BARBECUE PORK SLIDERS
PREP TIME
15 minutes
ACTIVE TIME
25 minutes
TOTAL TIME
15 hours 10 minutes (includes time for marinating and cooking the pork butt)
MODERATE
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
⅓ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons dry mustard powder
1½ teaspoons ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-pound) boneless pork butt
4 to 6 cups barbecue sauce, store-bought or homemade (recipe follows)
16 potato slider buns, lightly toasted
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
spice grinder or mortar and pestle
1. In a small dry skillet, toast the cumin and coriander seeds over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until fragrant, 2½ to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the spices to a small plate to cool, then finely grind them in a spice grinder or using a mortar and pestle.
2. Transfer the ground toasted spices to a medium bowl and whisk in the brown sugar, paprika, granulated garlic, dry mustard powder, ancho chile powder, salt, and black pepper.
3. Place the pork butt in a large bowl and rub half the spice blend over it, adding more as needed to evenly coat all sides and surfaces of the pork (save any unused spice blend in a jar or resealable plastic bag for another use). Wrap the pork butt in plastic wrap so it is completely sealed, return it to the bowl, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
4. When ready to cook the pork, preheat the oven to 250°F.
5. Unwrap the pork butt (discard the plastic) and place it in a roasting pan. Let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until you can stick a fork into the meat and easily break off a chunk, about 8 hours. Remove the pan from the oven, remove and discard any large pieces of fat from the pork, and break the pork into 4 to 6 large chunks. Return the pan to the oven and cook until a fork easily shreds the meat, 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours more.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and shred the pork with two forks, letting the meat fall into the fat and juices in the pan.
7. Place the roasting pan over a burner on the stovetop and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the pork in the residual pork fat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is lightly crispy in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, then stir in as little or as much barbecue sauce as you like.
8. Divide the meat among the buns. Serve with any remaining barbecue sauce on the side.
Make this pork up to three days in advance to save yourself time and cleanup on party day.
Barbecue Sauce
Makes 8 cups
Prep time: 5 minutes
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Easy
2 cups ketchup
2 cups lightly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup unsulfured molasses
1 cup canned tomato sauce
½ cup tomato paste
¼ cup of your favorite hot sauce
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses, tomato sauce, tomato paste, hot sauce, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, mustard, and ancho chile powder and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and glossy, about 15 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
