Chef Jo Lusted’s Pulled Pork Sandwich from her cookbook Dish Do-Over.Mike McColl.
A pulled-pork sandwich is perhaps the ultimate set-it and forget-it meal. As chef Jo Lusted outlines in her new cookbook Dish Do-Over, once cooked, it takes only minutes to prep. Which makes it perfect picnic fare.
Recipe from Dish Do-Over © 2014 by Jo Lusted. Photography © Mike McColl. Published by HarperCollins Canada. All rights reserved.
Servings: 8
Ready Time: 4 to 8 hours (depending on slow cooker)
Pulled Pork
2 lb boneless centre-cut pork loin, trimmed of visible fat
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 1/2 cups jarred all-natural tomato sauce
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
Tangy Coleslaw
1/2 medium head green cabbage, cored and shredded (about 6 cups)
1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 tbsp honey
Freshly ground black pepper
8 whole-grain kaiser rolls, halved
Method
Liberally season pork on all sides with salt and pepper, rubbing seasoning into meat. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat; mist with cooking spray. Sear pork on all sides until browned, about 3 minutes per side.
Transfer pork to slow cooker and return pan to heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Deglaze pan with stock, scraping any brown bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and stir in tomato sauce, vinegar and honey. Pour mixture over pork.
Cover with lid and cook until pork is tender and can be pulled apart easily with a fork, 4 to 6 hours on high heat, 6 to 8 hours on low heat. (Note: Slow cookers vary, so adjust time accordingly.)
Transfer pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Turn slow cooker to high heat and allow sauce to simmer uncovered while pork is resting, skimming off and discarding any visible fat. Using tongs or two forks, shred pork and return to slow cooker, mixing until pork is coated with sauce. Heat pork for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
While pork is cooking, prepare coleslaw: In a large bowl, toss cabbage, onion and carrots with 1/2 tsp salt. Let stand for 1 hour. Drain vegetables in a colander, gently pressing to extract excess water. Add vinegar, oil, mustard and honey to cabbage mixture, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper, then cover and refrigerate.
To serve, top buns with pork and coleslaw.