Barbecued Pork Sandwiches
Although my cooking experience is limited, I can prepare these sandwiches successfully every time. My grandma's recipe has been in the family for years.
Although my cooking experience is limited, I can prepare these sandwiches successfully every time. My grandma's recipe has been in the family for years.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast
- 29 oz beef broth
- 2 cans condensed tomato soup undiluted, 10-3/4 ounces each
- 3/4 cup steak sauce
- 12 to 14 sandwich buns split
- Carbohydrate 46.8310005416128 g
- Cholesterol 70.3069666666667 mg
- Fat 19.1666912014567 g
- Fiber 4.83042055339063 g
- Protein 30.4905419868056 g
- Saturated Fat 5.2153280182989 g
- Serving Size 1 1 - (332g)
- Sodium 1721.02969450086 mg
- Sugar 42.0005799882221 g
- Trans Fat 4.42082305954438 g
- Calories 480 calories
Step-by-step
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, brown roast in oil; drain.
- Add water; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender.
- Remove meat; discard cooking juices or save for another use.
- Cool meat; shred and refrigerate.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the next 10 ingredients; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until thickened.
- Add shredded pork; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve on buns.
The Mechanics of Simmering Pork Shoulder
The ingredient list itemizes a boneless pork shoulder butt roast, but it fails to specify muscle structure. Pork shoulder contains significant intermuscular fat and collagen, which require moist heat and sustained low temperatures to break down into gelatin. Browning the roast in a Dutch oven initiates the Maillard reaction on the surface proteins, establishing savory depth before the meat enters the water bath. Simmering the cut for 2-1/2 to 3 hours ensures the internal temperature reaches the threshold where connective tissues dissolve. Pulling the pork apart requires the meat to be cooled first; handling hot fibers shreds them unevenly and dries out the protein.
Developing the Simmered Sauce Matrix
Combining beef broth, condensed tomato soup, cider vinegar, and steak sauce creates a hybrid braising liquid that relies on a lengthy reduction phase. Simmering the combined sauce ingredients uncovered for 1-1/2 to 2 hours evaporates excess moisture, concentrating the sugars from the tomato soup and steak sauce. Failing to reduce the sauce adequately leaves a watery mixture that immediately compromises the structural integrity of the sandwich buns. Maintaining a medium-low heat during this reduction prevents scorching the tomato solids along the bottom and sides of the saucepan.
Structural Stability and Assembly
Once the sauce thickens, introducing the shredded pork for a final 30-minute simmer allows the lean muscle fibers to absorb the surrounding acids and spices. Splitting 12 to 14 sandwich buns just prior to service prevents moisture migration from the heavy meat filling. Cooks frequently ruin this preparation by failing to drain the initial cooking juices from the Dutch oven, which dilutes the carefully balanced acidity of the secondary sauce. Storing any leftover shredded pork submerged in its sauce in the refrigerator maintains moisture retention for up to four days.
