Little Joe Chopped Pork Recipe
Make Little Joe Chopped Pork Recipe in just 5h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Pulled pork
Little Joe sauce (tangy-spicy finishing sauce)
Assembly & garnish
Method
Pulled pork
- 1
Prep and season
Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels. Mix kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix evenly over all sides of the pork. Let sit 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate up to overnight to let flavors penetrate.
- 2
Sear (optional)
Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. When shimmering, sear the pork 3–4 minutes per side until a deep golden crust forms. This step adds flavor but can be skipped if short on time.
- 3
Braise
Place seared pork in the Dutch oven (or a slow cooker). Add apple cider vinegar, water and liquid smoke (if using) around the pork. Cover and braise in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 3–4 hours until pork is very tender and pulls apart easily. If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 6–8 hours.
- 4
Shred and reduce braising liquid
Transfer pork to a large cutting board or bowl and let rest 10 minutes. Use two forks to pull the pork into bite-sized shreds, removing any large pieces of fat. Pour the braising liquid into a saucepan, skim off excess fat, and simmer until reduced by about half (5–10 minutes) to concentrate flavor. Reserve 1/4–1/2 cup of the reduced liquid to moisten the pork if needed.
Little Joe sauce (tangy-spicy finishing sauce)
- 5
Make the sauce
Combine tomato ketchup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, hot sauce, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, sriracha (if using), lemon juice, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth and taste; adjust heat and acidity to preference (add more vinegar for tang, more hot sauce for heat).
- 6
Finish the pork with sauce
Place shredded pork in a large bowl or back in the warm Dutch oven over low heat. Pour 3–4 tablespoons of the Little Joe sauce over the shredded pork and toss to coat. Add 2–4 tablespoons of reserved reduced braising liquid if pork seems dry. Heat gently for 3–5 minutes so sauce melds with meat. Taste and add more sauce, salt, or pepper as needed.
Assembly & garnish
- 7
Toast buns
Butter the cut sides of the potato rolls. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and toast the buns cut-side down until golden and crisp, about 1–2 minutes.
- 8
Build sandwiches
Pile 1/3 to 1/2 cup (or to taste) of sauced chopped pork onto the bottom half of each toasted bun. Top with 2–3 tablespoons bread-and-butter pickles and 1/4–1/2 cup coleslaw if using. Spoon an extra teaspoon of Little Joe sauce over the coleslaw if desired. Crown with the top bun and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
- 9
Serve
Serve sandwiches hot with additional sauce and pickles on the side. Leftover pork keeps refrigerated up to 4 days and reheats gently in a skillet with a splash of reserved braising liquid or sauce.