That slow cooker pulled pork is getting some use in this house! Tonight we made our own BBQ sauce and put together a quick pizza with a pre made base from the store.
Yes, I would love to make my own base. Did I have time after work on a Monday? Naaa.
Fake it till you make it.
BBQ Sauce
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 cup diced onion
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon of paprika
2 chopped chipotles in adobo
* Saute the onion and garlic until soft. Add the chipotle, paprika and tomato paste stir through. Pour in stock, vinegar and maple syrup.
Simmer for 20 mins on low/medium heat.
Add left over pulled pork and stir through until heated. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
PIZZA base (we bought a thin crust)
We topped it with the BBQ Pork mixture, some sauteed onions and mushrooms. Lots of mozzarella cheese, grated parmesan, chopped green onions and some kalamata olives. (well actually just one side with olives… haha)
Bake right on the rack for 15 mins or until crust is crispy and all the cheese is golden.
I have been *loving* my slow cooker. Holy moly. It’s like my new best friend…. Ever since I started my new full time job (about 3.5 months ago) I have been trying to find easy ways to have dinner on the table in a flash.
The crock pot is a winner.
And I have become a bit of a fan of the old slow cooked pork shoulder which then can be pulled and added to a wealth of dishes.
Here is the recipe for last night’s dinner - Slow cooked pulled pork tacos w/ cabbage cilantro slaw
Pork Shoulder in the Crock Pot:
You can really experiment and marinate your pork shoulder in what ever you like…. this time I mixed
Chopped garlic, paprika, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, chipotles in adobo, good quality maple syrup and some spicy tomato salsa. Add a little olive oil and whisk into a paste.
Cover your pork shoulder with the marinade (I trimmed mine well of extra fat) - Refrigerate over night.
In the morning I roughly chop an onion and line the bottom of the crock pot. Drop the marinated pork in and set the timer for SLOW - 8- 10 hours. Depending on the size of your shoulder….
- I set mine to 10 hours and went off to work!
By the time I got home, the meat was falling off the bone. I used my tongs to remove the main bones + any cartilage or fatty pieces. You should be able to pull the meat and stir through into the juices that the marinade has created.
I added some seasoning to taste… a little more salt and pepper, some vinegar and put the pork on warm until I needed it.
For the Cabbage Slaw:
Toss chopped purple cabbage, thin slices of carrot, lots of cilantro, chopped green onions and salt and pepper in a bowl. Dress with rice wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar and fresh lime juice.
I served the pork with warm flour tortillas, the cabbage slaw and sides of sour cream, black beans and guacamole.
Kit and my friends Dart and Tori joined us for dinner and agreed that this pork was a WINNER! And there was SO much left over, I will be definitely coming up with other recipes to use the leftovers…
Cuban Sandwiches? Ragu?
Can’t wait.
