Culinary Collaborations 9: Pulled Pork

I like pork butts and I cannot lie. They are easy and hands off to make and you’ll end up with plenty of meat to use in different ways. I recommend getting a very large butt (as long as it will still fit in your crockpot) so you end up with extra meat to freeze for later.

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CC9 Meals

1. BBQ Pork with mac and cheese

2. Pork coleslaw pizza

3. Cuban pork bowl

4. Pork Casserole

Grocery list and recipes are written below for 2 servings. Double as needed for larger families or for leftovers.

Pantry Items

• Salt

• Kosher Salt

• Black pepper

• Olive Oil

• 3/4 cup broth + enough for pork butt (1-2 cups)

• Mayo (or Greek yogurt)

• Deli Mustard

• Italian Seasoning Blend

• Cayenne Pepper

• Pickles (optional pizza topping)

• Worcestershire sauce

• Minced Garlic

• Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1/4 cup coffee

• Cumin

• Sriracha

• 1 TBS butter (I use vegan butter)

• Red pepper flakes (optional)

• AP Flour (King Arthur is my flour of choice)

• White Whole Wheat Flour (King Arthur is my flour of choice)

• 2 tsp Active Yeast (1 Packet is 2 tsp)

• Semonlina Flour or Cornmeal

Grocery List

Produce:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes

• Rosemary

• 1 cup fresh green beans

• Cauliflower

• 1 large carrot

• 1 onion

• 1 head broccoli

• 1 small poblano pepper

• 1 shallot

• 2 Mangos

• Cherry tomatoes

• Cilantro

• 1 small bag Coleslaw mix

• 1 small jalapeno

Canned /Grain

• Tomato paste (I like to buy the tubes, keep them in the fridge so not wasting a whole can)

• Jasmine rice

• 1 can Black Beans

• 4oz Pasta

• BBQ Sauce (homemade recipe here)

Cheese / Bread / Dairy

• Cashew Milk (or diary milk)

• Parmesan Cheese

• Cheddar

• Mozzarella

• Gruyere (or other white cheese)

Meat / Eggs

• 6-8 lb pork butt

Frozen

• Frozen sweet corn

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Prep Options

• Make the BBQ sauce in advance if you are using homemade

• Blend the mango sauce for the pizza and save in the fridge until you are ready to use

• Make extra coffee in the morning for the casserole

• Roast the poblano in advance and save in the fridge

• Make the rice in advance

Order / Notes

• I recommend the mac and cheese and bbq pork the first night as it is so tender and juicy right out of the crockpot

• The casserole can be saved for last as the juices and covering with revitalize pork that may have started to dry out

• If you want to simplify, adjust the pork casserole to only frozen veggies using the guide on the original recipe

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Pulled Pork

Buy a pork butt from the store (around double the poundage you need due to the bone and fat). For these 4 recipes we around 3lbs of meat so we need a pork butt that is at least 6lbs raw.

Defrost the pork if frozen. Season the pork with a mix of basic seasoning: ¼ cup kosher salt, 2 TBS Italian blend or a combination of oregano and thyme, 2 tsp cayenne pepper and 2-3 chopped garlic cloves. Rub mixture over the pork butt and then place in large crockpot. Cover with enough broth and/or juice (like pineapple or apple) to cover about 1/3-1/2 of the pork. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, turning over once if you are able.

Remove the pork butt with thongs (it should be pulling apart as you grab it) and place in a try or a sheet pan so juices are contained. Using forks or your fingers as it cools, tear apart the pork butt discarding fat and keeping the shredded meat.

We like to save out the amount for the recipes – roughly about 7 cups loosely measured meat (not packed down), and then we vacuum seal and freeze the rest for easy access in the future.

BBQ Pulled Pork & Mac n’ Cheese

1. Cook 4oz pasta according to instructions on the box (to the lower end of time)

2. In a sauce pan melt 1 TBS butter over low heat

3. Add ¼ cup chopped onion and 2 tsp minced garlic. Cook on low for 5 minutes

4. Add ¾ cup milk and increase heat to medium, warming slowly for 5 minutes

5. Add grated cheese a little at a time, whisking into the milk until melted (1/3 cup cheddar, ¼ cup gruyere)

6. Whisk the seasoning into the sauce (1/4 tsp pepper, ¼ tsp kosher salt, 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes)

7. Preheat oven to 350

8. In an 8x8 dish or small dutch oven, mix cooked pasta and ½ cup chopped broccoli

9. Pour cheese over the pasta

   • (At this point, you can cover and leave in fridge until ready to eat if making ahead)

10. Place in oven for 15 minutes

11. Add 1 TBS grated parmesan and 6 sliced cherry tomatoes on top of the pasta

12. Cook for an additional 15 minutes

13. Rest for 5 minutes before serving

14. Warm 2 cups pulled pork with ½-3/4 cup BBQ sauce and serve with pasta

Pork Coleslaw Pizza

1. Make the pizza dough at least 2 hours prior to using.

2. Mix 2/3 cup lukewarm water with 2 tsp active yeast and set aside for 5 minutes.

3. Mix 1 cup AP Flour, 1 tsp salt, and ¾ cup white whole wheat flour.

4. Mix the flours and yeast mixtures together and stir until a dough begins to form

5. Add ½ TBS olive oil and finish combining by hand until it is all absorbed

6. Kneed dough for a few minutes, shaping into a ball and placing in a lightly greased bowl (with small amount of olive oil) and covering with a towel or shower cap to allow to rise for 2 – 6 hours.

