There’s nothing quite like a sweet & sticky pulled pork bun! The gooseberries disintegrate during the slow-roasting of the pork, leaving behind a lovely sweetness that is deliciously complemented by the addition of smoky hickory flavouring.
Gooseberry-roasted pulled pork buns
SERVES 4 | TOTAL TIME 6 hours
INGREDIENTS
- 1,2kg pork shoulder, skin removed
- Olive oil, to drizzle
- 2 tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 2 tsp coriander seeds, roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 400g gooseberries, roughly crushed with a fork
- Handful fresh sage leaves
- Handful fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ cup red wine
- ½ cup water
- 6 baby rainbow carrots, shaved into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
- Small handful crimson micro herbs
- Small handful fennel leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 4 drops hickory liquid smoke flavouring
- 4 sesame buns, sliced open and toasted, to serve
- crème fraîche, to serve
METHOD
PREHEAT the oven to 140°C.
PLACE the pork in a deep roasting dish and drizzle with some olive oil. Rub the spices onto the pork and place the gooseberries on and around the meat. Sprinkle the meat with the herbs and scatter the onion quarters and garlic cloves around. Season the meat generously with sea salt and pour the wine and water into the roasting tin.
COVER the roasting dish tightly with foil and roast in the oven for about 6 hours – the meat is ready when it can easily be pulled apart with a fork.
WHILE the meat cooks, toss the baby carrot ribbons with the micro herbs and fennel leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Set aside in the fridge until needed.
WHEN the pork is ready, shred the meat using 2 forks. Crush the garlic cloves and any remaining gooseberries into the pork, but discard the onion and any thyme stalks. Combine the pulled pork with the barbecue sauce and liquid smoke (you could add one drop at a time and taste as you go – a little goes a long way!). Taste the mixture and season with salt to taste.
TO SERVE, generously spread the bases of the buns with crème fraîche. Top with a generous amount of smoky pulled pork and baby-carrot salad. Serve immediately.
Tip from the team: Smoked hickory flavouring is available form Woolworths and Wellness Warehouse
Gooseberry-roasted pulled pork buns
Ingredients
- 1,2kg pork shoulder, skin removed
- olive oil, to drizzle
- 10ml (2 tsp) fennel seeds, roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 10ml (2 tsp) coriander seeds, roughly crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 400g gooseberries, roughly crushed with a fork
- handful fresh sage leaves
- handful fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- sea salt, to taste
- 125ml (½ cup) red wine
- 125ml (½ cup) water
- 6 baby rainbow carrots, shaved into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
- small handful crimson microherbs
- small handful fennel leaves, roughly chopped
- 250ml (1 cup) barbecue sauce
- 4 drops hickory liquid smoke flavouring (available at woolworths.co.za)
- 4 sesame buns, sliced open and toasted, to serve
- crème fraîche, to serve
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 140°C. Place the pork in a deep roasting dish and drizzle with olive oil. Rub the spices onto the pork and place the gooseberries on and around the meat. Sprinkle the meat with the herbs and scatter the onion quarters and garlic cloves around. Season the meat generously with sea salt and pour the wine and water intothe roasting tin. Cover tightly with foil and roast in the oven, 6 hours – the meat is ready when it can easily be pulled apart with a fork.
While the meat cooks, toss the baby carrot ribbons with the microherbs and fennel leaves. Drizzlewith olive oil and season with salt. Set aside in the fridge until needed.
When the pork is ready, pull the meat using 2 forks. Crush the pulled pork, garlic cloves and any remaining gooseberries together, but discard the onion and any thyme stalks. Combine the pulled pork with the barbecue sauce and liquid smoke (you could add a drop at a time and taste as you go – a little goes a long way!). Taste the mixture and season with salt to taste.
To serve, generously spread the bases of the buns with crème fraîche. Top with a generous amount of smoky pulled pork and baby-carrot salad and serve immediately.
Notes
Tip from the team: Smoked hickory flavouring is available form Woolworths and Wellness Warehouse
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Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
