A pulled pork sandwich features the best of all textures and flavors, with a juicy, fall-apart tender pork and BBQ sauce filling accented by a bright, crunchy slaw or pickle.

Pulled Pork Sandwich Recipe: Tips for Making Pulled Pork

A pulled pork sandwich is a barbecue dish consisting of slow-cooked, shredded pork with [barbecue sauce](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/aaron-franklins-bbq-rib-sauce-recipe), served on sandwich buns with various toppings, like coleslaw, sliced onions, and pickles.
For pulled pork sandwiches, use large, tougher cuts of pork. The high amount of connective tissue takes a while to break down, but it prevents the meat from drying out during the long roasting process. Try one of these cuts to ensure you make the most out of any pulled pork recipe, even if it’s your first time:

1. __Center-cut pork loin roast__: Center-cut pork loin roast is fattier than pork tenderloin, meaning it’s juicy and tender. For better flavor, cook it with the slab of fat still attached, and carve off the fat after cooking, if desired.
2. __Pork roast or Boston butt__: Pork butt, also known as Boston butt, is a cut from the upper portion of a pig’s front shoulder. It’s a relatively inexpensive and forgiving hunk of meat that you’ll most often see served as pulled pork in barbecue restaurants. The muscle has a lot of connective tissue that breaks down with long, slow cooking, but [pork butt](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-smoke-pork-butt-pork-shoulder-with-barbeque-pitmaster-aaron-franklin) is also extremely fatty, so it’s less prone to drying out, even at higher temperatures. The relatively forgiving nature of the cut and consistent cooking temperature make this a great cook for beginners.
3. __Pork shoulder (aka picnic shoulder)__: Picnic shoulder, or pork shoulder, is an inexpensive cut of meat sold bone-in or boneless. It’s a fatty, flavorful cut with plenty of connective tissue.
The star of this sandwich is the tender, fall-apart pieces of flavorful pulled pork, but it’s just a pile of meat without a few essential techniques. Here’s what to know. 

1. __Include elements of acidity__. Acidity is the perfect complement to the savory, salty pulled pork. Your acidic element can be as simple as [pickled red onions](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-pickle-red-onions-with-chef-thomas-keller) or bread and butter pickles or as complex as a multi-ingredient slaw, but aim for bright, tangy flavors with just a hint of sweetness.
2. __Make pulled pork sliders__. One of the most popular ways to serve pulled pork sandwiches for a large group or party is in miniature: Serve a heaping tablespoon of pulled pork in between a warm dinner roll, and call it good. 
3. __Save time with a pressure cooker__. To shorten the time spent roasting the pork, use a pressure cooker instead of cooking the pork in the oven.
4. __Use a soft bun__. The perfect slice of bread for pulled pork sandwiches absorbs all the delicious juices from the marinated pork without falling apart and is soft enough to bite through without squishing out all the toppings. Try a brioche hamburger bun or Hawaiian rolls.
A pulled pork sandwich features the best of all textures and flavors, with a juicy, fall-apart tender pork and BBQ sauce filling accented by a bright, crunchy slaw or pickle.

A pulled pork sandwich is a barbecue dish consisting of slow-cooked, shredded pork with <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/aaron-franklins-bbq-rib-sauce-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/aaron-franklins-bbq-rib-sauce-recipe","linkCopy":"barbecue sauce","category":null}'>barbecue sauce</a>, served on sandwich buns with various toppings, like coleslaw, sliced onions, and pickles.

What Is a Pulled Pork Sandwich?

For pulled pork sandwiches, use large, tougher cuts of pork. The high amount of connective tissue takes a while to break down, but it prevents the meat from drying out during the long roasting process. Try one of these cuts to ensure you make the most out of any pulled pork recipe, even if it’s your first time:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Center-cut pork loin roast: Center-cut pork loin roast is fattier than pork tenderloin, meaning it’s juicy and tender. For better flavor, cook it with the slab of fat still attached, and carve off the fat after cooking, if desired. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Pork roast or Boston butt: Pork butt, also known as Boston butt, is a cut from the upper portion of a pig’s front shoulder. It’s a relatively inexpensive and forgiving hunk of meat that you’ll most often see served as pulled pork in barbecue restaurants. The muscle has a lot of connective tissue that breaks down with long, slow cooking, but <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-smoke-pork-butt-pork-shoulder-with-barbeque-pitmaster-aaron-franklin' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-smoke-pork-butt-pork-shoulder-with-barbeque-pitmaster-aaron-franklin","linkCopy":"pork butt","category":null}'>pork butt</a> is also extremely fatty, so it’s less prone to drying out, even at higher temperatures. The relatively forgiving nature of the cut and consistent cooking temperature make this a great cook for beginners. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Pork shoulder (aka picnic shoulder): Picnic shoulder, or pork shoulder, is an inexpensive cut of meat sold bone-in or boneless. It’s a fatty, flavorful cut with plenty of connective tissue. </li></ol>

3 Best Cuts of Pork for Pulled Pork Sandwiches

The star of this sandwich is the tender, fall-apart pieces of flavorful pulled pork, but it’s just a pile of meat without a few essential techniques. Here’s what to know. <ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Include elements of acidity. Acidity is the perfect complement to the savory, salty pulled pork. Your acidic element can be as simple as <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-pickle-red-onions-with-chef-thomas-keller' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-pickle-red-onions-with-chef-thomas-keller","linkCopy":"pickled red onions","category":null}'>pickled red onions</a> or bread and butter pickles or as complex as a multi-ingredient slaw, but aim for bright, tangy flavors with just a hint of sweetness. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Make pulled pork sliders. One of the most popular ways to serve pulled pork sandwiches for a large group or party is in miniature: Serve a heaping tablespoon of pulled pork in between a warm dinner roll, and call it good. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Save time with a pressure cooker. To shorten the time spent roasting the pork, use a pressure cooker instead of cooking the pork in the oven. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Use a soft bun. The perfect slice of bread for pulled pork sandwiches absorbs all the delicious juices from the marinated pork without falling apart and is soft enough to bite through without squishing out all the toppings. Try a brioche hamburger bun or Hawaiian rolls. </li></ol>

4 Tips for Making Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ultimate Pulled Pork Sandwich Recipe

A pulled pork sandwich features the best of all textures and flavors, with a juicy, fall-apart tender pork and BBQ sauce filling accented by a bright, crunchy slaw or pickle.

A pulled pork sandwich features the best of all textures and flavors, with a juicy, fall-apart tender pork and BBQ sauce filling accented by a bright, crunchy slaw or pickle.
