There’s nothing quite as versatile as pulled pork. Once a shoulder or butt has been braised on low heat for several hours, the meat becomes tender and juicy, and easily shreddable for a number of dishes: sandwiches, quesadillas, pizza, pasta, soup. You name it.
This recipe came about like many of my other creations: I had a bunch of unused ingredients languishing in my fridge, waiting for an inspired idea. In this case, pomegranate juice leftover from muhammara and a bottle of blush chablis from a past dinner party. To cut the sweetness, I flavored the sauce with a number of lovely umami flavors – mustard, soy sauce, Worcesthire sauce, and plenty of garlic.
The dish came out wonderfully aromatic and we’ve used the pork so far for street-style tacos, barbecue pizza, and homemade ravioli. We also conserved and froze some of the sauce to make a French onion soup later at a later day.
Ingredients:
4-5 LB pork shoulder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil, to taste
4 onions, sliced thickly
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup whole grain mustard
1/8 cup soy sauce
1-2 TB Worcestershire sauce
1 cup pomegranate seeds (give or take)
5 garlic cloves, minced
Half bottle of rosé
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the pork dry and rub down generously with salt and pepper. On medium-high, heat a Dutch oven or another high-sided/oven-safe pan with a drizzle of oil oil until glistening. Carefully add the pork and brown on all sides – this should take about 10 minutes. Remove the pork and set aside on a plate.
Add the sliced onions and a healthy dose of salt to the rendered fat. Let them caramelize until golden and slightly browned. In a small mixing bowl, combine the pomegranate juice, whole grain mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pomegranate seeds, and minced garlic. Place the pork back into the dish over the onions and spoon the sauce mixture over it. Pour the wine until it’s about halfway up the side of the pork. (We do not want to drown it!) Cover the top and place in the oven.
After a total of 3 hours, remove the pot and careful lift the lid from the steaming dish. Take the pork out and use two forks (or other tools) to pull the tender meat apart. Feel free to boil the liquid down a bit to create a thicker sauce or just add the pork back in as is. Enjoy!
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