Ernest Hemingway allegedly wrote a compelling work of fiction using only six words. A seemingly tragic story, complete with a beginning, middle and end, unfolds with these simple words: For sale: baby shoes, never worn. Following Hemingway’s format, I’ve come up with my own semi-tragic six-word story: Party planned, game lost, theme changed. Not really being an ardent football fan, I surprised myself with thoughts of hosting a Super Bowl party if the San Francisco 49ers beat the New York Giants. After Sunday’s overtime loss, I was in no mood for a party. But since, in my head, a menu had already taken shape, it seemed a shame not to put part of it to good use. Here’s a recipe for pulled pork sandwiches that’s easy, doesn’t smack too much of mustard or vinegar, and can be made in a slow cooker ahead of time! Australian Open party, anyone?
Easy Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Adapted from a recipe found on allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 Boston Pork Butt Roast
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Enough root beer to cover roast (not diet version)
About 3 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
1 dozen onion rolls, sliced in half and lightly toasted
1 large can of French’s French Fried Onions, optional
Directions:
1. Rinse roast under cold running water and pat dry.
2. Rub salt and freshly ground pepper over roast.
3. Place pork in slow cooker and pour root beer over the meat until it is covered.
4. Cover with lid and cook on low until meat is well-cooked. Meat should fall off the bone and should be easy to shred. Length of cooking time will depend on the size of the pork butt roast and the type of heating element in your slow cooker. Plan on at least 8 to 10 hours for this portion of the cooking.
5. After meat is cooked, shred it and discard any fatty pieces.
6. Pour out the cooking liquid in the slow cooker (skim the fat off first, so that it does not go down the sink drain) and put the shredded meat back into the cooker. Stir in the barbecue sauce and gently mix until evenly distributed. Cook on low for one more hour, being careful that the sauce and meat does not burn.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. To serve: Let guests mound the pulled pork onto toasted rolls. Sprinkle french fried onions on top of meat, if desired. Put tops of rolls on sandwiches and make sure to provide plenty of napkins!
Serves about 12.
Linnell’s Notes:
1. The last time I made this I did not have root beer on hand, so I used some ginger beer that my brother-in-law kindly brought back from Australia for my hubby. I poured ginger ale soda in to cover the rest of the pork roast.
2. I used a 40 ounce bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s Award Winning Barbecue Sauce, because I had it on hand. Obviously, the tastier the barbecue sauce, the tastier the pulled pork.
3. The pork can be cooked, shredded, cooled and refrigerated ahead of time. On game day, put the meat back in the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce and cook on low for about one hour.
4. The topping of french fried onions gives the sandwiches a nice salty crunch!
5. Serve with some coleslaw and you are all set to go!
Enjoy!
What about this? 