Asian Pulled Pork Sliders with Kale & Apple Slaw

Ok folks, this recipe I am challenging myself to see how many Doorganic’s items I can incorporate into our dish without overwhelming everyone. I am going to place an {*} by each ingredient you can order from our site. With our climate still lingering in the bitter cold & snowy days I find that a warm roasted pork butt sandwich will please your Saturday or Sunday afternoon as well as the leftovers it will bring into the early week.

I wanted to give a traditional pork sandwich a twist by adding an Asian flare. The spices that are involved in this dish will surely awake your taste buds and sooth your chilly soul not to mention it is always great to have Asian spices in the pantry!

Chinese Pulled Pork

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2.5 pounds Pheasant Ridge boneless pork shoulder/butt, cut into large cubes *
• 1 small onion, peeled and sliced thin *
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped *
• 3 slices of peeled ginger, roughly 2 inches long
• 1 piece star anise
• 1/4 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced *
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup white wine or mirin
• 1/3 cup water or chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 4 Little Rooster buns or harvest rolls *

Kale & Apple Slaw

• 3 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 bunch kale stemmed and cut into extremely thin strips (about 4 loosely packed cups in total) *
• 1 small pink lady apple, cored and grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 1/2 cup total) *
• 1 medium carrot, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 1/2 cup total)

For the pulled pork, heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven and brown the pork on two sides over medium heat, working in batches as necessary to avoid crowding the pan. As the pork is browned, remove it to a plate.

Once all the pork is browned, add the onions, garlic, and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally to pull up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until they begin to soften, about 5-8 minutes. Add in the star anise and mushrooms and stir for another minute more.

Nestle the pieces of pork back into the pan. Add the soy sauce, wine, vinegar, water/stock, and sesame oil, and stir to distribute. Add in additional water or chicken stock as necessary to bring the liquid level to about halfway up the pieces of pork (it’s fine if there’s a bit more than that). Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle-to-moderate simmer and cover the pot.

Braise the pork until very tender, about 2 hours.

While the pork is braising, make the kale slaw. In a large bowl, combine the miso, lemon juice, vinegar, olive and sesame oils, and pepper to make a thick dressing. Toss in the kale, apple, and carrots, and mix continuously for a couple of minutes to coat the kale very well. Make it at least an hour or two before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

When the pork is fork-tender and falling apart, remove it from the pan and onto a large plate. Remove any unwanted hunks of fat still remaining, and shred the meat with two forks (or your fingers if the meat is cool enough). Skim the fat from the pan and discard. Also discard the star anise pod. Reduce the sauce over medium-low heat to about 1/2 cup (if there is more than that).

To assemble sandwiches, place a heaping mound of shredded pork on the bottom half of each bun. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of reduced sauce onto the meat. Top with a generous mound of the kale slaw. Top with the other half of the bun, and serve.