Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
with Caramelized Pineapple

There are just some words that belong together, and “caramelized” and “pineapple” are two of them. The pineapple is sautéed in butter with a dash of brown sugar until it turns deep golden on both sides, sweet and buttery rings with a toasted sugar aftertaste. These are placed on top of Hawaiian BBQ pulled chicken (from slow-cooking chicken in a pineapple-based barbecue sauce) to create unforgettable tangy-sweet sandwiches that are perfect for any occasion. • serves 4

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Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken

• 1 cup canned crushed pineapple
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon ponzu
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 pound large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2)

Caramelized Pineapple

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 fresh pineapple rings, about 1 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 4 onion buns

For the chicken, in a large Dutch oven, mix together the crushed pineapple, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, water, mirin, ponzu, and fresh ginger until combined. Stir in the onion and garlic. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring every 5 minutes, until the pineapple pieces have softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the chicken and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer, turning the chicken over once halfway through, for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the heat and pull the chicken meat apart with two forks until the meat is completely shredded. Stir to combine the chicken shreds with the sauce in the pan. Set aside.

For the caramelized pineapple, melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the pineapple with the brown sugar and cook the pineapple in the pan, stirring occasionally, until golden on each side, 10 to 15 minutes per side.

Evenly distribute the pulled chicken between the four buns and top with a caramelized pineapple ring. Serve immediately.