Midnight Caribbean Pork Sandwiches

Total Time

Prep: 25 min. Cook: 6 hours

Makes

12 servings

Updated: Jul. 12, 2023
These easy sandwiches have nice depth of flavor—savory, sweet, piquant, subtle and sublime. They’re worth the wait. —Elizabeth Bennett, Mill Creek, Washington
Midnight Caribbean Pork Sandwiches Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 3 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 1 bottle (12 ounces) amber beer or 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 10 garlic cloves, minced and divided
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 7 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (2 to 3 pounds)
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
  • 12 Hawaiian sweet hamburger buns
  • 2 medium ripe avocados, peeled and sliced

Directions

  1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook and stir until tender, 6-8 minutes. Add beer, brown sugar, 8 garlic cloves, cumin, 5 teaspoons chipotle peppers, salt and pepper; cook and stir until combined.
  2. Place roast in a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Pour onion mixture over meat. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours, until pork is tender.
  3. Meanwhile, combine mayonnaise, cilantro, remaining 2 garlic cloves and 2 tsp. chipotle peppers. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
  4. Remove roast; shred with 2 forks. Strain cooking juices. Reserve vegetables and 1 cup juices; discard remaining juices. Skim fat from reserved juices. Return pork and reserved vegetables and cooking juices to slow cooker; heat through. Serve on buns with avocado slices and mayonnaise mixture.

Can you freeze Midnight Caribbean Pork Sandwiches?

Place shredded pork and vegetables in freezer containers; top with cooking juices. Cool and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered saucepan, stirring gently. Add broth or water if necessary.

Nutrition Facts

1 sandwich: 484 calories, 29g fat (7g saturated fat), 71mg cholesterol, 400mg sodium, 36g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 3g fiber), 18g protein.