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Tender Carolina Gold BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches Recipe Easy Perfect Summer Meal with Creamy Slaw

Carolina Gold BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich - featured image
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A tender, flavorful pulled pork sandwich with a tangy Carolina Gold BBQ sauce and creamy slaw, perfect for easy summer dinners and gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4–5 lbs pork shoulder (pork butt), trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • ½ cup yellow mustard (for BBQ sauce)
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (for BBQ sauce)
  • 2 tbsp honey (for BBQ sauce)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika (for BBQ sauce)
  • ½ tsp garlic powder (for BBQ sauce)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste (for BBQ sauce)
  • 3 cups shredded green cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (for slaw)
  • 1 tbsp honey (for slaw)
  • Salt and pepper to taste (for slaw)
  • 1 tsp celery seeds (optional, for slaw)
  • Soft sandwich buns or brioche rolls, toasted if desired
  • Pickles (optional)

Instructions

  1. Trim excess fat from pork shoulder, pat dry (10 minutes).
  2. Mix smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if using) and rub evenly over pork.
  3. In slow cooker or Dutch oven, whisk apple cider vinegar, water, honey, and yellow mustard.
  4. Place pork shoulder fat side up in cooker, pour sauce base around it, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours until fork-tender. Oven option: cook covered at 300°F for about 4 hours.
  5. While pork cooks, whisk yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, honey, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to make Carolina Gold BBQ sauce. Adjust to taste.
  6. Prepare slaw by combining cabbage and carrots. Mix mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and celery seeds (if using) and toss with veggies. Refrigerate until serving.
  7. Shred pork with forks or meat claws while warm, discard large fat pieces. Mix in ½ cup BBQ sauce to coat pork, reserving remaining sauce for serving.
  8. Toast buns if desired. Assemble sandwiches by layering pulled pork, extra BBQ sauce, creamy slaw, and pickles on buns.

Notes

Use fat side up cooking technique to keep pork moist. Shred pork while warm for best texture. Adjust sweetness and tanginess of sauces to taste. For gluten-free, use gluten-free buns or lettuce wraps. For dairy-free slaw, substitute mayonnaise with avocado mayo or vegan alternative.

Nutrition

Keywords: pulled pork, BBQ, Carolina Gold sauce, summer meal, creamy slaw, slow cooker, sandwich, easy recipe

Find it online: https://merrymorsel.com/tender-carolina-gold-bbq-pulled-pork-sandwiches-recipe-easy-perfect-summer-meal-with-creamy-slaw/