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Midnight Smoke Pulled Pork Sliders with Cilantro Coleslaw and Mint Ginger Pickled Onions

  • Preparation

    30 min

  • Cook

    1hr 15min

  • Serves

    8-12

  • Chef

    Chef Jeffery Smith Jr.

Ingredients

  • 1 pork shoulder
  • Olive oil
  • AC Barbeque Midnight Smoke Rub (to taste)
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth(or water)
  • Mustard-style BBQ sauce (to taste)
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons honey mustard
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Lemon
  • Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
  • 1 bag coleslaw mix
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 cups red wine vinegar
  • 2 handfuls of mint leaves
  • Fresh ginger, peeled and sliced (to taste)
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • Red pepper flakes
  • 1 pack of King's Hawaiian rolls

Preparation

  • Cook Pork: Trim any excess fat from the pork shoulder. Rub all sides with olive oil and generously season and pat with Midnight Smoke Rub.
  • In a pressure cooker, coat the bottom of the insert with oil and turn the brown/sauté function to high.
  • Once the cooker is hot, sear all sides of the pork shoulder until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
  • Add 2 cups broth or water and close the lid. Set pressure cooker to the meat function and set timer for 2 hours on high. Make sure the valve is closed so steam is not released.
  • Once pressure cooker timer has finished, allow 20 minutes for a natural release of pressure before you open the release valve.
  • Remove pork and shred, discarding any excess fat. Add mustard-style BBQ sauce to the liquid and turn pressure cooker setting to brown/sauté to allow sauce and liquid to combine. Once heated, add shredded pork back to sauce. Turn pressure cooker to keep-warm function.
  • Prepare Cilantro Coleslaw: In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, honey mustard, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, a squeeze of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon sugar, and minced garlic. Season to taste with Midnight Smoke Rub, using a mesh strainer to catch the coriander seeds.
  • In a separate bowl, combine coleslaw mix with chopped cilantro. Add coleslaw dressing one spoonful at a time until desired creaminess is reached. Chill in the refrigerator.
  • Prepare Mint Ginger Pickled Onions: In a saucepan, combine red wine vinegar, 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 1 cup sugar, a handful of mint leaves, and ½ inch of ginger. Bring to a boil.
  • In a mason jar, place a handful of mint leaves, sliced ginger to taste, sliced onions, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Fill jar with hot vinegar mixture, completely covering onions. Close and shake. Let onions sit for at least 30 minutes (preferably overnight). Once liquid and jar has cooled, chill in the refrigerator.
  • Serve: Slice King's Hawaiian rolls in half. Add pulled pork, top with cilantro coleslaw, finish with a few mint ginger pickled onions, and enjoy!
Credit: Justin Jones

Chef Jeffery Smith Jr.

Chef Jeffery Smith Jr. is a culinary professional, celebrity private chef, and caterer based in Los Angeles, CA. Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Jeffery has always had a love for a variety of cuisines. He is an HBCU alum and member of the Theta Tau of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. He received his B.S. in Mass Communications and minor in Psychology from Jackson State University in Jackson, MS.

A change of career brought Jeffery to Los Angeles in 2009 and on a journey that would ultimately lead to the kitchen. A lack of formal culinary training did not stop Jeffery from learning techniques around the kitchen beginning with preparing meals for holidays and brunches turning into requests on a larger scale. Jeffery has traveled to 35 countries experiencing the food of many different cultures, picking up a few skills along the way and launched Best Kept Secrets Intl., LLC in 2019. Jeffery also continues to cook for celebrity clients, executives, caters private events and operates his macaroni and cheese store, Best Kept Secrets Intl., which is located on the Doordash platform in Los Angeles, CA.

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