Pork Sandwiches with Cilantro-Jalapeno Slaw

Two words can be used to describe this sandwich - YUM and oooh-spicy!  The first time I had this sandwich was at one of my Dinner Clubs when Emily made them as sliders complete with homemade buns.  As an aside, honestly, I wouldn't see her doing it any other way than homemade, though ;).  It definitely had my taste buds singing and I realized I had actually bookmarked the recipe myself so to the top of the "to make" list it went.  I was also delighted because I could use my CSA cabbage for the slaw.  Win-win!

I made mine with beef though because would you believe it?  The day I went to the grocery store to shop I could not find any pork for sale!  It was completely baffling.  I brought it over to my parent's house to celebrate 4th of July and everyone loved it.  Folks were even eating the slaw as a side dish (but the spiciness of the jalapenos caught many off gaurd...tee hee!).  I'd imagine that it'd taste great made with pork or chicken too.  A perfect summer sandwich!


Pork Sandwiches with Cilantro-Jalapeno Slaw

Yields: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 whole Onion, Peeled And Quartered
• 1 whole Pork Butt (pork Shoulder Roast)
• Salt And Pepper
• 1 can (11 Ounce) Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce
• 2 cans Cola (Dr Pepper, Coke, Etc.)
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 12 whole Good Quality Kaiser Or Deli Rolls
• 12 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 head Cabbage, Sliced Thin
• 1/2 head Purple Cabbage, Sliced Thin
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Halved Lengthwise And Thinly Sliced
• 1/2 cup Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 2 cups Cilantro Leaves, Barely Chopped

Directions

For the meat*:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Generously salt and pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in the pan.
3. Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (include the sauce.) Pour in both cans of Dr Pepper. Add brown sugar to the juice and stir in.
4. Place lid tightly on pot, then set pot in the oven. Cook for at least six hours, turning roast two or three times during the cooking process. Check meat after six hours; it should be absolutely falling apart (use two forks to test.) If it’s not falling apart, return to the oven for another hour.
5. Remove meat from pot and place on a cutting board or other work surface. Use two forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat. Strain as much of the fat off the top of the cooking liquid as you can and discard it. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid, and keep warm until ready to serve. (You can also refrigerate the meat and liquid separately, then remove hardened fat once it’s cold. Then heat up the liquid on the stovetop and return the meat to the liquid to warm up.)

*Note: I chose to use a crockpot instead of the oven to avoid heating up the house on a hot summer's day.  Plus, you can leave it unattended all day without touching it.  I put mine on low for 8 hours then shredded with two forks.  Yummo!

For the slaw: Combine shredded cabbage and sliced jalapenos in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix milk, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Pour over cabbage. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate two hours.  Before serving, toss in cilantro leaves.

To assemble sandwiches: Butter both halves of Kaiser rolls, then brown them on a griddle or skillet until golden and crisp on the surface. Load up each sandwich with shredded pork, then with the slaw.

Source: The Pioneer Woman