Recipe of the Month: BBQ Pork Butt Sandwiches With Pickled Slaw

Yield 4 servings / Time 4 hours

When it comes to cravings, pulled pork sandwiches come to mind. They take a while to make, yes, but it’s not hard work. You braise a pork butt in the oven for a good long while. You let it cool. Then you shred. And then you add your signature touches to this classic sammy. In this month's recipe, the signatures includes a warm BBQ sauce and, of course, slaw. The trick here is that the slaw is not just tossed with vinegar, but actually pickled. It sits in a brine in your fridge as the pork braises. The result is pretty remarkable. Word to the wise: Don’t forget extra napkins.

You will need:

For the Pork:

1 whole pork butt, bone in or out, approximately 3 pounds

1 onion, rough chopped

2 whole jalapenos (optional)

1 head of garlic, cut in half

4 cups stock

For the BBQ Sauce:

Salt and pepper

2 cups ketchup

1 cup cola

½ cup cider vinegar

4 tablespoons sriracha or other hot sauce

For the Pickled Slaw:

½ head green cabbage, thinly sliced

1 carrot, shredded

2 tablespoons salt

2 cups cider vinegar

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon allspice berries (optional)

1 tablespoon chili flakes (optional)

2 teaspoons mustard seeds (optional)

For the Sandwiches:

6 rolls

• Preheat oven to 325 F, then salt the pork all over. 

• In a large Dutch oven, place the pork, chopped onion, jalapeno, garlic, and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and braise in the oven for 3 ½ to 4 hours, until fork tender.

• While the pork braises, around hour three, make vinegar slaw. Combine shaved cabbage and shredded carrot in a large mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons salt and set aside. Then, make a  pickle brine. Put vinegar, sugar, and optional spices in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Strain, then pour the brine over the raw cabbage mix. Cool, cover, and refrigerate until sandwich assembly.

• Remove fork-tender pork from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. As it cools, make the BBQ sauce by combining ketchup, cola, cider vinegar, and hot sauce in a pot over medium heat. Stir, bring to a simmer, and let cook for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly thickened. You want a consistency not quite as thick as ketchup. Keep warm until ready to use.

• Pull cooled pork into shreds. (Strain and reserve cooking liquid; you can freeze and use it in any recipe that calls for stock.)

• To assemble the sandwiches, add warm BBQ sauce to the pulled pork. Season with salt and pepper. Toast the rolls. Place a generous serving of pork on each roll. Top with pickled slaw.