My journey of cooking, gardening, preserving and more
As a lover of these, I credit my friend Carri for finally motivating me to make them myself and now I’m hooked. In case you haven’t noticed from my previous Tuscan Soup and Sauteed Kale with Olive Oil, Garlic and Lemon posts, I have a …
I admit it. I love the smell of freshly-turned dirt. I love getting out in my yard and digging around in my gardens. Every year, nature amazes me anew. Short, cold and gray days slowly give way to longer, warmer, sunnier days. Every year, just …
To make either version of pulled pork, start with a shoulder (also called picnic) roast or Boston butt. The larger the roast, the longer the cooking time so a great way around this is to cut very large roasts in half. I do like to leave the bone in, if there is one – it will only add to the flavor of the roast.
To braise a pork roast, heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a heavy skillet. Pat the roast dry, season with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. Remove from heat and place the roast either in a large roasting pan or a crockpot. Add your choice of water/stock/beer or combination of any or all and fill about a quarter height of the pork roast. Add your choice of smashed garlic cloves, sliced onions, thyme, bay, or whatever spices you like. Cover and cook until tender. If you do this in a 325° oven, allow around 3-4 hours for a 5-7 pound roast, in a crockpot allow at least 6-8 on low heat. Don’t make the mistake of boiling your roast rapidly – this will only end in a tough roast and not the tender, pull-apart pork you’re looking for. And be sure and let your roast set in the liquid about 20-30 minutes after removing it from the heat – this will prevent your roast from drying out. It’s also a good idea to reserve the liquid for storing any leftovers in. The last time I made this, I added the leftovers to an udon noodle soup and it was delicious.
Now, on to the second way I make pulled pork: dry roasted in the oven. This version involves a dry rub. A dry-rubbed and roasted pork is completely different in taste and texture, though believe me, it’s just as tender. Remember, I’m only making this for two, so if your roast is bigger, you’ll need to adjust your rub amount and cooking time. (For a 6-7 pound roast, allow at least 4-5 hours roasting time.)
In a small dish, mix the spices together. Pat the pork roast dry, place it in a shallow roasting pan and rub the roast generously on all sides with spice mixture. Place rubbed roast in the refrigerator for at least one hour but up to 8 hours. The longer this sits, the more intense your flavor and crust is going to be. Remove roast from oven about 30 minutes before roasting. Preheat oven to 300° Place roast in oven, uncovered and roast for approximately 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 – hours or until roast is fork-tender and separates easily, with very little effort. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes. Transfer roast to a cutting board and, using either a knife and fork or your clean hands, pull pork off of roast. Discard any chunks of fat.
Can you see those crusty edges on the pork? This is what makes this version so incredibly delicious. I admit that I do like to leave my pork a little chunky but that’s strictly personal preference. From here, you can enjoy this however you like: Add a little of your favorite barbecue sauce for sandwiches, put it in some soup with kale or greens, or make your own version of a beautiful pork cassoulet with beans. Or you can enjoy it one of my favorite ways:
Pile the oven-roasted pork onto a toasted bun and add some of my no-mayo slaw made with Dijon mustard. (as you can see, I like mine heavy on the coleslaw and light on the pork!) The flavor combination is perfect and I promise you’ll love it.
Happy eating!
If you’re looking for a quick antioxidant boost, a berry smoothie is a great way to go. To make a smoothie, all you need is a blender. Everyone has a blender, right? I feel like smoothies are one of those things that a lot of …
If you’ve never had coleslaw made without mayonnaise, I hope you’ll try this! I was kind of a weird kid in the fact that I didn’t really like coleslaw growing up. The cabbage always seemed to be drowning in watered-down mayo and it was never …
I previously posted a recipe for brisket braised with veggies, tomatoes and red wine. This one is a little less complicated but just as flavorful. Though, for the record, I’m hard-pressed to dislike anything cooked with onions and beer.
This recipe is for a small brisket but you can certainly make a larger brisket and double the other ingredients. I admit these aren’t the best photos, but I was pretty hungry by the time this was finished!
In a large, heavy pan – I use a cast iron Dutch Oven for this, so I don’t have to switch pans from stove to oven – heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
Brown the brisket for about 6 minutes per side and then transfer it to a plate.
Preheat your oven to 350°
Reduce heat to medium and add the onions to the pan. Cook until golden, stirring occasionally, about 30-35 minutes. Don’t stir the onions too often and reduce heat if they begin to burn instead of caramelize.
Remove pan from heat. Add brisket and any juices left on the plate back into the pan and, using a pair of tongs, cover the brisket with half of the onions. (You want onions underneath the brisket, plus some on top.)
Add beer, broth, and vinegar, cover pan tightly and place in oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours total – the first half hour at 350° and then the remaining 2 hours at 325°.
Let cool in pan for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Now, you know what else is wonderful in this? Mushrooms – just add them when your onions have turned golden and cook an additional 10 minutes or so before adding the brisket back to the pan. (the moisture from the mushrooms will prevent the onions from browning much more)
Delicious? You bet! But I’m still hoping for an early spring!
steamed pork, cabbage, ginger and garlic with soy dipping sauce recipe