Brooklyn Jerk Pulled Pork Sliders
Jamaican jerk sauce traditionally includes allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers. Its mix of piquant flavors has deep roots in West Africa. Wherever the Caribbean diaspora spread across the globe, Jerk cooking and seasoning followed along. This recipe was inspired by the flavors and rhythms of Brooklyn’s vivacious Caribbean communities.
- Yield: 12-14 Servings
- Cuisine: Caribbean
- Course: Dinner
Ingredients
- 24-28 potato slider rolls
Rub
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Pork
- 5 1/2-6 pound bone-in pork shoulder roast (Boston Butt), excess fat trimmed to 1/4-inch thickness
- 1 large hickory wood chunk, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
Sauce
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger
- 1/2-1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeded, wear rubber gloves when handling
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
- For the rub, combine the sugar, paprika, allspice, thyme and salt in a small bowl. Evenly rub the mixture over the pork to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- Set up grill for medium-low indirect heat cooking (275-300°F). Place an aluminum pan, half filled with water, on the charcoal grate under where the pork will be.
- Place the wood chunk on the lit charcoal. Set the pork, fat side up, on the grill grate over the aluminum pan and close the lid. Grill, adding enough charcoal to maintain temperature after each hour, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the pork without touching the bone registers 160°F, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Wrap the pork in a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and return to the grill over indirect heat. Close the lid and cook until the internal temperature reaches 195°F about 1-2 hours longer. Remove from the grill and let rest in foil for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the green onions, garlic, ginger, scotch bonnet pepper, allspice, thyme, sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, water, and salt in a blender; puree. Pour mixture into a medium nonstick saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring often, 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Unwrap the roast and if cool enough to handle, shred the meat, discarding any large pieces of fat. Transfer pork to a bowl and stir in the sauce until well mixed.
- Top slider rolls evenly with pork.