Roasted Pork Sandwich* Recipe

Prepare marinade

In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, vegetable oil, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, toasted sesame oil, kosher salt, and black pepper until sugar dissolves.

Marinate pork

Place the pork shoulder in a resealable plastic bag or shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the meat, massaging to coat thoroughly. Seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight (8–12 hours) for best flavor penetration.

Roast pork

Remove pork from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to come toward room temperature. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Place pork in a roasting pan with a rack and reserve marinade. Roast, uncovered, until internal temperature reaches 195–205°F (90–96°C) for tender, shreddable meat, about 3 to 3½ hours depending on size. Every hour, spoon a little reserved marinade over pork to keep moist (discard any marinade that touched raw pork if not boiled).

Rest and shred

When pork reaches target temp, remove from oven, tent loosely with foil and let rest 20 minutes. Using two forks or meat claws, shred the pork into large bite-sized pieces. If desired, toss shredded pork with 2–3 tablespoons of the pan juices for extra flavor and moisture.

Optional quick pan-sear (for crisp edges)

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add shredded pork in a single layer and let sit without stirring for 2–3 minutes to get some caramelized edges, then toss and repeat in batches until pork is warmed and slightly crisped.

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sambal oelek, lime juice, grated garlic, fish sauce, and sugar. Whisk until smooth. Taste and season with a pinch of salt or additional lime or sambal to reach desired heat and acidity. Refrigerate until assembly. Makes enough to spread on 4 sandwiches.

Prep vegetables

Rinse gai lan and trim tough ends. If stalks are thick, slice lengthwise so they cook evenly. Toss gai lan and banana pepper rings with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Grill

Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill gai lan for 2–3 minutes per side until lightly charred and tender but still bright green. Grill banana pepper rings 1–2 minutes per side until blistered. Remove and keep warm until assembly.

Toast buns

Split pretzel buns and spread a thin layer of softened butter on cut sides. Toast buns butter-side down on a skillet over medium heat or on the grill until golden and crisp, about 1–2 minutes.

Build sandwiches

Spread about 1 tablespoon sambal aioli on the bottom bun. Pile 4–5 ounces (about 1/2 cup) of shredded roasted pork shoulder onto each bun. Top pork immediately with a slice of provolone; if you want melty cheese, place assembled open sandwiches under a broiler for 30–60 seconds until cheese softens. Layer 2–3 grilled gai lan stalks and several banana pepper rings on top of the cheese. Add pickled banana peppers if using and garnish with cilantro or parsley. Spread remaining sambal aioli on top bun and close sandwich.

Serve

Serve sandwiches hot. Offer extra sambal aioli and pickled banana peppers on the side.