Joanna Gaines’ Texas Pulled Pork Is So Unbelievably Good, I’m Making It Every Weekend of Fall (Perfect for Football!)

Have you ever watched a cooking show and thought, I must make this recipe immediately? Well, I recently stumbled upon a surprisingly tasty-looking idea for Dr Pepper BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. The soda-centered meal appeared on a recent Magnolia Table episode hosted by Joanna Gaines, and it definitely caught my attention.

I ate carnitas practically every week while living in Chicago, and I know you need a hefty pour of Coca-Cola to make that dish shine. So why would the Dr Pepper addition be any different in Gaines’ recipe? Excited about the potential of this meal, I decided to test it out to see if it tastes as delicious as it looks.

Get the recipe: Dr Pepper BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

First, create your rub by combining salt, pepper, paprika, and ground cloves. Next, pat this seasoning blend on the pork and let it cure in the fridge overnight — or up to 24 hours.

Then, you’ll want to let the pork come to room temperature by letting it sit out for an hour. Next, preheat your oven to 300°F, and once it’s heated, cook the pork on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for four hours. 

After four hours, cover the pork butt with aluminum foil and continue to cook it for two more hours. 

Make a slurry by whisking the cornstarch with some of the Dr Pepper. Next, combine the ketchup, hot sauce, pepper, salt, remaining soda, liquid smoke, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and the cornstarch slurry and whisk it all together. Then, add this mixture to a saucepan and place it on medium heat. Bring the sauce to a low simmer and cook it for 30 minutes. Lastly, remove it from the heat and let it cool on the side.

Take the pork out of the oven and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Then, use two forks to shred it. Next, mix the Dr Pepper barbecue sauce with the pork. Serve this pulled pork on toasted brioche buns.

Recipes on TV tend to make the process look much easier than they are in practice, and when I sat down and looked into the steps, I realized there were a lot of ingredients. However, when you dig into it, you’ll discover that you likely have a lot of the spices and pantry necessities for this meal in your kitchen. 

Preparing the pork with the rub only took about 15 minutes, and then it was just a waiting game. I really appreciate the step that includes curing the meat by placing it in the fridge. I noticed that it played a huge role in infusing the pork with smoky and spicy notes.

I had plans to visit my younger brother, so I brought the pulled pork to his house to give it a taste test. I toasted the brioche buns, making sure to butter them, and assembled the sandwich, putting extra sauce on them. After taking our first bites, we all sat silently, savoring the crispy burnt ends and the juicy, smoky, sweet, and caramelized bites. My family kept going up for seconds, and they couldn’t stop asking for the recipe or insisting that I make it for our upcoming holiday parties. Let’s just say I plan on it, and I can’t wait to try this technique out with chicken or oyster mushrooms. 

• Swap the protein. This recipe is easily customizable; swap the pork for shredded chicken or oyster mushrooms. 
• Serve it on a potato. For a different option, add this pulled pork to the top of a tender baked potato with delicious fixings like cheddar, sour cream, and scallions.
• Grate cheese on top. To make these pulled pork sandwiches extra rich and savory, melt Gouda, cheddar, or mozzarella on top. 

Get the recipe: Dr Pepper BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches