A Costco Recipe

 Do any of you shop at Costco? We like to call it the hundred dollar store because it seems impossible for me to get out of there for under $100. And it doesn't do me one bit of good to go less often because then I just seem to be making up for all my "missed" visits.

Anyway, thanks to Costco, I think I have perfected the pulled pork sandwich. 

A few years back our Costco started selling a very eclectic variety of salsas under the brand name "Robert Rostchild Farms." They only seem to sell one kind at a time, but they keep swapping them out. In the winter time there is a darker red one that is cranberry-based (I think I haven't actually bought this one), in the summer it is more of a mango thing. A few months back they had a new one that is like pineapple-lime-tequila-coconut . . . yes, all of that is in there. Well, when I saw it, I decided to try it on my pulled pork.

The key to pulled pork is to use something on it that has a fair amount of vinegar. I also like a topping that can be used for pulled pork sandwiches or pulled pork tacos. I'm not a big fan of BBQ sauce, so I never cook it directly in the sauce, but add it later for those that do like it. Also, BBQ sauce burns to the side of your crock pot if it sits in there too long.

So this "recipe" is going to be less effective because it really won't include measurements, but here we go.

Pork roast--any variety. I like my meat a little paler and drier so I usually get a loin roast because it has more white meat on it. Get what you like! I usually get a pretty big one and cook a bunch, freezing the leftovers.

Funky salsa--I highly recommend the pineapple-lime-tequila-coconut stuff from Costco. If you cannot find it, a mixture of green tomatillo salsa and brown sugar is effective

Put the roast and about 1 1/2 cups of salsa in the crock pot on low for about 8 hours. Drain at least part of the juice off. Depending on how fatty your roast is, you don't want your pork soupy when you pull it.

Pull the roast with two forks until it is shredded and then add about another cup of your preferred salsa into the pork, stirring it really well. 

Toppings:

Onions are a must. For a healthy option, pickle a red onion in a cup of vinegar, half a cup of water and a few teaspoons of sugar. Seal the whole thing up in an airtight container, making sure all the onions are covered and leave in your fridge for several hours prior to putting them on your sandwich. For a less healthy option, and a real Southern-style sandwich, try these from Pioneer Woman.

Coleslaw is the next deal-breaker. I discovered coleslaw on pulled pork about two years ago and never looked back. To keep it simple I just buy a bag of shredded coleslaw mix cabbage and stir in a little bit of Lighthouse Brand coleslaw dressing. Again, a more healthy option is to add your cabbage to your pickled onions. It is less sweet and more tangy that way. 

Cilantro. There is a Vietnamese sandwich shop here in town that makes a great sandwich. They put a generous spring of cilantro on top of their sweet pork and pickled veggies.

The bread. I cannot overstate how important this is. Back to Costco and their bakery. You can buy sandwich buns in their bakery at about $5 for a dozen. They are very large and have the perfect texture for this sandwich. Especially when grilled a little bit. Oh. wow.

Plantboy didn't stop there. He added a sharp, creamy white cheddar (also from Costco). I opted out; I don't like cheese on sandwiches generally. He also put a large slice of red pepper right on top--more flavorful than a tomato this time of year. 

This school year I have found that anything that can be cooked in my crockpot is my favorite recipe. I only have one week of school left and dinners have been anything but consistent in recent weeks as I feel like all my domestic endeavors are coming apart at the seams. 

One week to go. I can do this. I can do this.