Asian-style BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

Copyright 2008 by Cooking With The Single Guy

Ingredients:
4 to 5 lb. pork shoulder or butt
2 T Hawaiian sea salt or kosher salt
2 T organic or all-natural liquid smoke (optional)
½ cup beef or chicken broth
Sandwich buns

BBQ sauce:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger
½ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 T Hoisin sauce
2 T tomato paste
1 T soy sauce
1 t Szechwan peppercorns
2 T honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut pork into small pieces about the size of your fist and place in baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and liquid smoke and work the ingredients all over the meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.

When ready to cook, remove from refrigerator and place in roasting tray. Pour broth to create a thin layer of liquid on the bottom of the pan, then cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place in oven and bake for 2.5 to 3 hours.

Remove from oven and let cool. Then with two forks, pull the pork apart into stringy pieces. Pork should be so tender that it’ll easily fall apart. Pulled pork can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.

To make the BBQ sauce, place all ingredients in a small saucepan and let simmer for about 5 minutes, letting all the ingredients blend together. Use a hand blender to create silky texture to your sauce or run sauce through a sieve to remove any chunky items.

When ready to eat, pour sauce over the pulled pork and then serve in your favorite sandwich buns. Garnish with pickled onions and serve with green salad.

Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

Pair with a glass of Pinot Blanc.

TIP: To reheat the pulled pork, I find you retain the moisture and juicy elements by steaming the pork in a bamboo steamer or something similar. This works even after you’ve frozen your pork for future meals. (Let defrost in refrigerator before steaming.)

HOISIN SAUCE: This is a special Chinese sauce used in some dishes. You can find it sold in jars in the Asian ingredients aisle of your grocery store or at an Asian food market.