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These Saucy Pulled Pork Sandwiches are a great way to feed a crowd. I always make them when hosting a party. With a homemade BBQ sauce, these BBQ delights are a must have for summer grilled and tailgating seasons. While it’s a long process, the taste is worth the wait. With a high end pork from Campo Grande, these pulled pork sandwiches were ones to remember.
For more shredded meat recipes, try my shredded smoked beef sandwich or try my delicious ribeye cheesesteak sandwich.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient List for my Saucy Pulled Pork Sandwiches.
- Step 1: How to prep pulled pork.
- Step 2: Phase 1 – direct smoking a pork shoulder
- Step 3: Phase 2 – wrapping the smoked pork shoulder.
- Step 4: How to make a saucy pulled pork sandwich.
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- Similar Recipe Ideas:
- Pulled Pork Sandwiches Recipe
Ingredient List for my Saucy Pulled Pork Sandwiches.
- Iberico Pork: good quality pork. You can go the traditional route and use pork shoulder for this recipe.
- Seasoning: use an all purpose rub that has the perfect blend of salt, pepper and paprika and garlic notes. Perfect on pork.
- Brown Sugar: caramelizes the pork and enhances the natural sweetness of the protein.
- Honey: further enhances the taste of pork.
Step 1: How to prep pulled pork.
This saucy pulled pork sandwich recipe is definitely not a last minute dinner choice. It is a process that needs time and patience for the meat to cook through nice and slowly while containing the tenderness and flavorfulness of the pork as well as the seasoning that’s applied throughout.
To get started, coat the entire Iberico Copa Roast with yellow mustard which will work as a binder and season with Dad’s All Purpose rub. Pork Copa is a very well marbled roast type cut, perfect for smoking and shredding for the most delicious pulled pork sandwiches!
Pat the seasoning down vs. rubbing to avoid any of the spice from falling off. Don’t be shy with the seasoning. The shoulder is a large chunk of meat, so make sure to coat it heavily on all sides. Some of the spice will burn off during the cooking process.
While you wait for the smoker to reach 250 degrees, leave the seasoned pork shoulder in room temperature for about 30 minutes and allow it to sweat which opens up the meat to absorb all those wonderful spices.
Depending on the size of the shoulder, you should estimate 1.5 hours/lb. Total cooking process will last 7-9 hours.
Check out my simple classic pulled pork recipe or make a flavorful Dr. pepper pulled pork.
Dad’s Seasonings
Must have grillin seasonings!
Step 2: Phase 1 – direct smoking a pork shoulder
Place the seasoned pork shoulder on the grill set up for indirect heat. Leave it on until the internal temp of the protein reaches 170 degrees.
Depending on the size of the shoulder, you should estimate 1.5 hours/lb. Total cooking process will last 7-9 hours.
For the first 2 hours, leave the pork on the smoker and let the grill do its magic. After that, spray the pork shoulder with apple cider vinegar every hour. This helps keep the meat moist and prevent the bark from burning. It does not impact the flavor of the meat.
After about 4 -5 hours or when the internal temperature of the pork reaches 170 degrees, it’s time to wrap it up.
Step 3: Phase 2 – wrapping the smoked pork shoulder.
The long smoking process is what makes the meat so tender. In order to keep the moisture and prevent the protein from drying out, you need to wrap it for the final cook. You can do so by wrapping in butcher paper, foil or in a foil pan.
Once the grilled pork roast reaches 170 degrees, place it in an aluminum pan or on a large foil sheet and add brown sugar, cubed butter, honey and some more Dad’s All Purpose rub since some of it cooked off. Next, seal it off with a sheet of foil. The wrap will help keep all the moisture inside the cook and allow the butter and sugar to penetrate through the meat and infuse it with all those amazing classic BBQ flavors.
Leave the pulled pork on the grill for another 2-3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 204 degrees. In addition to the internal temperature, test the tenderness of the meat by doing a probe test which should go into the pork roast with easy. Remove the wrapped pork from the grill and let it rest for 1 hour.
Step 4: How to make a saucy pulled pork sandwich.
This BBQ sauce is what gives the saucy pulled pork sandwich it’s name. It’s tangy, sweet, savory and downright delicious!
Once you make your first BBQ sauce, there is no going back to store bought options. Best of all you can modify the spice or sweetness levels to your liking.
In a sauce pan, add ketchup, yellow mustard, brown sugar, honey, molasses, Dad’s All Purpose rub, Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. Simmer over low heat until the sauce starts to thicken.
For more homemade BBQ sauce recipes, check out my sweet and tangy BBQ sauce or my sweet and savory maple bourbon sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions:
No, just depends what your grocery store or butcher have. Bone-in will take slightly longer to cook vs. boneless but will provide more flavor. Bone-in also cooks more evenly. Boneless may have some well done parts since it’s not evenly shaped due to the bone being removed.
I prefer to use foil over butcher paper because it helps retain all the moisture which keeps the pork nice and tender. I use a foil pan to fold the shoulder, then wrap the top with a foil sheet.
Similar Recipe Ideas:
Printer friendly recipe
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients
Pulled Pork Ingredients
- 3 lbs Iberico copa pork roast
- 1/4 cup Dad’s All Purpose rub
- 1/4 cup Brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Yellow mustard
Homemade BBQ sauce Ingredients
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp Dad’s All Purpose rub
Instructions
Pulled Pork Instructions
- Coat the entire Iberico Copa pork roast with mustard for the binder and season with Dad's all purpose rub.
- Set up the grill for indirect heat at 250 degrees.
- After the first hour on the grill, spritz the pork every hour with apple cider vinegar.
- Once the internal temperature of the pork reaches 170 degrees, remove the pork off the grill and time to wrap it up.
- Place it in an aluminum pan or on a large foil sheet and add brown sugar, honey, cubed butter and more seasoning.
- Seal it with a sheet of foil or wrap the foil around the chunk and place it back on the grill until internal temp of the Iberico Copa pork reaches 205 degrees.
- Remove the wrapped pork from the grill and let it rest for 1 hour.
- Remove the bone and shred the meat, mixing it in with all the rendered juices.
Homemade BBQ Sauce Instructions
- In a sauce pan, add ketchup, brown sugar, honey, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard and Dad’s All Purpose rub. Mix it all together simmering over low heat until the sauce thickens.
Notes
Nutrition
Check out the Recipes Page for other tasty ideas!
I’ve done this recipe multiple times for my family. This one is a family favorite!