pork was wonderful. I provide the recipes and you do all the work. Way to go!
I just have to say that I love, love, love absolutely everything that you post on this site. And I mean EVERYTHING!
These pulled pork sandwiches look amaaaaaazing… will have to give them a go, and that very soon.
Thanks again and keep posting. Yum.
Sara
can we do it with chicken
matt and emily
Yes, but I think chicken thighs would be more moist. You could do a combination of chicken breasts and thighs. Just breasts would get pretty dry. You could purchase a rotisserie chicken and shred the meat and just add the sauce. That could work quite nicely. Just be here for dinner on Saturday, because this is what we are having. I have the pork in the crock pot right now 🙂
Just in case you wanted to use it, the word we used in China for steamed bun (very cheap over there) is 馒头 Mántou. They weren't my favorite. I have no doubt yours will be tastier! =]
Thank you, Verena. I think I like the fact that the steamed buns are sweet without a lot of flavor. It really let's the flavor of the pork and pickled veggies come out. The first time I tried steamed buns and was a little disappointed, but I have grown to love them. Thank you for the info.
I have GOT to move to Sandy!!!!!!
I have 4 empty bedroooms.
Looks AMAZING! Could you please post the Chinese steamed buns!?
I really should. They are so easy, but I do need to perfect them first.