WINE & FOOD AFFAIR RECIPES

Main Dish

Pulled Pork with Memphis-Style Barbecue Sauce and Down-Home Slaw

Blanchard Family Wines

109 W. North Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
blanchardfamilywines.com

  • RECIPE YEAR: 2016
  • RECIPE BY: Steve Ryan
  • YIELD: Serves 4
  • PAIRS WELL WITH: Jackson James Zinfandel

Because EVERYONE, including your crazy neighbor, has a pulled pork recipe. You know who/what I mean. We are going to let you in on the secret sauce that will bring that heavenly combination of succulent, sexy, porky love and sweet oaky smoke together on a bun right now. This recipe will also make a good finishing and dipping sauce for ribs, chicken, fish, a flipflop, etc.

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup Zinfandel
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 2 teaspoons Louisiana hot sauce, plus more, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more, if you like spicy
  • 1 pork shoulder
  • Buns for serving
  • Coleslaw for serving

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine the Zinfandel (spaghetti-night Zin, not that $30 bottle) and vinegar and simmer until reduced by half. 

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the tomato sauce, Zin reduction, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, hot sauce, salt, black pepper and cayenne and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt, black pepper and cayenne.

Transfer the sauce to a blender and process until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to a jar and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Now the good Blanchard Family Zin comes out . . .

Perform your porky shoulder magic, unless you're a whole hog master (in which case, I bow to your prowess). Shred, pull and chop the meat, get the buns, mound the meat high, sauce it good, add the slaw and top that bun. Eat comma repeat.