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Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Mama's Barbecue Sauce

Source of Recipe

From "Bon Appétit, Y'all" by Virginia Willis


Recipe Introduction

"There is an old wooden-handled cleaver hanging from a hook in Mama's kitchen, the cleaver Meme and Dede used to chop the barbecued pork. Pig roasts were better than the fair or carnival when I was a child. Uncle Raymond would chase the children with the pig's tail and Meme would always let me sneak a piece of the crisp, golden brown skin. This quick and easy pulled pork tenderloin is a far cry from pit-cooked shoulder, but it is a very good imitation. It is a perfect recipe for a busy week when there is less time to cook. The key to the brief cooking time is to first sear the meat to a dark brown, not tan or beige, but a nice crusty brown."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin
â—¦ Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 tablespoon canola oil
â—¦ 2 ¼ cups Mama's Barbecue Sauce or your favorite sauce
â—¦ 4 to 6 hamburger buns, or 8 to 12 slices white bread


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

To prepare the pork, trim off the fat and silver skin: insert the tip of a sharp boning knife just under the silver skin about ½ inch from the edge of the meat where the silver skin begins. Keep the knife closer to the membrane than the meat, and pulling up slightly with the knife, slide the knife along the length of the meat to remove a strip of the membrane. Repeat until no silver skin remains. Season the pork with salt and pepper.

To sear the pork, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the tenderloin until well browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove from the heat and place lengthwise on the prepared baking sheet. Top with about 1 cup of the barbecue sauce and roll to fully coat. Fold the foil over the top of the meat and pinch the ends of the foil to seal well. Bake until very tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer the pork to a large bowl. Discard the cooking juices remaining in the foil. Using 2 forks, shred the pork tenderloin into strips. Add barbecue sauce to taste, about 1 cup. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve on the split buns with the remaining ¼ cup of sauce on the side.

Serves 4 to 6



Mama's Barbecue Sauce:

There has seldom been a time in my life when a mason jar of this sauce wasn't in a corner of my mother or grandmother's refrigerator. The truth of the matter is, once you have had homemade, you will go off the store-bought kind for good.

â—¦ 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 onion, preferably Vidalia, very finely chopped
â—¦ 2 ½ cups ketchup
â—¦ 2 cups apple cider or distilled white vinegar
â—¦ ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
â—¦ ¼ cup Dijon mustard
â—¦ 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
â—¦ Juice of 2 lemons
â—¦ 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ Coarse salt

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat; add the onions and simmer until soft and melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, lemon juice, and pepper.

Bring to a boil, decrease the heat to low, and simmer until the flavors have smoothed and mellowed, at least 10 and up to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for months.

Makes about 6 ½ cups