Fresh Blueberry Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
2 1/4 lb pork roast
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic
1 cup blueberries
1/3 cup chili sauce (like Heinz)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper flakes
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a four quart slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove the pork to a plate and shred with two forks. Mash the contents in the slow cooker with a potato masher until fairly smooth. Add the pork back into the slow cooker and toss to coat in sauce.

My thoughts:

As you may have noticed, I love making pulled pork with fresh fruit. The long cooking time basically melts the fruit so it becomes part of the sauce, giving it a natural sweetness. It has been either incredibly hot here or there is torrential rain or it is incredibly humid (or all three) for weeks on end. This makes dinner planning daunting at best. Pulled pork is always welcomed (especially if one can escape into an air conditioned room to eat) and couldn't be easier to make. I prep everything the night before and just dump it in the slow cooker in the morning. A hot meal that doesn't heat up the house.

Rhubarb-Ginger Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
3 lb boneless pork shoulder roast or tenderloin (trim off excess fat)
1 1/2 cup diced rhubarb (un-defrosted frozen is fine)
1/4 cup chili sauce (like Heinz)
1/4 cup spiced ginger preserves (like Mackays)
2 tablespoons thick Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons hickory liquid smoke
1 teaspoons Mexican hot chili powder
1 teaspoons hot paprika
1 teaspoon ground chipotle
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
juice and zest of one lime
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a 4 quart slow cooker. Cook for 10 hours on low. When done, meat should shred easily with a fork. Remove roast from slow cooker. Shred with a fork and set aside. Mash any solid bits of the sauce with a potato masher. Return the pork to slow cooker and toss to evenly coat in sauce. Serve on rolls.

Note: If a slow cooker is not available, place the pork in a dutch oven and bake, covered for 4 1/2 hours at 375.

My thoughts:

I love rhubarb and ginger together. I was excited to pick roasted ginger and rhubarb as part of the panel deciding on McCormick's Flavor Forecast 2010 this fall. Last summer I even created a couple of recipes using the pairing for my upcoming cookbook. I've been predicting rhubarb as the "next big thing" for nearly six years now (well, the next big thing in the US anyway, in England they know their rhubarb) and over the last couple of years have finally starting to see some quality rhubarb recipes pop up. I think pork has a natural sweetness that pairs well with both tart and sweet/spice flavors making a rhubarb-ginger pulled pork the obvious next addition to my long list of pulled pork recipes. It hits that perfect note between spicy sweet and puckery. YUM!

Pomegranate Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
3 lb boneless pork shoulder roast or tenderloin (trim off excess fat)
3/4 cup pomegranate arils
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice and zest of one lemon
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic


for the spice rub:
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons chipolte
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Directions:
Mix the spice rub ingredients together. Rub them on the pork. Sear the pork on each side in a hot, dry, nonstick skillet. Add it and all remaining ingredients to a 4 quart slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low. When done, meat should shred easily with a fork. Remove roast from slow cooker. Shred with a fork and set aside. Mash any solid bits of the sauce with a potato masher. Return the pork to slow cooker and toss to evenly coat in sauce. Serve on rolls.

Note: If a slow cooker is not available, place the pork in a dutch oven and bake, covered for 4 1/2 hours at 375.

My thoughts:

This is a really decadent tasting pulled pork. The pomegranate arils (the seeds) just melt into the meat making it amazingly flavorful and tender. For even more pomegranate flavor, I used pomegranate molasses. You can buy it bottled at some grocery stores but Middle Eastern or Greek markets always carry it. It is actually made by boiling pomegranate juice down to a thick, syrupy liquid so it is possible to make it at home if need be. Anyway, I love pomegranate very much and realized that I had virtually no pomegranate recipes on the blog. That just needed correcting. I've made a lot of pulled pork but this one is just amazing: juicy and smoky and fruity and spicy. Admittedly, the ingredient list is long but it requires virtually no work or effort on your part and the results are so fabulous that it is foolish not to make it.

Ginger Spice Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
3 lb pork loin
1/3 cup chili sauce (like Heinz)
1/3 cup pomegranate infused red wine vinegar
1/3 cup spiced ginger preserves
2 tablespoons ginger juice
1 1/2 tablespoons mango-habanero hot sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon celery flakes
1 teaspoon ground jalapeno
juice and zest of one lime
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Directions:
Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on high for 6-7 hours. At this point the pork should shred easily with a fork. Remove the loin to a plate and shred with a fork. Mash any solids in the slow cooker. Return the pork to the pot. Toss to evenly coat with sauce. Serve immediately or turn to low and cook for 1 additional hour.

My thoughts:

Longtime readers know of my deep and abiding love of pulled pork. I didn't grow up eating it but once I found that it is one of the easiest (and best!) things to make in a slow cooker I can't get enough. For this version, I upped the spicy and the ginger components and kept it pretty simple. Perfect for sticky-sweet-hot sandwiches topped with a bit of coleslaw.

