Smoky Pulled Pork Burgers

The rich, smoky flavour comes from low-and-slow cooking on an outdoor pellet smoker grill.

Prep Time

1 hour

Cook Time

5 hours

Servings

8 people

Ingredients

For the Pork

• 1 Shoulder of pork
• American style mustard
• Cajun rub
• Cola (for spraying/wrapping)
• 8 Brioche buns

For the Cola BBQ Sauce

• 1 tbsp Butter
• 250ml Cola
• 2 tbsp Brown sugar
• 4 tbsp Tomato ketchup
• 1 1/2 tsp Black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp Cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

For the Homemade Coleslaw

• 1/4 Red cabbage
• 1/3 Onion
• 1 Medium sized carrot
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 4 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Method

Step 1: Prep and Season the Pork

Coat the pork shoulder thoroughly in American style mustard to provide a tacky surface for the dry seasoning rub to cling to. Sprinkle a generous coat of Cajun rub over every side and leave it for 10 minutes to allow the spices to sweat and stick.

Step 2: Fire Up the Smoker

Add your wood pellets into the smoker hopper. Turn it to smoker mode, stabilizing the temperature at 140°C with an initial target cook time of 5 hours. Place the seasoned pork on the grates.

Step 3: Simmer the BBQ Sauce

While the meat smokes, combine your BBQ sauce components in a small pan. Place over low heat and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the consistency thickens up cleanly.

Step 4: Gather Coleslaw Elements

Prepare and wash your cabbage, onion, and fresh carrots for the crunchy coleslaw topper.

Step 5: Shred the Veg

Set up a mandolin to slice your red cabbage and onion into ultra-fine strips. Process the carrot along a standard hand grater box.

Step 6: Dress the Coleslaw

Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and sugar directly to the shredded bowl. Mix until evenly incorporated, cover, and place in the fridge.

Step 7: Cool the Sauce Base

Verify the barbecue sauce layer has properly coated the spoon, remove from the burner element, and set aside to chill before refrigerating.

Step 8: Smoke, Spritz, Wrap, and Shred

After 1 hour of smoking, spray the pork with a fine layer of cola to maintain surface moisture. Track the internal progress using a meat probe thermometer until it hits 77°C (approx. 2 hours total bark phase). Pull the pork out, wrap it securely in heavy foil, pouring extra cola right into the pouch before sealing tightly. Return to the smoker grill for 3 hours at 130°C until the probe pushes through soft and hits 93°C. Rest the joint for 1 hour, then use meat forks to shred it completely. Lightly toast your brioche buns and paint the base with cooled BBQ sauce.

Step 9: Assemble the Meat Layer

Pile a high stack of the juicy shredded smoked pulled pork directly onto the sauce-coated bottom bun.

Step 10: Top with Slaw

Add a cooling layer of the fresh coleslaw directly over the top of the warm pulled pork.

Step 11: Cap and Serve

Cap off the burger with the brioche top and serve hot alongside extra BBQ sauce or slaw as desired.