Pulled pork on the cheap
The recent sudden summer-like weather left me in the mood for barbecue. I saw this pulled pork recipe while I was paging through "Eat Cheap But Eat Well," by Charles Mattocks, and it sounded mighty delicious.
A bonus for families is that this is a slow-cooker recipe. I prepped this on a Sunday morning -- Sundays seem busier than weekdays lately -- and after a hectic day of church, dance rehearsals, visits to the local pond, etc., the house was filled with a tempting fragrance.
It was a pipe dream to think my kids would like this, though...
They've never tried shredded pork before. I served it on potato rolls (which turned out to be the perfect foil, since this falling-apart dish is a bit difficult to eat on its own). They each took one bite and howled in protest.
Funny, since this recipe is sweeter than it is spicy. Oh, well. More for me...
Updated at 6:50 a.m.: I should point out that this recipe is quite high, per serving, in sodium. It's all that chili sauce. So you probably will want to save it for a special treat.
Also, I'm adding my photo credit -- photo by me.
Finger-Lickin' Pulled Pork
Serves 4
1 pound boneless pork butt or shoulder, visible fat trimmed
1 large Vidalia onion, finely chopped
one 12-ounce bottle mild chili sauce such as Heinz, or Louisiana-style chili sauce
1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In the crock of a slow cooker, combine the pork, onion, chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, chili powder and pepper, mixing well. Cover and cook on low until the pork falls apart when stirring, 10 hours or more.
When the pork is extremely tender, remove it from the crock to a plate, shred it with a knife or fork, return the meat to the crock, and mix it well into the sauce.
Serve on potato rolls if you like, with beans and veggies of your choice (corn in the summertime).
Adapted from "Eat Cheap But Eat Well," by Charles Mattocks with Mary Hunt
Per serving (without rolls): 395 calories, 26 grams protein, 8 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 53 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 73 milligrams cholesterol, 2,369 milligrams sodium. Analysis by registered dietitian Jodie Shield.









Comments
Something to try would be to swap out the chili sauce for your children's favorite ketchup. Back home (midwest) our pulled pork was always made with everything you have listed above, except with ketchup! Less spicy :-)
Posted by: Annelies | May 1, 2009 8:19 AM