7. When ready to make pizza, Mix 2 cups coleslaw mix + 1 TBS mayo + 1 tsp deli mustard and stir. Add in diced pickles optional

8. Peel, chop 1 mango

9. Blend mango with 1 deseeded and chopped jalapeno and 1 TBS Olive Oil

10. Shred Mozzarella (if needed) to have 1 cup

11. Pull out ½ cup pulled pork

Pizza Stone & Peel version

1. Preheat oven with pizza stone to 400 degrees (baking sheet can be used if you don’t own a stone -> skip down for those instructions)

2. Spread out a small (1/4 cup) of semolina flour on a pizza peel. (Use cornmeal if you don’t have semolina)

3. Using your hands, begin spreading out the dough into a circular shape. This will take some time, turning and pushing with the base of your palm. Flip and continue to shape, adding more flour when needed, until desired shape is reached.

   • Remember: You aren’t a professional, so your shape won’t be perfect the first time. You’ll improve with practice! Don’t keep reforming or dough will become tough

4. Give the peel a little shake to ensure the pizza dough isn’t sticking on any edge. Lift any edges that seem to be sticking and sprinkle semolina flour (or cornmeal)

5. VERY Quickly add toppings: first the mango sauce, then the pulled pork and then mozzarella

6. Giving a good shake with the peel, transfer the dough to the hot stone in the oven.

7. Return to oven and cook approximately 16 minutes or until cheese/toppings turn golden brown

8. Add coleslaw mix and pickles before serving

Sheet Pan version

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees

2. Spray sheet pan lightly with oil

3. Sprinkle out a small (1/4 cup) of semolina flour on sheet pan (Use cornmeal if you don’t have semolina)

4. Using your hands, begin spreading out the dough into a rectangle shape on a lightly floured surface.

5. When the dough is close to the right size, gentle transfer it to the greased and dusted sheet pan and fix / spread out any dough that has creased in the process. Try not to push down hard as this will increase the likelihood of sticking

6. Bake dough for 5 minutes

7. Bring out and VERY Quickly add toppings: first the mango sauce, then the pulled pork and then mozzarella

8. Return to oven and cook approximately 12 minutes or until cheese/toppings turn golden brown

9. Add coleslaw mix and pickles before serving

Cuban Pork Bowls

1. Roast 1 small poblano pepper in the oven until skin blisters, allow to cool and peel skin off

2. Cook ½ minced shallot in a sauce pan over medium heat with 1/2 tsp olive oil until soft (~5minutes)

3. Add 1/3 cup Jasmin rice to the sauce pan and stir. Add 1/3 cup broth + 2 TBS broth, bring rice to a boil, reduce to a slow simmer and cook 15 minutes

4. Rice broccoli in food processor to get ½ cup

5. Once the rice is done, mix in ½ cup riced broccoli while the rice is still hot.

6. Drain and rinse 1 can black beans

7. In a medium skillet, mix the black beans with ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp minced garlic, ½ tsp sriracha and 1 tsp olive oil and warm over low heat

8. Chop / shred pork and mix in with the black beans

9. Slice the mango into chucks and blend in a food processor with the peeled poblano pepper for a sweet and spicy sauce

10. Divide rice, bean mixture, and 14 sliced cherry tomatoes between two plates/bowls. Top with the mango sauce and fresh cilantro

Pulled Pork Casserole

1. Peel and chop 2 medium sweet potatoes

2. Add to pan with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are very tender

3. Drain water and mash potatoes, eliminating any chunks. Feel free to use a hand blender

4. Add 2 TBS cashew milk, 1.5 TBS parmesan cheese, ¼ tsp fresh rosemary, and 1/4 tsp salt to the potatoes and mix until smooth and creamy.

5. Set potatoes aside

6. Dice onion (1/2 cup) and add to an oven safe, deep sided pan with 1/2 TBS olive oil over low heat (this is a
   2-3 on a 10 scale knob)

7. While onion cooks, prep the other veggies:

   • chop 1 cup fresh green beans: cut off ends and cut in 3rds

   • slice carrots (1/3 cup)

   • finely dice cauliflower (1 cup)

   • measure out ¼ cup corn

8. Add 1 tsp minced garlic to the onion and stir, continuing to cook on low

9. Add veggies, along with 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp salt.

10. Pull out the leftover pulled pork (2.5 cups) and roughly chop (it will continue to break apart during cooking)

11. Add the pork to the veggies, stir, and cook for a few minutes

12. Make a space in the middle of the mixture and add 2 TBS tomato paste and 1 TBS apple cider vinegar, mixing
    together and then stirring into the rest of the mixture.

13. Add 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce, ¼ cup coffee, and ¾ cup broth, stirring to combine

14. Preheat oven to 375

15. Turn heat up to medium and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes

16. Smooth the top of the mixture so it is even

17. Add the sweet mashed potatoes to the top and smoothing out with a clean spatula to cover then entire pan

18. Bake for 20 minutes at 375

19. Broil for 6 minutes

20. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes before serving