BBQ Pulled Pork with Slaw & Bacon Cornbread | Cook with Curtis Stone | Coles

pork shoulder

🥗Healthier: chicken breast

💰Cheaper: pork loin

Chicken breast is leaner, while pork loin is less expensive.

BBQ sauce

🥗Healthier: homemade sauce

💰Cheaper: ketchup + vinegar

Homemade sauce can reduce sugar and preservatives.

bacon

🥗Healthier: turkey bacon

💰Cheaper: pork fat

Turkey bacon is lower in fat, while pork fat is less expensive.

buttermilk

🥗Healthier: milk + lemon juice

💰Cheaper: milk + vinegar

These substitutes can mimic buttermilk's tangy flavor.

Position rack in centre of oven. Preheat to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Season pork with salt and pepper. Use a small sharp knife or clean box cutter to deepen scoring in the skin and fat of the pork (don’t cut through the meat). Rub 2 tsp sea salt flakes into skin. Place skin-side up in a shallow roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, for 5½ hours or until pork is fork-tender. Remove from oven and increase heat to 230°C (210°C fan-forced). Transfer pork to a plate. Pour off juices from roasting pan and reserve. Return pork to the clean pan. Roast for 20 mins or until skin is golden brown, puffed and crisp.

Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan over medium heat, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins or until crisp. Transfer to a plate, reserving fat. Whisk polenta, flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and ¾ tsp salt in a medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk and eggs in a large bowl. Gently whisk in polenta mixture until just combined. Stir in the bacon and butter.

Grease a 23cm round or square cake pan with reserved fat from bacon. Pour batter into pan and spread out evenly. Bake with pork at 230°C for 18 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 mins, then turn out and cut into pieces.

While the cornbread is cooking, place ⅓ cup (80ml) of the reserved pan juices from the pork in a medium saucepan. Add vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, chilli flakes and 2 tsp pepper. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 mins or until reduced to a syrupy consistency. Season with salt. Keep warm.

In a large bowl, toss the cabbage, onion, capsicum and ⅓ cup (80ml) of the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove crackling from the pork. Break into pieces. Transfer the pork to a large serving bowl. Using 2 forks, coarsely shred the meat. Add 1 cup (250ml) of the sauce and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the crackling, slaw, cornbread and remaining sauce.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens