Spiced Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Notes: The spiced pulled pork filling for these sandwiches can be made (through step 4) up to 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature (or warm slightly in a microwave oven) before filling sandwiches. Serve sandwiches piled on a large platter.

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  pounds  boned pork shoulder or butt, fat trimmed
• 4  ounces  green onions, rinsed, ends trimmed, and coarsely chopped
• 2  cloves garlic, peeled
• 2  fresh Fresno or other hot green chilies (about 1 oz. total), rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
• 2  tablespoons  tomato paste
• 2  tablespoons  brown sugar
• 2  teaspoons  ground allspice
• 1  teaspoon  ground dried thyme
• About 1 teaspoon salt
• About 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4  cup  cider vinegar
• 8  to 10 soft dinner rolls (about 1 oz. each), sliced in half horizontally

Preparation

1. Rinse pork and pat dry.

2. In a blender or food processor, whirl green onions, garlic, chilies, tomato paste, brown sugar, allspice, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until finely chopped. Add vinegar and whirl until smooth. Scrape mixture into a heavy 5- to 6-quart pan. Add pork and turn to coat completely. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

3. Add 1 cup water to pan, cover, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce heat to very low and simmer pork, turning once, until meat is very tender when pierced and shreds easily with a fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

4. Remove from heat and let cool about 15 minutes. Transfer meat to a bowl. Skim and discard fat from surface of cooking liquid. Measure liquid; if there's more than 1 1/2 cups, boil over high heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups. With a fork or your fingers, pull meat into thin shreds; remove and discard fat. Mix meat with cooking liquid. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

5. Spoon about 1/4 cup pulled pork onto each roll bottom; set tops in place.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

262 (30% from fat)

Protein:

17g

Fat:

8.7g (sat 2.7)

Carbohydrate:

28g

Fiber:

1.3g

Sodium:

550mg

Cholesterol:

46mg