Pineapple BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pineapple Coleslaw

It's March!! Yay!! Not only is this my birthday month, but it's also the month when spring officially arrives -- and I couldn't be more excited about that. I'm certainly ready for the warmer weather for many reasons. I'm going to be honest here: one of the main reasons is that I can send my children outside to play when they're driving me nuts. Love them as I do, I think we're all going a little bit stir-crazy after being cooped up together in the house for so long.

One of the other reasons, of course, is food-related. Since I've been longing for warm weather lately, I thought I'd make something that reminds me of warm weather: pulled pork. And since pork goes so well with pineapple, and I always top my pulled pork sandwiches with slaw, I decided to make a pineapple coleslaw to top them off. The result is so delicious, I don't even know where to begin. The pork is sweet and smoky, the slaw is creamy and tangy. Basically, it's Heaven on a bun.

Pineapple BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pineapple Coleslaw

For the pork:

1 2-3 pound pork roast

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup pineapple juice (use the juice from the can you use for the slaw)

1 bottle BBQ sauce

For the slaw:

4 cups shredded cabbage

1 can pineapple rings, finely chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Sandwich buns, for serving

1. Combine brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub generously over the pork and place in a Crock pot. Pour the pinapple juice over the pork. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the meat shreds easily with a fork. Shred the meat, add the BBQ sauce, and continue cooking on low for 30 minutes.

2. To prepare the slaw, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar in a large bowl. Add cabbage and pineapple and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Serve the pulled pork on sandwich buns with a generous scoop of the slaw.