Pulled pork sandwich

When I first started looking into recipes for pork, I kept finding pulled pork recipes cropping up over and over, but I always assumed that it was high in fat and calories so at first dismissed it. But after the pouting reaction from my wife, who loves pork, I read more, on what is now my favorite sandwich of all time.

When stripped of the fat and crackling pulled pork is actually lower in calories and fat than chicken, it's only downfall is it is high in salt. I was very surprised to find that it contains half the fat of chicken and half of the saturated fat. Pulled pork is also half the cholesterol of chicken at only 35mg (11%) per 100g opposed to chicken at 64mg (21%) per 100g. Pulled pork also contains 1.2g of fiber per 100g and vitamin A, B-6, B-12, C, Calcium and magnesium.

Ingredients:

1kg lean shoulder of pork
4 cloves sliced garlic
1 roasting bag
crusty wholewheat rolls
shredded lettuce or baby spinach
dry fried onions

Rub
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp mustard powder
ground black pepper

BBQ sauce
1 finely chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
100g tomato puree
100g malt vinegar
75g honey
1 tsp mustard powder
100ml beef stock (1/2 oxo made up with 100ml water)
Juice from roasting bag with the fat drained off.

Spicy coleslaw
50g shredded cabbage
75g grated carrot
50g finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp low fat mayonaise
2 - 3 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp lime juice (or lemon)
1 tsp soy sauce
ground black pepper


How to:

Pulled pork

1. Combine the rub ingredients well and rub into the pork shoulder and place in the fridge for at least an hour.
2. Place the meat in the roasting bag and sprinkle the garlic slices over the joint. Seal the bag as per the manufactures guidelines and roast in a cool oven at 140-150 degrees for 5 hours, turning the bag once an hour to baste the meat.
3. Carefully open the bag after cooking to test if the pork is easily shredded with a fork, allow to sit in its juice for 20 minutes.
4. Drain off the roasting juices and allow the juice and fat to settle, discard the fat.
5. Pull into shreds with a couple of forks and serve.

BBQ sauce

1. Sweat the onions and garlic in a small pan until just transparent. You don't need oil, just a non stick pan and frequent stirring.
2. Add the vinegar, tomato puree, honey or syrup and stock to the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes till the sauce thickens.
3. Just before serving, pour in the retained roasting juices (minus the fat) into the sauce and simmer for a further 2 minutes.

Spicy coleslaw

1. Throw all the ingredients into a bowl and mix.
2. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.

To make the sandwich, cut the rolls in half and toast the cut side. Load the open sandwich with a layer of lettuce, a layer of pulled pork, a layer of fried onions and a spoonful of the BBQ sauce. Serve as an open sandwich with a side of spicy coleslaw salad.

I like making this with Tesco Walnut rolls as the nutty taste works well with the flavour of the sandwich.

Serves lots, we got seven good sized portions of meat from the joint.