BBQ Pulled Pork and Jackfruit Sandwiches

BBQ PULLED PORK AND JACKFRUIT SANDWICHES

You know when you eat a BBQ sandwich with a barbecue sauce that’s so good it makes you want to zamboni your arm as it drips down? Well here. It. is. - whether you serve it with pulled pork or pulled jackfruit, meat lovers and vegetarians will reunite over one deliciously tangy, sweet, and smokey BBQ sauce. Sprint, don’t walk, to your grocery store because you’re gonna wanna make this ASAP.

*The BBQ sauce makes enough for 4 servings of each recipe. If you are going to make both recipes, double the BBQ sauce recipe.

Ingredients:

For the BBQ Sauce:

• 2 cups ketchup

• 1 onion, roughly chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• ¼ molasses (or sub for equal parts brown sugar)

• 3 tbsps chipotles in adobo, finely chopped with the sauce

• 3 tsps worchestire (if you are making this for a vegetarian, make sure to buy vegetarian worchestire)

• 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

For the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches:

• 1 1.5-2 lb pork shoulder

• 4-5 Hawaiian sweet roll hamburger buns (or brioche, or potato buns, etc.)

• 1 onion, sliced thinly

• 3 whole garlic cloves

• 2 tsps garlic powder

• 2 tsps onion powder

• 2 tsps black pepper

• 2 tsps paprika

• 2 tsps salt

• ½ cup chicken broth

• Homemade BBQ sauce (about 3-4 cups)

For the BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches:

• 1 can jackfruit, drained

• 1 onion, sliced thinly

• 3 garlic cloves, minced.

• Homemade BBQ sauce (about 3-4 cups)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

For the BBQ Sauce:

• In a medium saucepan on high heat, add in the onions in a little oil and saute until charred. Reduce heat and cook for another 3-5 minutes until soft. Add in the garlic and saute 1 more minute. Add the tomato paste and saute 1 additional minute.

• Add in the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, chipotles, worchestire, and liquid smoke. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until thickened. Turn off the heat and add in the apple cider vinegar and stir.

• If you like a chunkier sauce, then you’re done! You can also blend for a smoother sauce.

For the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches:

For the Instant Pot method:

• Depending on the size of your pot, you will likely need to cut your pork around the bone into 2-4 pieces.

• Season your pork all over with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt and pepper.

• Set your Instant Pot to the saute function, and sear in some oil until browned on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside.

• Add in the onions and saute until wilted (3-5 minutes). Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, scraping up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Press cancel and add back in the pork with the garlic and half the BBQ sauce.

• Close the lid, set the valve to sealing, and set the pot to manual for 90 minutes.

• Once the 90 minutes are up, do a quick release of the valve (flip to venting), keeping a towel handy to cover the steam.

• Remove the lid and take the pork out onto a cutting board. Shred with two forks.

• Skim the fat from the liquid in the pot, keeping about 1 cup of liquid in the pot. If you would like to thicken the liquid a bit, set the pot back to saute and simmer for 10 minutes until thick. Add back in your shredded pork with the rest of the BBQ sauce and stir until well coated.

• Serve on toasted buns with your favorite coleslaw recipe and enjoy!

For the Crockpot method:

• Depending on the size of your pot, you will likely need to cut your pork around the bone into 2-4 pieces.

• Season your pork all over with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt and pepper.

• In a wide bottom skillet or pot, sear the pork on all sides. Remove from pan and add to crockpot

• In the same skillet, add in the onions and garlic and saute until caramelized. Deglaze with the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add everything in with the pork in the crockpot and add in half the BBQ sauce.

• Set the crockpot on high for 4 hours or low for 8.

• Once done, remove the pork onto a cutting board and shred with two forks.

• Skim the fat from the liquid in the crockpot, keeping about 1 cup of liquid in the pot. If you would like to thicken the liquid a bit, add the liquid to a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes until thick. Add back in your shredded pork with the rest of the BBQ sauce and sauce from the crockpot and stir until well coated.

• Serve on toasted buns with your favorite coleslaw recipe and enjoy!

For the Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches:

• In a wide skillet, add in the sliced onions with some oil and saute until caramelized. Add in garlic and saute one more minute.

• Drain the can of jackfruit, and shred with two forks. Add to the skillet with some salt and pepper and cook on high until most of the liquid has evaporated.

• Add in half the BBQ sauce and stir.

• Spread the BBQ pulled jackfruit out on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Stir in the rest of the BBQ sauce.

• Serve on toasted buns with your favorite coleslaw recipe and enjoy!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich