Pulled Pork

From EatingWell: June/July 2005 — Subscribe to EatingWell Magazine Today!

The trick to making pulled pork healthy is to trim the meat well and then skim any extra fat off the sauce after cooking. Serve on a soft whole-grain bun with crisp, cool coleslaw.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This is a great recipe if you leave out the vinegar!!!! I read the reviews and tasted the sauce before adding any vinegar and it tasted great. I thought maybe the vinegar would add another element of dimension, so I went ahead and added 1...

12 servings, 3 ounces each

Active Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 5-6 hours

Nutrition Profile

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 ounces beer, preferably lager (1 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (see Ingredient Note)
1 5-pound bone-in Boston butt, (see Shopping Tip)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and very soft, about 20 minutes.
Increase heat to high; add chili powder, cumin, paprika and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add beer, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, tomato paste, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, trim all visible fat from the pork.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the pork, spooning sauce over it. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn the pork over, cover, and bake for 1 1/2 hours more. Uncover and bake until a fork inserted into the meat turns easily, 1 to 2 hours more.
Transfer the pork to a large bowl and cover with foil. Pour the sauce into a large measuring cup or glass bowl and refrigerate until the fat and sauce begin to separate, 15 minutes. Skim off the fat. Return the sauce to the pan and heat over medium-high until hot, about 4 minutes.
Remove the bone and any remaining pieces of fat from the meat. The bone should easily slip away from the tender meat. Pull the pork apart into long shreds using two forks. Add the hot sauce to the meat; stir to combine. Serve hot.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Ingredient Note: Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers. Ground chipotle chile pepper can be found in the specialty spice section of most supermarkets. Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they'll keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.
Shopping tip: Boston butt (or “Boston-style butt,” “fresh pork butt,” “pork shoulder”) can weigh upwards of 10 pounds, so you may have to ask your butcher to cut one down for this recipe.

Nutrition

Per serving: 283 calories; 13 g fat (4 g sat, 6 g mono); 97 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 2 g fiber; 489 mg sodium; 529 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (46% daily value), Zinc (29% dv), Vitamin A (17% dv), Potassium (15% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 3 1/2 medium-fat meat