This yummy pulled pork recipe is currently cooking in my kitchen as Mr. G.Q. and I are having over family tomorrow night for dinner. Tomorrow I’ll make another batch of the lovely and spicy chutney. It’s wonderful on the sandwich because it provides crunch and zing! Here’s how I made both:
Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Apple-Peach Chutney
Serves 8-10 easily
Ingredients:
(For pulled pork)
-3 T canola oil
-8 lb. bone-in pork shoulder, cut into 4 equal pieces
-2 yellow onions, finely chopped
-1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
-1 1/2 cups ketchup
-2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar ( I used dark brown)
-1/2 cup light molasses
-4 tsp. red pepper flakes
-2 T Worcestershire sauce
-2 tsp. dry mustard
-2 tsp. kosher salt
-2 tsp black pepper
-Soft sandwich rolls, split and toasted for serving
(Apple-Peach Chutney)
-3 T apple cider vinegar
-2 T apricot preserves
-2 T Dijon mustard
-1 tsp hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
-1/2 tsp kosher salt
-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
-1/8 tsp ground cloves
-1/8 tsp ground ginger
-2 Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2 inch dice
-2 ripe peaches, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch dice
Steps (for Pulled Pork):
-
Brown the pork-In a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Once oil is hot, add the pork pieces, one or two at a time and brown well on all sides. If you crowd all four pieces into the pan, the meat will steam instead of brown. (This step is so important because this is how you start to build flavor. Pork is a bland meat and browning it thoroughly goes a long way toward increasing the taste of the meat. So take your time; it may take up to 30 minutes to brown all four pieces on all sides. Look at my photo to see how nice and caramel colored the meat is after browning.)
2. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
3. Make the sauce for the pork-Pour of all but 1 T of the fat from the Dutch oven. Return the pan to medium-high heat, Add the onion and saute until golden, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the vinegar to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the mixture begins to bubble. Pour over the pork. Cover and cook until the pork is very tender, on high for 4 to 5 hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours. You know the meat is cooked when the meat easily comes apart when pulled apart with two small forks (thus, the name, pulled pork!)
5. Transfer the pork pieces to a large cutting board. Using a pair of forks, shred each piece of pork, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return all the pulled pork to the sauce and stir to combine. Put the covered slow cooker casserole dish in the fridge, ideally overnight to harden off any excess fat.
6. On the next day, skim off any hardened fat and discard. Now put the slow cooker on low to warm up the meal before serving it atop the sandwich roll. Garnish with the Apple-Peach Chutney (recipe to follow).
Steps for the Apple-Peach Chutney
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the vinegar, apricot preserves, mustard, hot sauce, salt, pepper, cloves, and ginger until blended. Mix in the apples and peaches. (I make the spice and vinegar mixture early in the day, and add the fruit several hours before serving. It can last in the fridge for up to 2 days.)
2. Serve in a glass bowl or gravy boat.
3. Enjoy!
I hope you decide to try and make these two recipes. The chutney is adapted from a apple-mango chutney recipe of Giada de Laurentiis. The pulled pork is from a Williams-Sonoma recipe. It’s a great combination for serving a crowd and it can all be prepared in advance. (I usually make the meat up to 3 days in advance. Extras can easily be frozen for a later meal.)
Above is a close-up of the pork as it’s being pulled apart by the two forks. See how tender and juicy the meat is? It’s perfection.
Happy Weekend!
XO
Dr. Julie
