Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Homemade Burger Buns

Staples for the Summer in the Henry household definitely include pulled pork and all things BBQ related. On long days of working however, when the heat reaches the high 90's, my desire to grill over a hot BBQ tends to be at an all time low.

I've found the best way to make pulled pork and have dinner ready when you get home, is making it in the crock pot! It cooks all day so the meat is super tender and you can add sauce or go without. The homemade hamburger buns are the perfect addition and hold up to the tender-saucy meat!

For the Pork:
1 large onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (4-6 pound) pork shoulder
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Buns:
1 cup warm water
3 Tablespoons warm milk
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
toasted sesame seeds

Your favorite BBQ sauce and coleslaw for topping the sandwiches

I started by making the Homemade Burger Buns the day before.

In a medium bowl, combine the 1 cup of warm water, milk, yeast, and sugar. Whisk together until the yeast is thoroughly incorporated and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk one egg and set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together the bread and all-purpose flours with the salt until incorporated. Add in the softened butter and with the paddle attachment, mix until the butter is combined and the mixture is crumbly. Switch attachment to your dough hook and add in the yeast/milk mixture and the 1 beaten egg. Mix on medium low speed until the dough comes together, around 8-10 minutes. Add a 1/4 cup more flour if the dough is still too sticky, or 1 teaspoon of warm water if the dough is to tough. The dough should be smooth yet slightly tacky.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large, lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled, around 1-2 hours.

Once the dough has doubled in size, remove from bowl and portion into 8 pieces. Cover a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and roll each dough piece into a ball and place on the cookie sheet.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap, cover and place in a warm place to rise for another 1-2 hours until doubled.

Set a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack of your oven and the second rack in the center. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat remaining 1 egg with 1 Tablespoon of water, brush on the top of the buns and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
Bake in the preheated oven, turning the sheet halfway through, until the tops are golden around 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store buns in an airtight container for up to a week.

Now, time to make the pork!

Remove pork shoulder from packaging and rinse under cold water, dry off and set aside.

Place sliced onion in the bottom of a large crock pot. Set pork shoulder on top of the onions. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Rub over the tops and sides of the pork.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Pour 1/3 of the vinegar sauce over the top of the pork. Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 9-12 hours or until the pork is cooked through and starts to fall apart. 30 minutes before the pork is finished, drizzle with remaining vinegar sauce, reserving some if you would like to use it on your sandwich in lieu of BBQ sauce.
Remove meat and shred, returning to juices in the crock pot.

Assemble the sandwich by slicing open a hamburger bun, place 1/4-1/2 cup of meat on the bottom half, top with a drizzle of BBQ sauce or vinegar and your favorite coleslaw recipe. Place the top bun on and serve!

I love the tangy, juicy meat and tender hamburger buns! This is a Summer dish to a T! Enjoy!

Pulled Pork recipe adapted from: My Baking Addiction
Hamburger Bun recipe adapted from: Parsley, Sage & Sweet