it’s been a long while since we had a pulled pork sandwich. the last time we ate one was over a year ago in los angeles. we got a bit of craving after watching one too many food shows on tv. seeing how there aren’t that many places in hong kong to get a pulled pork sandwich, we decided to create our own.
we used a pale ale as the braising liquid. pick any hoppy beer, such as an ipa. it is packed full of flavor, which translates to a delicious pork. pickled cabbage is the perfect topping for this sandwich. it’s sweet and sour taste complements the savoriness of the pork. plus it’s super easy to make. choose your favorite bread to create a perfect sandwich.
pork butt (shoulder) 2 lbs
pale ale 1 liter
onion 1 medium
garlic 3 cloves
coriander seeds 1 tsp
cinnamon 1 tsp
bay leaf 2
star anise 2
oil 2 tbsp
salt 2 tbsp
- pat dry the pork butt with a paper towel and generously salt the meat evenly
- in a pot, sear the meat on medium-high heat to get an even brown, put aside
- chop the onion and garlic and toss them into the pot to cook for a couple of min
- pour the beer into the pot to deglaze, and put the pork butt back in as well
- bring to a boil, then turn heat to low to simmer for about 2.5-3 hrs (1 hr in the pressure cooker)
- remove the pork and pull or shred the meat apart with a fork
- strain the braising liquid into a bowl, discard the content, and pour the liquid back into the pot
- turn heat to high and reduce the liquid to half, uncovered. salt to taste if necessary
- put the pulled pork back into the reduced braising liquid, turn off heat
- the pork is ready to serve, or you can cook it a little further to let the flavor of the liquid penetrate the meat
pickled cabbage
green or red cabbage 1/2 head small
vinegar 1 cup
sugar 1/2 cup
salt 1 tsp
- finely cut the cabbage into shreds
- in a bowl, combine the cabbage, vinegar, sugar, and salt, mix well
- let it sit for at least an hour before serving
generously salt the pork and brown in a pot
saute the onion and garlic, then add the beer and seasonings
after cooking the pork, strain the liquid before reducing
pull the pork
add the pork back into the reduced braising liquid
easy pickling of cabbage
wash it down with a nice bottle of pale ale
Homemade in Hong Kong 
I want to try it 🙂
awesome! you’re gonna love it.
This looks incredible–I love the idea of cooking the pork in beer and I will definitely give it a go once I get my hands on some tasty beer.
what kind of pork do you recommend for pulled pork? I just bought a pork loin roast. i have no idea what the different names are (like butt = shoulder??) but it looked like a big piece of meat lol
ask for the pork butt. pork butt is actually the shoulder meat. somehow, someone got confused and called the shoulder the butt. loin is ok, but it’s an expensive cut to the butt. you want a cheap cut that you can braise for hours. we went to the butcher and he cut up a big chunk of meat, 2 lbs worth. it’s enough to feed a whole family of 4.
Oh ok. What should I do with this pork loin then?
oven roast is typically a way to cook the loin. sear on a pan and then roast it with root veggies like carrots and onions.
It almost lunch time here, that sandwich would be perfect…. it seems really tasty! I’m happy you’ve decide to create it on your own!
it’s definitely worth making again!
This looks tasty!!!