This light and zesty pulled pork is perfect for hamburger-bun sandwiches. I first ate a pulled pork sandwich (or was it a taco?) prepared by my cousin, Terri Gallamore, who referred me to the Pioneer Woman’s oven-roasted pork shoulder recipe.
Check out her original recipe, “Cynthia’s Spicy Shredded Pork,” but recognize that spicy means something different in other states. This dish may be attributed to a cook in Austin, but I doubt that is where it originated. You see, in Texas, 1 teaspoon of chili powder for 4-7 pounds of meat barely makes a meal interesting, much less spicy.
Carlyn’s Light and Zesty Pulled Pork
- 1 pork loin (2-5 lbs.)
- 2-3 lemons (zest and juice to make 1/4 – 1/3 cup)
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1-2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons olive or canola oil
Line a crock pot with one of those disposable liners. This is a messy dish!
Rinse and dry the pork loin, then brown the pork loin in a non-stick skillet over high heat. Begin with the fatty side down and leave it for 3-5 minutes. You want a nice caramel color and the fat takes a while to begin sizzling.
Using a meat fork and tongs, flip the pork loin to the opposite side and keep browning for 3-5 more minutes.
Now use the tongs and meat fork to hold the loin on its edge. If the loin is roughly rectangular, this is one of the “skinny” sides. After 3 or so minutes of browning on that side, flip to the other skinny side and keep browning.
Finally, hold the loin upright with the tongs and meat fork to brown the ends of the meat for 1-2 minutes on each end.
Place the browned loin in the bag inside the crock pot and cover with the lid to retain the heat.
Make the sauce by combining the rest of the ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Uncover the pork loin, move the loin to a cutting board, and poke holes into all sides of the meat with a knife. Replace the meat back in the lined crockpot and pour the sauce over the meat. Use your fingers to push the sauce into the holes you cut with a knife.
Replace the lid and cook on high heat for 6 hours or low heat for 8-10 hours.
When ready to eat, remove the meat from the very juicy sauce, and if it remains whole then cut it into 3-4 large chunks. Using two large forks, to shred the pork, “pulling” it into thin pieces.
Serve with the juice on the side, plus pickles, onions and hamburger buns so everyone can make their own sandwich.