I'd never thought of putting pineapple rings on a pulled pork sandwich—cole slaw, sure, or even potato sticks—until I saw a photo of one in Lauren Conrad's new book, Celebrate. The combination made so much sense: If pineapple rings add an awesome sweet-yet-tanginess to a baked ham, and they're incredible together on a Hawaiian pizza, why wouldn't they work with pulled pork? After all, there's tomato sauce on a pizza, and most barbecue sauces are tomato-based.
I had to try it. Conrad doesn't offer a recipe in her book; just a photo of the arugula and pineapple-topped wonder, so I had to improvise. I typically slow-cook a pork shoulder in a combination of Ro-Tel and chicken broth, but I wanted to try something that seemed to complement pineapple a bit better: Ginger ale. I'd heard of people using Dr. Pepper, Coca Cola and root beer; as it turns out, ginger ale works just as well.
You only need a can or two—just enough to cover the pork halfway—which helps break down the meat, making it insanely tender. It adds very subtle flavor, but not so much that it competes with whatever barbecue sauce you slather it in.
The arugula and pineapple rings are the ultimate finishing touch. They add a little crunch to the sandwich and two layers of flavor—a little bitterness from the greens, some bright, tangy sweetness from the tropical fruit—that makes it perfect for a spring or summer cookout. Or for making a random Tuesday feel like a mini vacation (especially when paired with a mini key lime pie or a piña colada).
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