Decadent Pulled Pork, Three Ways
Pulled pork is a guilty pleasure of mine, one which my dear husband doesn't share. However, unlike most pork recipes, which I can prepare for myself when I need a fix and my darling man is on the road, prepping an entire pork shoulder for one is more than slightly ridiculous. While butchers outside of a chain grocery store can be scarce in this neck of the woods, I used my hankering for pork as an excuse to darken the doors of Boarman's Old Fashioned Butchers on Route 108, not far from my parents' home. If I lived in this neck of the woods, the guys at Boarman's would be my best friends (they have a double bone ribeye steak in their display case that's just calling my name). Plus, at $15 for all four pounds of the pork shoulder, this is a bargain basement meat! Knowing my dad loves pork almost as much as me, the stars were aligned for me to pull my foolproof Momofuku pulled pork recipe out of mothballs.
Sunday night, still lots of plain shredded pork in the fridge, I made Korean style tacos. I must admit that I'm terrible with leftovers. I just can't stand eating the same thing over and over (unless it's my Beef Bourguignon), but Sarah Wilson of I Quit Sugar fame, gave me the inspiration I needed to completely transform the pulled pork into a new meal. Corn tortillas heated up on the grill (I'm going to be angling to buy a gas grill when I return to London - everything is quick and easy and wonderful), a quick Asian style cucumber pickle, a slaw, the pork heated through slightly and a little sliced avocado on top. It was really, really satisfying.Asian Quick PIckled Cucumber
adapted from I Quit Sugar Cookbook by Sarah Wilsonserves 41 English cucumber, peeled down to the seeds into long stripspinch of red chilli flakes1 tablespoons rice wine vinegarpinch of sea saltMix everything together and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.Asian Slawadapted from I Quit Sugar Cookbook by Sarah Wilsonserves 41 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage1/4 cup shredded carrot1/2 red onion, thinly slicedhandful cilantro leaves1/2 cup mayonnaise4 tablespoons Asian dressing (recipe below)1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakesMix all ingredients together in a big bowl.
Asian Dressingadapted from I Quit Sugar Cookbook by Sarah WIlson1/4 cup rice wine vinegar1/2 cup olive oil1/2 teaspoon brown rice syrupsalt and pepper1 tablespoon soy sauce1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds2 teaspoons ginger, minced on microplane1 teaspoon toasted sesame oilPlace all ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously!Finally, yesterday, my mom and I had a day at the hospital, so I made a taco salad to bring along for lunch. What's wonderful about this kind of meal is that it provides an opportunity to clear all of the extra bits you might have lurking in your fridge. I didn't buy a thing, relying completely on what we had leftover. And again, the flavors were so different from the other meals I'd made with the pork, that my ADD tastebuds didn't revolt. Plus, this is about as close as I've gotten to the flavors of the carnitas burrito I regularly wolfed down at La Taqueria in the Mission district of San Francisco (the secret is no rice, only beans). Use what you have - this recipe is just what I used.Taco Salad
serves 2Handful of chopped romaine lettuceHandful of baby kale (or other greens of your choice)10 sliced cherry tomatoes1/4 red onion, thinly sliced1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed1/4 cup shredded Mexican style cheese (another thing the Brits could use in their groceries)1/2 avocado, dicedHandful of shredded pork1/3 cup tortilla chips, crushed1/3 cup sour cream1/3 cup prepared salsaArrange the lettuces through the pork in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the sour cream and the salsa and dress the veggies and pork. Sprinkle with the crushed tortilla chips and serve.
adapted from I Quit Sugar Cookbook by Sarah Wilsonserves 41 English cucumber, peeled down to the seeds into long stripspinch of red chilli flakes1 tablespoons rice wine vinegarpinch of sea saltMix everything together and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.Asian Slawadapted from I Quit Sugar Cookbook by Sarah Wilsonserves 41 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage1/4 cup shredded carrot1/2 red onion, thinly slicedhandful cilantro leaves1/2 cup mayonnaise4 tablespoons Asian dressing (recipe below)1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakesMix all ingredients together in a big bowl.Asian Dressingadapted from I Quit Sugar Cookbook by Sarah WIlson1/4 cup rice wine vinegar1/2 cup olive oil1/2 teaspoon brown rice syrupsalt and pepper1 tablespoon soy sauce1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds2 teaspoons ginger, minced on microplane1 teaspoon toasted sesame oilPlace all ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously!Finally, yesterday, my mom and I had a day at the hospital, so I made a taco salad to bring along for lunch. What's wonderful about this kind of meal is that it provides an opportunity to clear all of the extra bits you might have lurking in your fridge. I didn't buy a thing, relying completely on what we had leftover. And again, the flavors were so different from the other meals I'd made with the pork, that my ADD tastebuds didn't revolt. Plus, this is about as close as I've gotten to the flavors of the carnitas burrito I regularly wolfed down at La Taqueria in the Mission district of San Francisco (the secret is no rice, only beans). Use what you have - this recipe is just what I used.Taco Saladserves 2Handful of chopped romaine lettuceHandful of baby kale (or other greens of your choice)10 sliced cherry tomatoes1/4 red onion, thinly sliced1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed1/4 cup shredded Mexican style cheese (another thing the Brits could use in their groceries)1/2 avocado, dicedHandful of shredded pork1/3 cup tortilla chips, crushed1/3 cup sour cream1/3 cup prepared salsaArrange the lettuces through the pork in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the sour cream and the salsa and dress the veggies and pork. Sprinkle with the crushed tortilla chips and serve.