In episode 2 of Red, White & Que, the atbbq.com crew visits Stroot Locker in Mulvane, Kansas where Butcher Justin Stroot breaks down a half hog into its primal cuts. Back at All Things Barbecue Chef Tom then smokes the whole shoulder and prepares a Pulled Pork Beer Can Cheeseburger.
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Beer-can burger bowl: Pressing a beer can into each half-pound ball of beef and forming the meat up around it makes a built-in cavity for the filling.
- Pulled pork and beer cheese sauce inside: Filling the beef bowl with smoked pulled pork and a creamy beer cheese sauce, then topping it with Gouda, packs the burger with layers.
- Smoked low until 160°F: A 275°F smoker lets the stuffed patties cook through gently and pick up smoke.
- Tangy BBQ slaw base: A mayo, jalapeño honey mustard, and hot barbecue sauce slaw under the burger cuts through the richness.
Pulled Pork Beer Can Cheeseburger
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
1 hour
Cook Time
5 hours 3 minutes
Calories
1288
For a truly delicious experience, try Chef Tom's recipe for a Pulled Pork Beer Can Cheeseburger. Enjoy smoky, tender flavor of slow-cooked pork shoulder, toasted brioche bun and melted cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 lb 80/20 ground beef
- 3-4 cups pulled pork
- 4 slices Gouda cheese
- Thin sliced red onion
- 4 onion buns
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz white American cheese, grated
- 4 oz smoked cheddar, grated
- 1 can of light/wheat beer
-
2 tbsp Holmes Made Smoky Cowboy Mustard
- 4 tsp cornstarch
-
Killer Hogs Hot Sauce, to taste
-
Noble Saltworks Smoked Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 4 cups slaw mix
- 1/2 cup pickled jalapeños, diced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
-
2 tbsp Big Rick’s Jalapeño Honey Mustard
-
2 tbsp Firebug Hot Grillin’ Sauce
-
Killer Hogs The BBQ Rub, to taste
- 1 whole pork shoulder, skin off
-
Smoke on Wheels Pork Marinade & Injection
-
Plowboys BBQ Yardbird Rub
For the Beer Cheese Sauce:
For the BBQ Slaw:
For the pulled pork:
Directions
To make the pulled pork, preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 340ºF, set up for indirect grilling. Trim the fat cap from the pork shoulder, as well as any stringy tissues. Inject the shoulder in a grid pattern with the Smoke on Wheels Pork Marinade & Injection. Season generously with Plowboys BBQ Yardbird Rub.
Roast the pork until a dark mahogany bark is formed, about 4 - 4.5 hours. Wrap tightly in Yoder Smokers Butcher Paper. Return to the grill and continue cooking until the internal temperature exceeds 200ºF, and the meat is tender enough to shred. Remove from the grill and rest 30 minutes before pulling the meat from the bones.
- To make the BBQ Slaw, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. It’s best to assemble the slaw hours before serving, even the day before.
- To make the beer cheese sauce, ring the cream, 1 cup of the beer and the mustard to a simmer. Slowly whisk in cheeses. Combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the remaining beer and whisk together. Pour the mixture into the sauce and continue cooking and whisking until the sauce is thickened. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
- To make the Beer Can Cheeseburger, first stabilize your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill at 275ºF.
- Divide the beef into 4 (1/2 lb) balls. Press a beer can into the center of each ball and form a sort of bowl around the bottom of the can. Remove the can from the meat. Wrap a slice of bacon around each patty. Fill the burger bowl with pulled pork and beer cheese sauce. You won’t need all the beer cheese sauce, so save the leftover sauce to reheat for topping the burger. Top each burger with a slice of smoked Gouda. Place a little more pulled pork on top of each slice of cheese.
- Smoke the Pulled Pork Beer Can Cheeseburgers until the internal temperature of the inside of the beef patty reaches 160ºF. Remove from the grill.
- To build the burgers, cover the toasted bottom bun with the BBQ Slaw. Place the Pulled Pork Beer Can Cheeseburger on top of the slaw. Top the burger with more of the beer cheese sauce, as well as the thin sliced red onions, then the top toasted onion bun.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why press a beer can into the beef to shape the burgers?
The can forms a hollow in the middle of each half-pound ball, with a wall of beef around it. That cavity holds the pulled pork and cheese sauce inside the burger instead of on top of it.
Why wrap each patty in bacon?
A strip of bacon around the edge helps hold the beef bowl together as it cooks and adds a smoky, salty layer along the sides.
Why fill the burger with pulled pork and beer cheese sauce, then add cheese on top?
The filling melts into the beef from the inside, and the slice of smoked Gouda and extra pork on top add a melted, savory finish. Only a portion of the sauce goes inside, and the rest is saved for topping the finished burger.
Why cook the burgers at 275°F?
A low smoker temperature gives the thick stuffed patties time to cook through to the center and absorb smoke, instead of charring outside before the beef is done.
What internal temperature should the burgers reach?
Ground beef needs to reach 160°F. Check the beef wall of the patty with an instant-read thermometer, rather than the pork and cheese filling in the middle.
Why add the cheese slowly to the beer cream?
Whisking in the cheeses a little at a time while the cream and beer simmer keeps the sauce smooth. Dumping them in all at once can leave it grainy or clumpy.
Why mix the cornstarch with beer before adding it to the sauce?
Blending it with a couple of tablespoons of beer into a slurry keeps the cornstarch from clumping, so it thickens the sauce evenly once it's whisked in.
Why rest the pork shoulder before pulling it?
After cooking past 200°F, the meat needs about 30 minutes to rest so the juices settle and it cools enough to shred by hand without losing moisture.
Can I make the slaw ahead?
Yes. The directions say it's best made hours ahead, or even the day before, so the flavors can blend. Keep it refrigerated until serving.
How should I store the leftover beer cheese sauce?
Refrigerate it within 2 hours and reheat it gently, stirring often. It keeps for about 3-4 days.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
2 out of 5. A 275°F oven can cook the pork shoulder and the stuffed burgers, but you'd lose the smoke flavor that defines both the pulled pork and the burgers.
Recipe Highlights
Beer-can burger bowl: Holds the filling inside the patty.
Pulled pork and beer cheese filling: Layers smoky, creamy flavor inside.
Low-and-slow smoke: Cooks stuffed patties through to 160°F.
BBQ slaw base: Cuts through the richness with tang.
Recommended Recipes
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 38.41 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 1288
- Carbs
- 59 grams
- Protein
- 113 grams
- Fat
- 61 grams
- Sodium
- 1506 milligrams
