Pulled pork and Fourth of July backyard barbecues go hand in hand.
I love a classic pulled pork barbecue sandwich slathered with Memphis barbecue sauce. It’s hard to imagine serving pulled pork any other way.
But at Memphis in May Barbecue Fest this past spring, I got to try some new … and mighty tasty … twists on how to serve pulled pork from Jamie Purviance, author of Weber’s New American Barbecue.
“I wrote Weber’s New American Barbecue because we needed a book that captured the modern riffs and variations and improvisations happening all over the country with barbecue.”
The book offers delicious and different recipes for just everything that can be cooked on a grill or smoker.
These three ways to serve pulled pork would be perfect for your Fourth of July table … or a great way to re-purpose your pork leftovers.
“So one really fun pulled pork variation comes right out of Memphis. It’s the Barbecue Spaghetti. Where you take pulled pork and simmer it in a mixture of marinara and barbecue sauce essentially … and toss that with spaghetti. It sounds odd but it’s really good.”
“And then in a completely different style, I like to do Korean Bo Saam Pulled Pork Lettuce Cups. So it’s pulled pork tossed with a chili sauce served in a lettuce cup with some rice and a little bit of Asian slaw. And it’s really fun and super delicious.”
“If you happen to have some leftover pulled pork, I’ve got an idea for making little pork patties. Pulled pork bound together with eggs and breadcrumbs, fried in a skillet, and served like little crab cakes with some mustard sauce on the side. It’s a just a clever modern way of using up pulled pork.”
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Happy Fourth of July!
For more information about Jamie’s new cookbook Weber’s New American Barbecue, visit www.weber.com/weber-nation/blog/tags/jamie-purviance.
Memphis Pulled Pork Spaghetti
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 2 medium cubanelle or Anaheim chile peppers, 3 to 4 ounces each, stemmed, cored, and chopped
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 cans (each 28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in juice
- ¼ cup unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
- 1 tablespoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ pounds leftover smoked pulled pork, chopped
- 2 pounds dried spaghetti pasta
- Chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- Crushed red pepper flakes
In a large saucepan over medium heat on the stove, warm the oil. Add the onion and chile peppers and cook until softened, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 20 seconds.
Add the tomatoes, molasses, mustard powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Bring the sauce to a low boil, and then reduce the heat to low; simmer, uncovered, until thickened to a marinara-sauce consistency, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the pulled pork to the tomato sauce. Simmer about 10 minutes to warm through and blend the flavors. While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, transfer to a large serving bowl, and then pour 6 cups of the sauce over the pasta, mixing gently to coat.
Serve the pasta in shallow bowls and garnish each with more sauce, parsley, red pepper flakes, and slices of crusty, grilled bread, if desired.
Serves: 8 To 10 (Makes 2 Quarts Sauce)
©2016 Weber-Stephen Products LLC. Recipe from Weber’s New American Barbecue™ by Jamie Purviance. Used with permission.
