The Alabama pulled pork sandwich is slow-smoked pork shoulder pulled by hand, piled on a soft white bun with slaw and either red sauce or Alabama white sauce.

Pulled pork sandwiches anchor Alabama barbecue alongside the white-sauce smoked chicken, with the regional preference for hickory-smoked Boston butt pulled by hand rather than chopped. Saw's BBQ in Homewood opened in 2009 and brought the canonical Birmingham version to the metro; the Mike Wilson signature is pulled pork on a soft bun with mayonnaise-based white slaw. Dreamland in Tuscaloosa (day-trip) runs the dry-rub ribs version of the same Alabama tradition.

Where to eat Pulled pork sandwich in Birmingham

3 editor picks for Pulled pork sandwich in Birmingham, ranked by editorial score. All Birmingham signature dishes · Pulled pork sandwich across every city.

Make it at home

Serves 68 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt), 2.5 to 3kg
  • 60g brown sugar
  • 30g paprika
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons cayenne
  • Hickory wood chunks for smoking
  • Soft white buns to serve
  • Mayonnaise-based coleslaw

Method

  1. Mix the brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne in a bowl. Rub generously all over the pork shoulder.
  2. Prepare a smoker or kettle grill for indirect cooking at 110C / 225F with hickory chunks.
  3. Smoke the shoulder fat-side up for 6 to 8 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 95C / 200F and the bone pulls cleanly.
  4. Rest the shoulder wrapped in foil for 30 minutes.
  5. Pull the pork by hand into chunks and shreds, discarding excess fat.
  6. Pile on soft white buns, top with coleslaw and serve with red sauce or Alabama white sauce on the side.

Editor tip. The bark (the spice-rub crust) is the prize; mix bark pieces into every sandwich, don't trim them away.

Common allergens: Gluten, Eggs.