I adore pulled pork. It’s one of my favourite ‘cheat meal’s when I eat out. Nothing beats a good dirty burger. Keen to be able to have my favourite treat without the guilt I set out to create my own healthy but flavoursome version of the recipe. Boy, did this one hit the spot. The pork is soft and bursting with flavour, the slaw contrasts nicely with a little spice and most of all, even though the ingredients may look a little daunting, it is exceptionally easy to make!

I’ve pointed each element of this recipe so that you can pick and choose which parts you want to include or replace with another. I had 80g cooked pulled pork (3sp) with 2sp worth of BBQ sauce, 1sp worth of spicy slaw, a Warbie Thin (3sp) and 150g potato wedges (3pp) for a total of 12sp.

 

Ingredients

For the pulled pork

This pork serves at least 10 people – when serving 10 it is 3sp (previously 4pp) each

Alternatively you can measure your portion out cooked – 80g is 3sp (previously 4pp)

1.45kg Pork Shoulder, raw

2 x onions, sliced

3 or 4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed

3 or 4 bay leaves

1 tbsp smoked paprika and mustard powder

1 tsp ground cumin, cinnamon and chilli powder

1 tsp salt and cracked black pepper

400ml chicken stock

For the BBQ sauce

This sauce is only 2sp per person when serving 6 people.

100g ketchup

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp smoked paprika and cumin

¼ tsp mustard powder and salt

Pinch of chilli powder (more if you like it spicy)

For the Spicy Mexican Slaw

This slaw serves a minimum of 6 people for 1sp each – you can reserve a little of the dressing to use as a dip for your wedges if you like

½ white cabbage, finely shredded

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped into sticks

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

4 tbsp half fat mayonnaise

2 tbsp half fat sour cream

½ tsp chipotle paste

Juice of ½ lime

Accompaniments – for 4

600g new potatoes cut into wedges, par boiled and baked in 1kal for 30 mins in garlic salt, smoked paprika and cumin (3sp per person )

4 x Aldi Brioche Buns (4pp per person (not sure on their new sp value))(or use a Warbie Brown Thin, 3sp)

Handful of salad leaves

Method

To oven cook

Preheat the oven to 150c.

In the bottom of a roasting tin, scatter the onions, garlic and bay leaves.

In a bowl mix together the rest of the spices with the salt and pepper. Pat the meat dry and then rub the spices into the meat getting into all the nooks and crannys. Place the meat on top of the onions, pour the stock around it and then pop a lid (or tin foil) on the roasting tin and pop in the oven for around 4 hours until falling apart.

Lift the pork out the pan and pop to one side to rest for around 15 mins (while you make the sauce).

In a sauce pan pop the onions and bay leaves (out of the roasting tin) with all the other sauce ingredients. Discard the garlic. Simmer for five minutes until the sauce thickens and then take off the heat.

Remove all of the fat from the pork and discard (unless you have a none dieter in your house who insists on eating the cracking!). Using two forks shred the meat until you have a nice big pile of gorgeous meat. Take 320g (enough for 4 people, 80g per person if less) of the meat from the pile and pop into the BBQ sauce mixture, combining well.

To make the slaw mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle and lime in a small bowl. In a large bowl pop all the veg with the white wine vinegar. Toss and then add the mayonnaise sauce, mixing so it is evenly distributed.

To serve pop some salad leaves on the bottom of your bun, top with slaw then the pulled pork and then top with the bun.

Serve with the smoky potato wedges and enjoy!

To slow cook

If you prefer to slow cook begin by scatter the onions, garlic and bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker.

In a bowl mix together the rest of the spices with the salt and pepper. Pat the meat dry and then rub the spices into the meat getting into all the nooks and crannys. Place the meat on top of the onions, pour the stock around the meat and cook for 8-12 hours on MEDIUM. Follow the rest of the recipe as above.