I’m a proud born-and-raised Memphian who, despite the constant debates, believes Memphis is king of barbecue cuisine! Pulled pork has become a master class subject of smokehouses around my city of Memphis, but my version is one tier simpler to give you what it takes to recreate your best barbecue memories at home.
Paired with a lighter take on coleslaw and a simmered Memphis-style barbecue sauce, these mini sliders are perfect for extra long summer nights or poolside meals. Don’t be intimidated; I’ll show you a step-by-step tutorial in the following video.
Serves 2
1 2-pound pork shoulder
Black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup molasses1
/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons chipotle in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 cup tri-color cabbage, shredded
1 cup tri-color carrots, shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 mini brioche buns
1. Preheat oven to 425. Place pork shoulder in a dutch oven and season liberally with black pepper and cumin.
2. Place pork shoulder in oven, uncovered, to begin roasting. The high heat will begin to brown the shoulder. After 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350. Continue to roast until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees, approximately 2 hours.
3. To make the barbecue sauce, add ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, cider vinegar, Worchestershire, paprika, chili powder and onion powder to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and stir until slightly thick, approximately 10 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
4. To make the slaw, add carrots and cabbage to a glass bowl. Coat with garlic cloves, lime juice, sugar, salt, and chipotle in adobo sauce.
5. Once pork is cooked, remove from oven and allow to slightly cool. Then, using two forks, shred pork shoulder.
6. To arrange sliders, load a heaping spoonful of pulled pork onto a brioche bun half, followed by a generous spoon of BBQ sauce. Top with a pinch of slaw. Serve with extra sauce on the side for dipping.
