3S Pulled Pork Recipe with slaw and pickled apples

 Hi all!  This recipe is 3S Pulled pork because it's Simple pulled pork, Simple slaw, and Simple pickled apple and shallot.  This is a great recipe for entertaining and an excellent summer recipe too since you don't have to turn on the oven or smoker. 

Ingredients for the pork: 

4-5lb bone in pork shoulder
Chipotle powder
Mesquite bbq rub
Applewood bbq rub
1/4 cup  apple cider vinegar (ACV)
1/2 cup root beer
1/2 cup chicken stock
4 dashes liquid smoke
Hawaiian Sweet rolls (they have full size buns now but you could do the smaller slider size)

4 TBSP butter

1 TBSP canola oil

Your favorite bbq sauce

Directions for the pork: 

1. Marinate the pork overnight in a ziptop bag with a dusting of chipotle chili powder and then generous amount of mesquite rub and applewood rub. 

2. 30 minutes before you're ready to sear the pork remove from the fridge. Heat a large cast iron pan with a little canola. Oil.  Sear the pork on all sides about 3 minutes per side.  Place in the slow cooker. 

3. Deglaze your pan with water or chicken stock and scrap up any brown bits on the pan.  Pour that liquid and all the brown bits into the slow cooker. 

4. Add to the slow cooker, ACV, root beer, chicken stock, liquid smoke. Turn slow cooker on high and cook for 8 hours 

5. Remove the pork from the slow cooker into a large bowl and shred with two forks.  Remove most of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker and put in a jar - you want to save this.  Keep about 1/2 cup in the slow cooker to keep the pork moist. 

6. Return the meat to the slow cooker and keep warm up to 2 hours before serving.  

7. When ready to serve, heat a griddle with a little fat/juice from the slow cooker. Place portion size mounds of pulled pork on the griddle and drizzle with bbq sauce.  Heat through and put a little caramelization on your pork. 

8. Butter your buns on both sides and toast on a cast iron pan. This step is crucial because the ingredients in the sand wich are soft so you want a little texture to your bun.  

9. Serve pork on a bun topped with slaw and pickled apples and shallots. Those recipes are below.  


Simple slaw:

2 Green onion, chopped
3/4 package of slaw (from the bag salad section of the grocery store)
2 TBSP Mayo

1 TBSP dijon mustard

1 tsp minced garlic
A few dashes of Tabasco
Salt
Pepper
Pinch of sugar

Mix together up to 1 hour before the pork is ready.  The sooner you mix it the softer the cabbage will be.  If you want good crunch, mix right before serving.  

Simple Pickled apples and shallot: 

1 Granny Smith apple, cut into matchsticks
1 shallot sliced thin and pulled apart
1 1/4 cup ACV
1/3 cup applewood smoked honey (local made in Illinois)
1 tsp Peppercorns
2 bay leaves
about 10 turns of Coarse salt
1/2 tsp dill

Heat liquid and seasonings in a saucepan just until bubbly. Stir to combine.  Pour liquid and all spices over the apples and shallots and let sit for 20 minutes, stir once.  Place in the fridge until ready to serve.  This can be made in advance and stored in a glass container in the fridge.