Pulled Pork and Beef Rib Sandwich with Jalapeño Carolina Mustard Slaw

Tangy, sweet, and the right amount of heat. This downright delicious pulled pork and beef rib sandwich topped with creamy jalapeno mustard slaw makes for the perfect dinner feast or backyard BBQ. Start preheating your smokers now - this one recipe people can't wait to plate up! Complete your meat prep station with a Neanderthal butcher block cutting board.

Servings: 4

Keywords: pulled pork, rib beef , sandwich, barbeque , coleslaw, BBQ, jalapeno, cookout, tangy, spicy

Author: Matt Legen of @yoka_barbecue

  • Cook Time: 8 hours 0 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

Proteins

  • 1 Chuck beef rib 4 bone rack (approx 3-4lbs)
  • 1 Bone-in pork butt (approx 6.5-7lbs)

Beef Rub

  • ½ cup 16 mesh black pepper
  • ¼ cup coarse kosher salt

Pork Butt

  • ½ cup 16 mesh black pepper
  • ¼ cup  coarse kosher salt
  • ¼ cup turbinado sugar
  • 1 Tbs granulated onion
  • 1 Tbs  granulated garlic
  • 1 Tbs paprika
  • 1 Tbs chipotle powder

Sauce And Slaw

  • 1 Head white cabbage
  • 1 Head red cabbage
  • 8  jalapeños (less or more to preference)
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup  ketchup
  • 1 cup yellow mustard
  • ¾ cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp 16 mesh black pepper
  • 1 tsp  turbinado sugar
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp chipotle powder

Extras

  • Butcher paper
  • XL heavy duty aluminum foil
  • Spray bottle with diluted apple cider vinegar
  • Mandolin slicer
  • Olive oil (or mustard, hot sauce, etc as binder)
  • Pickles
  • Potato rolls

Instructions

RUBS AND SLAW

  1. Evenly mix ingredients for each rub.  Quarter the heads of cabbage and chop into thin strips. Slice the jalapeños on the mandolin for only the outside of the peppers leaving the seeds and stems behind. This will give the flavor but not as much spice. Mix the peppers and cabbage and set aside.  Over medium heat in a medium sauce pan, combine all of the sauce ingredients. Stir occasionally for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to place in refrigerator. When the sauce has fully cooled mix in desired amount with the peppers and cabbage. Return slaw to refrigerator until the meat is ready.

PREP AND MEAT TRIM

  1. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees. Place a water pan inside the cook chamber (keep topped off throughout the duration of the cook)

Pork butt:

  1.   Start by removing the entire fat cap. There is enough fat content to keep the meat from drying out and removing this will allow for more surface coverage for bark at the end of the cook as opposed to loosing a good portion to a section of fat that might not render completely. Apply a drizzle of olive oil as a binder and then coat liberally with the pork rub on all sides. Set aside.

Beef ribs:

  1.  Start by trimming any silver skin and hard fat that will have a hard time rendering leaving about 1/8" of a fat cap of the ribs. On the underside of the ribs remove the paper-like membrane using and butter knife to pry it up and a paper towel to help grip it. Apply a drizzle of olive oil as a binder and season liberally with the beef rub of salt and pepper.

COOK

  1. Place the ribs and pork in the smoker. If using an offset smoker, place the beef ribs further from the firebox than the pork. The pork has a higher fat content and will handle the slight change in heat better than the ribs (think the same concept as how you position a brisket with the point facing the firebox). Cook for about 6 hours maintaining the temperature at 225. About three hours into the cook spritz any dry edges with the diluted cider vinegar but don't soak the entire pieces of meat. This can be done as needed for the rest of the 6 hours (if unsure as when to spritz, every 45-60 minutes is a good guage).
  2.   Somewhere around the 6 hour mark both meats should be ready to wrap and have an internal temperature of somewhere between 155-170. The beef ribs will get wrapped in butcher paper and the pork will be wrapped in foil. You will know it's time to wrap when you are satisfied with how the bark looks and the fat cap of the ribs has a squishier texture than when the cook started (since this point of the cook can vary with each cook feel free to aim for an internal temperature of 165 for a wrapping point). Spritz the butcher paper in the general area of where you place the ribs so that it is more pliable, therefore making it easier to get a tight wrap. Spritz the foil before wrapping the pork. Wrap the pork so that the foil ends up closing over the top of the pork (this is important at the end of the cook so the foil can be opened creating a bowl for the pork to sit in). Return to smoker.
  3. When both meats are wrapped, increase the smoker temperature to 250. Cook for another 2-3 hours maintaining temperature. When the ribs and pork reach internal temperatures of 200 this will be our next time to check for doneness. The finish temperature of the cook is another part that will vary from cook to cook. We will mainly be going by the feel of the thermometer going into the meat. There should be as least resistance as possible, letting us know that all of the connective tissue has properly rendered. This can vary in temperature with each cut of meat but if looking for a safe gauge aim for 203 although this number might be lower or higher in some cases. 
  4.   Remove from smoker and let rest on a counter top for 45-60 minutes before slicing. If a longer timeframe is needed before slicing, both meats can be placed in a cooler or food warmer but should sit on the counter about 30 minutes before to stop the cooking process. Putting the meat directly into a cooler will not stop the meat from cooking and the radiant heat will carry over the cook pushing the internal temperature past where we want it.
  5.   When the meat is finished resting prepare the buns, slaw, and pickles for plating. Open the top of the foil from the pork to crate a bowl that houses the pork and rendered juices. The bone should be able to slide out of the meat without any resistance. Shred the pork in the foil bowl allowing it to mix with the rendered juices. Occasionally, sprinkle in a little extra of the pork rub to taste. Set aside. Slice the ribs between each bone and cut the meat away from the bone and cartilage surrounding the bone. Slice meat across into 1/4" thick square slices.

Sandwich

  1.  To build the sandwich, start by placing the beef squares on the bottom bun until fully covered, or to preference. Next will be a layer of pickles. Add a healthy amount of pulled pork and top with the slaw and other bun. 

Notes

Follow Matt Legen, @yoka_barbecue
Written by Neanderthal Fire Company