The way this summer in the UK is turning out, I’m going to be relying heavily on hot sandwiches. It is cold right now! 15-minute French dip, slivers of roast beef, topped with melted cheese and dipped in a brothy gravy; classic Croque Madame; and hot cheesy salmon sandwich are all on standby.
Slow cooker pulled pork
Ahh, the slow cooker. It seems as though its limelight has been stolen by that flashy newcomer the air fryer! Don’t get me wrong, I love my air fryer, but the slow cooker? That is my ride or die. My trusty slow cooker has saved me countless hours of cooking time, mountains of washing up, and yielded some of the most delicious recipes ever. I couldn’t have come this far without it. One of my favourite things to slow cook is pork. Other cooking methods can sometimes result in tough and dry meat, but slow cooker pulled pork is reliably melt-in-the-mouth. A tight lid and a slow steep in its own juice and fat means it retains all its moisture. And this slow cook recipe is double juicy! It begins with a 12-hour marinade in a concoction of ketchup, barbecue sauce, chilli paste and maple syrup, that deeply infuses the meat. Followed by a further 8-hour soak in the cooker in the same sweet cocktail. If you don’t have 12 hours to idle away marinating your meat, a minimum of 2 will be sufficient as it will continue to absorb the flavours during the cooking time anyway. Besides this recipe, which is giving Wild West cowboy campfire vibes, fragrant pulled pork recipe with Mexican influence, like these pulled pork tacos served with guacamole and salsa fresca is a tried and tested crowd-pleaser. Or Asian-inspired pulled pork sandwiches which showcase flavours like ginger, soy, hoisin and sesame.
Serving suggestions
The satisfyingly sloppy nature of this sandwich calls for some sides with contrasting texture. I’m serving slaws and crispy potatoes. Slaws are super sidekicks. Nutritious and crunchy, vibrant with veggies like carrot, cucumber, red or white cabbage they bring much needed colour to the meal. They are easily stuffed inside the sandwich or forked from the plate. My faves with pork are:
Cilantro and lime slaw Asian carrot and cucumber Rainbow slaw with lemon garlic tahini dressing
Roasted, fried, or baked, potatoes are filling starchy carbs that round out the square meal. I can’t resist the crispy on the outside and fluffy-centred (all the better for soaking up that pulled pork juice!) variety. Try these air fryer time-savers out:
Crispy air fryer potatoes Air fryer baked sweet potatoes Air fryer fries
Storage and leftovers
Pulled pork will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat, either zap it in the microwave or heat up slowly on the hob. Lots left? Leftovers are begging to be repurposed as pulled pork and cheese quesadillas.
More sandwich recipes to try
Tuna Salad Sandwich Chickpea Salad Sandwich Hot Roast Beef Sandwich Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos
