If you're a barbecue enthusiast or have ever visited Kansas City, chances are you've heard of Joe's Kansas City BBQ and their legendary "Z-Man" sandwich. Packed with succulent smoked beef brisket, topped with melted provolone cheese, crispy onion rings, and finished with a tangy barbecue sauce, the Z-Man is a mouthwatering masterpiece that deserves to be enjoyed by all. Today, I’m bringing the flavors of Joe's Kansas City BBQ into your own kitchen with a restaurant recreation recipe for the iconic Z-Man sandwich.

For a more simplistic approach, I’ll be recreating the recipe with slow-cooker BBQ pulled pork and although it’s not an exact recreation, I can assure you it’ll do the trick until you can get to Joe’s to try the real deal. Additionally, there are a few things in this recipe that I’ll leave to the professionals and that’s BBQ sauce and BBQ rub. In this recipe, I’m using Joe’s bottled BBQ sauce along with their BBQ rub that I purchased at my local grocery store but it can also be found here on Amazon! So, without further ado, let’s dive into the recreation of the Z Man.

Joe’s Kansas City BBQ - The Z Man Sandwich

Ingredients

For the Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork

• Joe’s BBQ Dry Rub (click to purchase)

• 1 Pork Butt (3 to 3 1/2 pounds if boneless, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds if bone-in)*

• 1 (12 Oz.) Bottle Beer

• 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1 TBS Liquid Smoke

• 1 Bottle of Joe’s BBQ Sauce (click to purchase)

For the Z-Man Sandwich

• 4 brioche or Kaiser rolls

• 8 slices of provolone cheese

• 1 cup crispy fried onion rings

• Tangy barbecue sauce (again, I used Joe’s BBQ or you can make your own)

Instructions

1. Begin by rubbing your pork butt all over with the BBQ rub ensuring it's evenly coated.

2. Place the pork butt in your slow cooker then pour in the liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar, beer, and bottle of bbq sauce. Cook on low for 8-10 hours flipping once half way through.

3. Once the pork is cooked, remove from slow cooker and shred the pork with two forks.

4. To assemble your Z Man Sandwich, preheat your oven to broil. Split the Kaiser rolls in half and place them on a baking sheet, cut sides up. Layer each roll with a generous amount of pulled pork. Top the pork with two slices of provolone cheese. Place the baking sheet under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add a handful of crispy fried onion rings on top of the melted cheese. Drizzle your preferred tangy barbecue sauce over the onion rings.

6. Place the top half of the bun on each sandwich, completing the Z-Man masterpiece. Serve your homemade Z-Man sandwiches with a side of extra barbecue sauce, pickles, and coleslaw for a truly authentic experience.

Kitchen Sources:

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