A delicious gameday cola BBQ smoked pulled pork sandwich featuring hickory smoked pulled pork, topped with a homemade cola BBQ sauce and served on lightly toasted burger buns.
1: Mix together salt, paprika, fennel seeds, garlic powder, pepper, and sugar for the spice blend.
2: Spread mustard around the pork and season generously with the spice blend. Let marinade for 1 hour.
3: Preheat smoker to 245°F.
4: Smoke the pork until it reaches 170°F, then transfer to an aluminum container, add apple juice, cover, and cook until it reaches 203°F.
5: Rest the pork for 1 hour before shredding, reserve fat and juices.
6: In a saucepan, mix cola, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mustard powder, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and fennel seeds.
7: Simmer the mixture on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
8: Whisk in butter, allow to cool, and store in the fridge.
9: Heat a pan with reserved pork fat, add pulled pork until slightly crisp, then add BBQ sauce and mix.
10: In another pan, toast the buns until golden brown.
11: Assemble the sandwich with pulled pork on buns and toppings of pickles.