Note: In the days after this recipe was featured on Saveur, I've received a few emails about the availability of some of the ingredients. While they may be unfamiliar to some, I purchased all of the ingredients for this recipe at my local (and rather small) Safeway. The spices are all from McCormick, the ginger preserves were MacKay's brand but is also available from other companies, the vinegar was made by Pompeian (and only cost $1.40!) and while you can buy the bottled Ginger People ginger juice, I make my own using the juice left from grating fresh ginger. Enjoy the recipe!

Calypso Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
3 lb boneless pork shoulder roast (trim off excess fat)
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons spiced ginger preserves*
2 teaspoons smokehouse black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 scotch bonnet pepper, seeds removed
juice and zest of one lime
juice and zest of 1/2 orange
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil


for the spice rub:

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:
Mix the spice rub ingredients together. Rub them on the pork. In a large skillet heat the oil and then brown the roast well on all sides. Place roast in slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on high in the slow cooker 6 hours**. When done, meat should shred easily with a fork. Remove roast from slow cooker. Shred with a fork (or use your fingers) and set aside. Mash any solid bits of the sauce with a potato masher. Return the pork to slow cooker, and toss to evenly coat with sauce. Serve on rolls.

*I used Mackay's, it is found in the jam and jelly aisle or with international foods.

My thoughts:

Is there such a thing as too many pulled pork recipes? I really hope not because I have posted a lot of them over the years. To date we have your basic pulled pork which was the first time I had ever made it then I branched out to East Meets Southeast Barbecue Pulled Pork which inspired me to create my absolute favorite pulled pork (and one of my favorite recipes ever) Smoky Mango Pulled Pork which lead to the fruity Blackberry Chipotle Pulled Pork then the Island Pineapple Pulled Pork and now this Caribbean inspired Calypso Pulled Pork. That's a lot of pork. Beside my love of pork, one of the reasons I made so much pulled pork (although now that I think of it, five or six recipes spread out over 4 1/2 years out of about 800 recipes isn't too much) is that it is one of the best things you can make in the slow cooker. Despite the slightly uninspiring picture here, it is effortless to make juicy, tender flavorful fall apart pork in the slow cooker. There is no need to add anything extra during the cooking time, it makes its own sauce and the pork can cook for hours only growing more tender. I actually like to use the slow cooker more during the hot steamy Summers Baltimore is famous for but it is great on a crisp fall day. Just plop everything in the pot, turn the knob and head out for day knowing you will be rewarded with succulent pork for dinner.

Island Pineapple Pulled Pork

Ingredients
3 lb boneless pork shoulder roast (trim off any excess fat)
4 cloves garlic
1 onion, roughly chopped
2/3 cup chopped pineapple
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup coconut vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce with kalamansi
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and chopped
juice and zest of one lime
1 tablespoon canola oil


spice rub:
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons lemon zest


Directions:

Mix the spice rub ingredients together. Rub them on the pork. In a large skillet heat the oil and then brown the roast well on all sides. Place roast in slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on high in the slow cooker 6-7 hours*. When done, meat should shred easily with a fork. Remove roast from slow cooker. Shred with a fork (or use your fingers) and set aside. Mash any solid bits left in the sauce with a potato masher. Return the pork and the sauce to slow cooker, and toss to evenly coat. Serve on rolls.


*Or on low for 8-9 hours.

My thoughts:

We have been seriously into Filipino food lately so I made this pulled pork (another one of our obsessions) with some of the flavors we have been enjoying. And the results? Swoon-worthy. Juicy, fruity (but not sweet!) and succulent; the meat just melts in your mouth. Perfect on a Hawaiian roll or just on the plate.


Notes about ingredients:
Coconut vinegar is available at Asian grocery stores.

I found kalamansi flavored soy sauce (toyomansi)at my local Asian grocery store, but you could mix light soy sauce with fresh or bottled calamansi (kalamansi) juice or lime juice for a similar effect.

Chipotle Blackberry Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
2 1/2 to 3 lb boneless pork shoulder roast (trim off excess fat)
1 cup fresh (whole) blackberries
1/4 cup chili sauce (like Heinz)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup white rum
1 tablespoon spiced ginger preserves*
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 chipotles in adobo (with at least 3 teaspoons adobo sauce, chopped)
juice and zest of one lime
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil


for the spice rub:

1 teaspoon Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons chipolte
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions:
Mix the spice rub ingredients together. Rub them on the pork. In a large skillet heat the oil and then brown the roast well on all sides. Place roast in slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on high in the slow cooker 6 hours**. When done, meat should shred easily with a fork. Remove roast from slow cooker. Shred with a fork (or use your fingers) and set aside. Mash any solid bits of the sauce with a potato masher. Return the pork and the sauce to slow cooker, and toss to evenly coat. Serve on rolls.


