This seasoned pork sandwich takes time to slow-cook—which actually makes it a good choice to serve the gang for a casual dinner (the recipe is easily doubled for a larger crowd).
It’s not a difficult dish, but you really must do most of the work ahead of time: marinate the roast the day before, and set it in a slow cooker in the morning for a long, leisurely braising. When it’s time to serve, the slow cooker keeps the shredded meat warm while guests assemble their own sandwiches.
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Spicy Pulled Pork on a Bun
- 3 lbs pork roast (shoulder, picnic, or butt end, bone-in or boneless) (1 1/2 kg)
- Spicy Citrus Sauce (recipe below)
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar (30 ml)
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (30 ml)
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (125 ml)
- 8 crusty rolls
- 8 radacchio leaves
- 2 avocados, pitted and sliced
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Spicy Citrus Sauce
- 1/4 cup cup olive oil (60 ml)
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (60 ml)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (60 ml)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ground cumin (15 ml)
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar (30 ml)
- 1 tsp hot or sweet paprika (5 ml)
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (2 ml)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (2 ml)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg (2 ml)
- 1 tsp ground ginger (5 ml)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (2 ml)
- 1 tsp kosher or sea salt (5 ml)
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (2 ml)
Preparation of spicy pulled pork
- Trim excess fat from pork. Marinate meat in Spicy Citrus Sauce, covered in the fridge, overnight.
- Cook, covered, in slow cooker at low heat for about 8 hours, or in a covered casserole dish in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 3–4 hours, until pork is very tender and pulls apart easily into shreds. Remove pork to a platter; set aside, covered with foil, until meat is just cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, carefully pour juices from pot into a large glass measuring cup. Refrigerate until cool and fat has risen to the top. Remove excess fat.
- In a shallow saucepan, combine skimmed pork juices, sugar, vinegar, and orange juice. Place pan over medium heat and reduce for about 10 minutes, to make approximately 1 cup (250 ml) of sauce. Season to taste.
- Pull pork apart with a fork until it’s all shredded. Combine shredded pork (approximately 4 cups) and juice mixture.
- Serve pork warm (reheat if needed). Cut each crusty roll in half horizontally. Toast rolls lightly on the barbecue or under broiler for a couple of minutes. Place a radicchio leaf on the bottom half of roll. Pile on about 1/2 cup (125 ml) of pulled pork and garnish with one or two slices of avocado and a few slices of red onion. Cover with top of roll.
If you double the recipe, using a 6-lb (3-kg) roast, cut the roast into two pieces: The marinade will flavour more surface area and the meat will cook more evenly.
To prepare the spicy citrus sauce, combine paste ingredients in a bowl (makes about 1 cup).
