There are many debates when it comes to food preferences these days.
Ranch or bleu cheese with buffalo wings? New York or Chicago style pizza? Texas, Carolina, Memphis, or Kansas City BBQ? The list could go on and on.
However, we want to focus on one specific facet of barbecue. The pulled pork sandwich and how it is served. Specifically, do you like to put coleslaw on top of the meat as part of the sandwich or leave it off?
Now listen, before we dive into this let’s get one thing clear. We’re not here to judge anyone or the ways you like your food. If you want to drown a steak in A-1 sauce, that’s your prerogative. If you would rather not even add salt or pepper to a served dish, more power to you. Our point is that taste is arguably one of the most subjective things in our world. You like what you like and you shouldn’t have to defend that to anyone.
Let the debating begin.
The Prosecution
There are those out there who would argue that you shouldn’t change something from the way it is intended to be. As the old adage goes, “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.”
The purist would say to let the meat speak for itself. You can’t truly get a sense for how good (or bad) the meat is if you’re covering it up with other flavorful ingredients. The same individuals likely never add anything additional seasoning to a well-prepared steak. Don’t even mention the words “steak sauce” in front of that crowd.
Point is, the argument in this specific case for not topping your pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw is to truly enjoy the succulent smoked meat for what it is. To appreciate the hours and hours it was cared for, seasoned, smoked, and pulled. You just can’t capture the fullness of that flavor when it’s topped with coleslaw.
The prosecution rests.
The Defense
Ladies and gentlemen of the court, should we not enjoy these delicious foods to their fullest? If we can enhance something and make it better, why wouldn’t we? These arguments are simple, but in defense of topping your pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw, we say it’s a BBQ tradition as rich as the culinary genre itself.
Now, the defense will actually encourage you to first try a pulled pork sandwich on it’s own, without the coleslaw. Why? So that your mind will be opened to how much better it is once you add that side on top that was once considered an afterthought.
Enjoy the added crunch of the cabbage and the subtle sweetness of the dressing paired with the acidic vinegar pork, or even the sweet pork! The defense doesn’t come in strong, but rather encourages that you try both versions and choose for yourself.
The defense rests.
The Blister’s Way
If you thought this was going to be a completely impartial post, well, you thought wrong. Once again, we don’t judge here, but we do have an in-house preference. And that would be to top your classic pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw.
The consensus among our staff and loyal customers is that the combination of our particular pulled pork with our signature coleslaw is just too good to not enjoy together. And don’t even get us started on our brioche buns.
So, next time you order a classic pulled pork sandwich and the individual at the register asks you if you would like coleslaw, say yes. We think you’ll be glad you did.