Every once in a while you need to eat something unapologetically trashy. I mean the kind of food you wouldn’t serve to company—maybe to your sibling, or your best friend if she’s known you for decades and isn’t dieting. Everyone has that one guilty-pleasure dish (and for some of us, more than one) that feels low-brow but somehow speaks directly to the soul. It doesn’t claim to be profound or change the world; it simply whispers, “Uhhhh… hey, baby.”
Like Beavis & Butthead: gloriously trashy.
As with watching one of those episodes, I’m enthralled long enough to finish it and feel no remorse. If I lived on it every day, that would be another story—but an occasional dive into indulgence is part of enjoying life.
There’s probably not much that’s “good for you” in a Trashy Barbecue Pulled Pork & Toasted Cheese Sandwich—beyond the protein in the pork and the calcium in the cheese. What it does deliver is something many virtuous meals don’t: a double-shot boost for the spirit. You can argue for healthy eating all day (I do), and I’m a fan of an 80/20 balance of nutritious food to treats, but if there isn’t the occasional reckless plunge into comfort food, what’s the fun in eating?
If eating isn’t fun, count me out. We do it several times a day—why should it be drudgery? Sometimes I want something that invites casual messiness: old clothes, hair pulled back, and no pressure to be neat. I won’t call it a reward, because that implies healthy food isn’t also wonderful. It’s just that occasional moment when you need to be alone with a dubious-but-delicious sandwich and emerge victorious with an empty plate.
Cook’s Notes
- Choose sturdy sandwich bread rather than something very soft. A firm slice is easier to flip when loaded with pulled pork and melting cheese. Sourdough or a hearty multi-grain work well. Using a “healthy” bread doesn’t undermine the indulgence—this sandwich is soul food regardless.
- Butter is essential. Some sandwiches can be toasted in olive oil or a spread, but this one demands butter. Melt a generous pat in the pan and slather the top slice too—aim for a crisp, browned butter crust.
- Heat the pulled pork before assembling. Warm pork absorbs sauce differently than cold, and reheating lets you adjust the barbecue sauce to taste. It’s also a convenient excuse to sneak a bite for quality control.
- Use barbecue sauce you enjoy. Personal preference matters here—choose one you like and adjust the amount to suit your taste.
- Flip carefully: this sandwich is a two-spatula job. Slide one spatula under the sandwich and use another on top to steady it while flipping. If a few morsels escape, consider them casualties of enjoyment—taste-testing is part of the process.
Trashy Barbecue Pulled Pork & Toasted Cheese Sandwich
Rebecca Lindamood
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
Per Sandwich
- 2 slices sturdy sandwich bread like sourdough or multi-grain
- 1 1/2 tablespoons softened butter divided
- 2 cups pulled pork
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce or more to taste
- 2–3 slices American cheese
Instructions
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Warm the pulled pork over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet, stirring frequently until heated through. Transfer the pork to a bowl and return the pan to the heat. Melt half the butter in the pan. Place one slice of bread in the pan, pile the hot pulled pork on top, spread butter on the second slice of bread and place it butter-side up over the pork. Cook until the bottom slice is deep golden brown. Use one spatula beneath the sandwich and a second on top to steady it, then flip gently.
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Lift the top half, arrange the cheese on the warm pork, replace the top slice, and continue to toast until the bottom is a deep golden brown and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition with the actual ingredients you use for accuracy.
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