Grilled Cheese Pulled Pork Recipe

Pat the pork dry. Season all over with kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and brown sugar, rubbing the spices into the meat.

Place the sliced onion and smashed garlic in the bottom of a slow cooker or Dutch oven. Set the seasoned pork on top.

Pour the apple cider vinegar and stock around (not over) the pork to avoid washing off the rub. Cover and cook on low in a slow cooker for 8–10 hours, or in a 150°C (300°F) oven in a covered Dutch oven for 4–5 hours, until the pork is fork-tender and pulls apart easily.

Remove pork to a large tray or bowl and shred with two forks, discarding any excess fat and large pieces of connective tissue. Strain and reserve 60–120 ml of the cooking liquid, then mix the shredded pork with the reserved cooking liquid and 180 ml BBQ sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm until assembly.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, turning as needed, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. When cool, chop or leave whole depending on sandwich preference.

Grate the cheddar cheese if not pre-grated and set aside.

Assemble sandwiches: spread mayonnaise (if using) thinly on the inside of four slices of sourdough. Divide the warm pulled pork evenly among the four sandwiches, placing it on the mayonnaise-spread slice.

Top the pork with a generous handful of grated cheddar (about 50 g per sandwich), then add 2 slices of cooked bacon and 2 pickle slices if using. Close the sandwich with the remaining bread slices.

Butter the outside faces of each sandwich evenly with room-temperature butter (about 15 g per side).

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low to medium heat. Place sandwiches butter-side-down and cook 3–4 minutes until golden brown and the cheese begins to melt. Press gently with a spatula or a weighted press, then flip and cook another 3–4 minutes until the second side is golden and cheese is fully melted. If the bread is browning too fast before cheese melts, lower the heat and cover the pan for 1–2 minutes to trap heat.

Remove sandwiches to a cutting board and let rest 1 minute. Cut each sandwich in half on the diagonal.

Serve hot with extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping and a sprinkle of chopped parsley if desired.