ISO good pulled pork buns...

[grandgourmand]

I know I can use Wonder Bread burger buns, etc. However, I'm looking for something a little more interesting for a party I'm hosting this weekend, where pulled pork will be the headliner. My father-in-law was offering to pick up some buns at Costco that he describes as a cross between a burger bun and a portuguese bun. Sounds interesting, but I won't have time to check them out myself.

I know there are a few avid BBQ'ers around here that can offer suggestions.

[SusanB]

We're also planning a dinner with pulled pork as the headliner sometime later in the summer (or at least when it warms up). We were just talking about what kind of buns to use. So I'm going to look into those Costco ones - sound like they might do the trick.

[duck833]

I use potato buns, I believe the bun should be understated. All the attention should be on the pulled pork.

[BusterRhino]

I agree with duck833, the bun is just a vehicle to get all that tasty pulled pork goodness to your mouth. If you are having a party and you want to do something interesting with your pulled pork go to a local baker (my mantra is local, local, local as much as possible) and ask them to back you up some slider buns. They are like a small dinner roll that is white bread, taste good but will not take the flavour away from that wickedly good (well hopefully) pulled pork you have.

Don`t get something too crusty, or too flavourful. Too Crusty = too hard to eat for the majority of your guests.

Local bakery (just had to get that in there one more time)!

[Davwud]

Couldn't agree more. Mrs. Sippi cringes every time she hears of someone not eating their PP on a wonder bun. It's just not how it's done.

DT

[grandgourmand]

I'm all for tradition. But without innovation, cooking becomes a lot less exciting. I'm just tweaking the bread here, not molecular gastronomizing pulled pork.

All due respect, I'm willing to bet that not EVERYWHERE in the Southern U.S. uses Wonder Bread. And if you read my post, I'm not saying I want a multi-grain crusty bun or anything. Just something a little more interesting than Wonder Bread.

And if we're going to use the "local" theme, if my local baker is some portuguese dude, I'll find a reasonable facsimile for what the ideal pulled pork bun is all about (soft, doughy).

duck833 is suggesting a potato bun, which is interesting.

[Wahooty]

Not everywhere, just the good places. :) It really is just how it's done, but you're in Canada, not Carolina - do what you want. I'm still working on getting people up here to understand that grillin' ain't BBQ, which is a much bigger fish to fry than fussing over what bun they use. Just don't use anything fancy enough that people notice the bun instead of the meat. Nobody's ever noticed what kind of bun I serve my pulled pork on.

[sweetie]

I had pulled pork over the weekend. We use ciabatta. I like a lot of sauce so this bun held up well.

[Wahooty]

I mentioned these in the burger bun thread, but my current favorite bun for pulled pork is the Corner Bakery brand - my Wal-Mart and No Frills both carry them, so they're not expensive at all. It's a challah roll with sesame seeds...a little sweet, which works well with smoked pig and slaw and eggy enough to hold together better than the more traditional "whitest, cheapest bun you can find." They make a pretty big sandwich, though. I haven't tried any of the really expensive buns in town - I already feel like I'm committing a mortal BBQ sin by using a challah bun, even if it is cheap.

[Pantz]

This is a little odd, but the last few times I've made pulled pork, I've used toasted english muffins to make my sandwiches. Works pretty well as they hold up to the sauce and maintain some crispyness. I've tried standard white as well as multigrain or whole wheat options and enjoyed them all. Depending on how much meat you pile on them, you can enjoy more than one in a sitting.

[Nyleve]

I agree about the Costco buns. That's exactly what I've used when serving pulled pork for a large party. The buns are crustier than a hamburger bun, smaller (so you could have more than one, if you want) and with a more interesting texture. They come in bags of about a million for not very much money. (I exaggerate.)

[grandgourmand]

What's that price again for a million buns?

Seriously, thanks. Smaller is fine with me.

[Chocolatemama]

You get 36 buns for less than $5. We love these buns; great texture, great flavour and they're always super fresh!