A fun and flavourful meal!
Recently, I was craving the taste of my classic Carolina-style pulled pork but didn’t have the hours needed to rub, rest and smoke the meat. This quick alternative, made with ground pork, was a very satisfying substitute. Although I enjoy baking and eating bread products, I often choose lettuce instead of buns for meaty dishes and in this case, I found the filling really shines when perched on crisp, green leaves (though it would be great on a bun too). We enjoyed a little tangy coleslaw and pickled onions as toppings, though the pork and sauce would be great unadorned as well.
Ingredients
Meat:
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
- 1 lb (454 g) ground pork
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves, to serve
- Coleslaw, to serve (optional)
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) ketchup
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) water
- Pinch cayenne (or more, to taste)
- 1-2 drops liquid smoke
Method
- Drizzle the olive oil into a large skillet and warm over medium heat. Add the ground pork and stir. Combine spices and brown sugar in a small bowl then sprinkle over the meat in the skillet. Stir well and cook, stirring often, till meat is thoroughly cooked (10-12 minutes). Cover and keep warm.
- While meat is cooking, combine all sauce ingredients in a small pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
- Drizzle warm sauce over the cooked ground pork and stir well.
- Note that the sauce and meat can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and reheated before serving.
- To serve, scoop several spoonsful of the meat and sauce mixture into the centre of each lettuce leaf. Top with coleslaw, if desired.
Serves 4.
Constantly Cooking with Paula Roy 