Carolina Reaper Pulled Pork Sliders
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Pulled pork is a patience recipe, and the only technique that matters is low and slow. You are not braising it to get it done faster, you are braising it to break down collagen until the whole shoulder shreds with two forks and coats itself in its own fat. TGCS Co Carolina Reaper Mustard goes in the braise liquid and it does two things: the mustard acid tenderizes the meat from the inside, and the reaper heat blooms into the fat over four hours so every strand of pork carries it. It is hot, but it is not a stunt. A good slider bun and a spoonful of cool slaw on top (try the Smoked Honey Apple Slaw from the blog) and the heat lands exactly right. This makes enough for 12 sliders, feeds 4 to 6 people. Serves 4 to 6.
What you need
Food:
1.5 to 2 lbs pork shoulder (bone-in or boneless both work. Bone-in takes longer but the bone adds flavor to the braise liquid. If boneless, pull it at 3.5 to 4 hours. If bone-in, 4 to 4.5 hours. The pork is done when it shreds with almost no resistance.)
1 tbsp neutral oil (for searing)
Kosher salt and black pepper
Food (braise liquid):
4 tbsp TGCS Co Carolina Reaper Mustard (this is the backbone of the sauce. If you want more heat, you can go up to 5 tbsp, but taste the braising liquid at the 2-hour mark before adding more.)
1 cup apple cider (not vinegar, use cider. The sugar in it balances the reaper and adds a Canadian-orchard sweetness to the braise. Apple juice works in a pinch.)
1/2 cup chicken or pork stock
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed (or maple syrup for a Canadian spin. Adjust to taste.)
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 tsp smoked paprika
Food (for serving):
12 small slider buns (brioche slider buns hold up best against the braising liquid. Potato rolls also work. Toast them cut-side down in a dry skillet until just golden.)
Cool slaw for topping (the Smoked Honey Apple Slaw is the move here)
Pickled jalapeños or bread and butter pickles (optional but they cut the richness perfectly)
Equipment:
Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot with a lid (a tight-fitting lid is important. You want steam to stay in the pot, not escape and dry the pork out. Foil over the top of the pot with the lid on top works if your lid fits loose.)
Two forks for shredding
Tongs
Oven thermometer (optional but useful if your oven runs hot)
How to cook it
1. Preheat your oven to 300 F (150 C). Low and steady. If your oven runs hot, drop it to 285 F. You want a gentle bubble inside the pot, not a boil.
2. Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towel. Season all sides aggressively with kosher salt and several cracks of black pepper. (Dry surface sears better. Wet pork steams instead of browning. Take an extra 30 seconds to pat it really dry.)
3. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sear the pork shoulder on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply browned. DO NOT RUSH THE SEAR. The color you build here is flavor in the finished dish. If it sticks when you try to flip it, it is not ready to flip. Let it release on its own.
4. Remove the pork and set aside. Drop the heat to medium. Add the smashed garlic to the pot and cook for 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Pour in the apple cider, stock, and apple cider vinegar and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. (Those bits are pure flavor. Get all of them.)
5. Whisk in the TGCS Co Carolina Reaper Mustard, brown sugar, and smoked paprika. Taste the liquid. It should taste sharp, sweet, and have a clear heat at the back of your throat. It will mellow as it braises, so if it tastes mild now it will taste mild on the pork later.
6. Return the pork shoulder to the pot. The liquid should come about one-third of the way up the pork, not cover it. You are braising, not poaching. (If the liquid level is higher than that, remove some. Too much liquid and the pork steams without getting that concentrated, sticky braise character.)
7. Cover the pot tightly and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3.5 to 4.5 hours depending on size. At the 2-hour mark, flip the pork over so the other side braises in the liquid.
8. The pork is done when a fork slides in with no resistance and the meat pulls apart in long strands without effort. Carefully lift the pork out and set it on a cutting board. Let it rest 10 minutes.
9. Shred the pork with two forks. Taste it. If it needs more heat or more salt, return the shredded pork to the pot and toss it in the braising liquid, which will have reduced and concentrated while the pork cooked. Spoon the braising liquid over the shredded pork until it is glossy and saucy but not wet.
10. Toast the slider buns cut-side down in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until golden. Pile pulled pork on the bottom half of each bun. Add a spoonful of cool slaw and a few pickled jalapeños if you're using them. Cap with the top bun and press down gently.
11. ENJOY!