I don’t generally cook lots of meat, especially on week days, but this pulled pork is amazing. We first had it at a friend’s birthday party, and have now made it several times ourselves. It’s a long process, and one that involves being in the house for a while, but it’s totally worth it if you like pulled pork! We always serve it with corn bread (just the box from Trader Joe’s, it’s seriously amazing) and an Asian inspired coleslaw. This coleslaw is delicious, especially if you’re like me and don’t like mayonnaise I also think the slaw gets better overnight, so I recommend making it a day in advance. It’s perfect for summer picnics or BBQs!
Pulled Pork Ingredients (serves 6-8)
1 pork butt or shoulder, 3-4 lbs (for DC people, we got ours at Eastern Market)
1 15 oz can whole tomatoes
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1. Combine everything in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 9-10 hours.
2. Now place the meat (and all the liquid) in a large pot on the stove and simmer for 3-5 hours. This will help cook it down and makes it taste amazing. If you’re short on time (or impatient) you can skip this and just do the crock pot, but if you do that, I’d definitely do the max time. But if you have time for this, I totally recommend it. I’d also taste it while you are doing this because you may want to add extra pepper flakes or vinegar.
3. Now take the meat out and serve. If you are making it just for yourself, you will have plenty for leftovers.
Slaw
Ingredients
Dressing-
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
Slaw-
5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (It doesn’t have to be precisely 5 cups, so if you buy 1 cabbage, just use the whole thing. Same applies for red cabbage)
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
2 large red or yellow bell peppers, cut into thin, long pieces
2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into thin, long pieces
8 large green onions, cut into small circles
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional
1. Mix all of the dressing ingredients together. The peanut butter can be very hard to mix, so I find it helpful to do this in a seal-able container so I can then shake it up. You can make the dressing a day in advance. If you do, make sure to bring it to room temperature, and mix it again before serving.
2. Combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour the dressing on top and mix again. I recommend doing this and then letting it sit in the fridge overnight. It really helps bring out the flavor.
the petite croissant 