*I used Mackay's spiced ginger preserves. It is available at most well-stocked grocery stores in the jam and jelly isle.


**Or on low for 8-9 hours.

My thoughts:

That smoky mango pulled pork I made and posted a while back was so good, we're still dreaming of it. Literally, I had a dream about eating that on a homemade roll last night. However tempting making it again is however, thoughts of a different pulled pork have also been filling my thoughts. One with blackberries and chipotle peppers. Could it work? I had to try and find out.

I bought the blackberries at the store which killed me because we have a huge blackberry bush in the yard but our berries aren't quite ripe yet, but it was worth it. The ginger preserves were a last minute add in, I found a jar of it at the store recently and couldn't resist tossing some in. It added a slightly different type of spice to the pulled pork instead of just hot chile. I was a little concerned about the seeds in the blackberries, but I found that the long cooking time cooked them to the point where they were analogous with sesame seeds. If you are really concerned about the seeds, push the berries through a sieve before adding them to the slow cooker. The verdict? Smoky, spicy sweet-tart melt-in-your-mouth pork. Yum!

Smoky Mango Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
3 lb boneless pork shoulder roast (trim off excess fat)
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup bourbon
1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce
2 teaspoons smokehouse black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoon mesquite liquid smoke
1 1/2 teaspoon Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon chipolte chile powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 habanero peppers, seeds removed and chopped
juice and zest of one lime
1 large mango, cubed
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil


for the spice rub:

1 teaspoon Mexican hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon chipolte
1 teaspoon smokehouse black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Directions:

Mix the spice rub ingredients together. Rub them on the pork. In a large skillet heat the oil and then brown the roast well on all sides. Place roast in slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on high in the slow cooker 6 hours*. When done, meat should shred easily with a fork. Remove roast from slow cooker. Shred with a fork (or use your fingers) and set aside. Mash any solid bits of the sauce with a potato masher. If the sauce is very thin, heat it in a saucepan until it thickens**. Return the pork and the sauce to slow cooker, and toss to evenly coat. Serve on rolls.


*Or on low for 8-9 hours.

**I actually didn't need to do this step, but I find pork gives off a lot of water when cooked in the slow cooker and you might need to do this so the mixture isn't too soupy.

My thoughts:

This is one of those recipes that I made by running around the kitchen like a crazy person and trying to use whatever I have on hand. Thankfully I bothered to write down my measurements because this possibly my favorite of all of the recipes I've posted this year and I can't want to make it again.

Normally when I make pulled pork I saute the onions and garlic and let the pork sit overnight in the dry rub. However, I was running low on time and just tossed the raw cloves in whole, cut the onion into 8 pieces (instead of chopping them) and didn't let the meat sit with the spices at all-just a quick rubdown followed by a quick sear. I was worried the pork would suffer but it turned out great. Better than great, actually this is literally the best pulled pork I've ever eaten-the perfect combination of sweet, tart, fruity, smoky and spicy flavors. Matt loved it; we've never been so sad about finishing leftovers before. I wish I had some right now, and every day after that. It is just that good! And one of the easiest things you can make for dinner tonight, the prep is so quick it can be done in just a few minutes before heading off to work. You won't be sorry!

East Meets Southeast Barbecued Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
2 lb pork loin
For the sauce:
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon chile paste (Sambal Oelek)
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespon grated garlic
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground star anise


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Slice the pork loin into 2 inch thick slices. Place in a baking dish with a lid. Cover in sauce, cover and bake 1 1/2 hours or until pull-apart-with-a-fork tender. Use a fork to shred the pork. Serve hot on sesame buns.

Yield: about 4 servings

My thoughts:

We couldn't decide between making Southern style barbecue pork or something Asian so we decided to meld the two together in a sort of China meets Japan meets the Carolinas pulled pork. It is beyond tasty and despite the long list of ingredients, a snap to make.

Pulled Pork (in the slow cooker)

Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
3 lb boneless pork shoulder roast (trim off excess fat)
1 cup chili sauce (like Heinz)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Barbados mustard style hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons barbecue dry rub (like Stubb's)
2 onions, finely chopped
6-10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

Rub barbecue spice rub on the pork. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, over night if possible. In a large skillet add the vegetable oil and brown the roast well on all sides. Place roast in slow cooker. In the same skillet and oil, saute onions until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1-2 minutes until aromatic. Add all remaining ingredients to the skillet and bring to a boil. Pour over meat. Cook on low in the slow cooker 10-12 hours.* When done, meat should shred easily with a fork. Remove roast from slow cooker. Shred with a fork. Return to slow cooker, stirring to coat with sauce. Serve on rolls.

Spring this recipe!


*We put this up in the slow cooker right around the time we went to bed (1 AM) and it was done for lunch the next day.