Grilled Five Spice Pork Sliders Recipes

PULLED PORK SLIDERS WITH CITRUS PINEAPPLE SLAW AND BALSAMIC SOY SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and stir.
• In a small sauce pan over medium heat add olive oil and shallots. Soften shallots for 6 to 8 minutes, but not caramelized. Reduce heat if they are browning. Add garlic and cook another minute.
• Add balsamic, soy, brown sugar, honey, salt and stir to incorporate. Add ginger and rosemary, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer on a low heat and let reduce. About 20 - 25 minutes.
• Remove from heat and then strain, discarding solids. Place the sauce in the fridge to cool. Can be made in advance.
• The evening before cooking, place pork shoulder on a sheet tray, trim the pork shoulder of excess fat. Coat with Dijon mustard, and the dry rub liberally. Cover with foil or plastic wrap, and place in fridge.
• The next day, preheat the smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and remove the pork from the fridge and uncover the meat. When smoker comes to temperature, place pork, unwrapped, onto the smoker. Insert a probe thermometer if you have one.
• Smoke for 3 hours. After 3 hours spritz with apple cider vinegar each additional hour, until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F (approximately 3 or 4 additional hours). At 165 degrees, remove any thermometer and set aside.
• Place pork shoulder into a large oven safe tray (or a 9x13 glass baking dish). Add remaining spritz liquid into the bottom of the tray, and then cover with foil. Insert meat thermometer back into the pork shoulder for monitoring if using one.
• Continue cooking, covered, another 3 to 4 hours until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 200 degrees F. When the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees begin inserting an instant read thermometer into several places. It is done when the probe inserts like butter (and the temperature reads between 200 and 205 degrees).
• Remove from smoker and let sit, covered, for at least 30 minutes (ideally 60). Then remove the bone and pull the meat, discarding any remaining fat or cartilage.
• For sliders on a bun, place the pulled pork, then the grilled pineapple slaw (recipe in notes), then drizzle a small amount of reserved savory soy and balsamic sauce.

GRILLED FIVE-SPICE PORK SLIDERS

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix all the pork patties ingredients well. Set aside and marinade for an hour.
• Make oversize golf balls, which would yield about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter of pork patties. Set aside until ready to grill.
• Prepare the Asian Slaw, or your choice of toppings.
• Make the Spicy Yogurt Dressing. Whisk together all the ingredients, adjust salt, pepper and other seasonings as per taste. Set aside to chill until ready to use.
• Preheat oven broiler/grill to High heat. When the grill pan is smoky hot, brush a little oil over it, arrange the pork patties onto the pan, and grill for 5-7 minutes per side, or until the patties are nicely charred and cooked through. Remove from oven and prepare to assemble the sliders. If you prefer, cut each patty into half, like I did here.
• Spread the Spicy Yogurt onto the buns. Arrange 2 halves of the split pork patty for each slider bun. Top it with the Asian Slaw, or your choice of toppings and gently press the top half of the bun over the slaw. Ready to serve.