Slow cooked pork with BBQ Classic

Pork Shoulder with BBQ CLASSIC

One of the challenges of the modern “first world” is finding time to prepare your own meals. After being on my feet all day, the last thing I want to do is stand over a stove. I could cut veggies all day — I love practicing my knife skills — but by the time I’m finished, I really want to get off my feet. I love digital slow cookers for exactly that.

If you’re like me and prefer main courses that aren’t overly sweet, this may be up your alley. Often, barbecue sauce is heavy on the molasses or overly sweet — almost as if flavor were an afterthought. I came up with this recipe to control that balance of flavor myself.

Plant-based pork shoulder recipe

Using this BBQ Classic Seasoning recipe with Chinese Five Spice is really simple. If you prefer not to consume pork, you can easily use a different protein, or just make the base and use it with beans, jackfruit, or cashews & cauliflower. There are no wrong answers.

Ingredients:

Boneless pork shoulder weighing approximately 1.5 lbs. A carrot, onion, celery, tomato, BBQ Classic seasoning, and a few spices, plus salt, pepper and cabbage

Your choice of bread. In the photo it is a toasted ciabatta from a popular chain.

Preparation:

1. Pat the shoulder dry.
   
2. Season all sides with salt, pepper, and five-spice. Be generous with the salt if you feel it’s needed — it's a large cut of meat. You'll want to allow this to sit overnight.
   

Searing:

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium–high heat.
   
4. Once the oil starts to ** shimmer and dance**, add the shoulder and sear on all sides (about 1 minute per side).
   
5. Remove from heat.
   

Slow Cooker Preparation:

6. Combine BBQ Classic Seasoning, dark roasted chili powder, water, and brown sugar into the slow cooker; mix until the sugar has dissolved.
   
7. Add carrots, onion, celery and tomatoes that were cut to fit into the slow cooker.
   
8. Place the seared shoulder on top of the veggies.
   
9. Close the lid and cook on high for 3–4 hours or low for 6–8 hours, according to your slow cooker’s instructions.
   

Final Preparation and Assembly:

11. Remove the pork and place it in a large bowl.
    
12. Shred the meat into nice strings with two forks.
    
13. Puree the remaining cooking liquid in a food processor, or use a potato masher if you don't have a processor.
    
14. If you’d like a thicker sauce, reduce the liquid until it reaches your preferred consistency.
    
15. Combine the pureed sauce with the shredded pork and mix well.
    
16. To serve, spoon the mixture over the bed of shredded cabbage nestled on your bread.
    
17. Assemble your sandwich and enjoy!