Smoky BBQ Sauce & Pulled Pork Sammich

I ran out of BBQ sauce before my latest batch of pulled pork was done. What's a girl to do? Make her own. Or in this case, be incredibly manly, and also make his own. So, that's what I did. And it turned out pretty well.

I started by hydrating some smoked medium hot chilis I picked up in Kensington market a couple weeks ago by soaking them in in half cider vinegar and half late autumn riesling (sweet white wine) for 2 hours. I forget what the peppers are called. Morenos maybe? Maybe not. Anyways, I chopped them up in my food processor and started them on the stove with the other ingredients.

I used Barbados style molasses rather than your regular fancy old fashioned kind. It is significantly runnier and I added water to give it a smoother consistency. The sauce was already quite strong, so a more flavourful liquid isn't needed. It was a bit chunky, so I used an immersion blender to make it as smooth as possible (still has a few small chunks). I imagine a bit more water would have evened it out a bit, but I don't mind a chunkier sauce. It turned out quite spicy, smoky, dark in colour, mildly sweet, more acidic, and generally packed with flavour. No ketchup or liquid smoke needed.

With my first BBQ sauce made, it was time to test it out. What better than on a pulled pork sammich? I loaded up a whole wheat Italian roll with a healthy slathering of sauce, old cheddar, cucumber, tomato, spinach and, of course, pulled pork (sauteed). I'm salivating just thinking about it. Sooooooo good! This is making a victory lap for lunch tomorrow.

Pulled Pork Pita Pizza

Over the weekend I made some pulled pork in the slow cooker. So far I've just been eating it in sammiches, but today I thought I'd do something a little different. Pizza.

Take a large pita bread, smother it in your favourite BBQ sauce. I'm using some that Ladypants brought be back from Texas, Ironworks. It is smokey, sweet and delicious. Top it with a small layer of cheese. I'm using old cheddar because I think mozzarella doesn't taste like anything, at least the cheap stuff I usually buy. Add pulled pork, soy sauteed mushrooms, spinach, red peppers, and hot sauce if desired (I did).

Top with more old cheddar and fresh grated parmesan. Broil for 5 minutes or until the top cheese turns golden brown and looks as below:

Oh yes, this does taste as good as it looks. The sweetness of the pork mixes with the smoky BBQ sauce balances the spiciness of the hot sauce. Red peppers, mushrooms and spinach are great, but they could easily be almost anything else. Next time (tomorrow) I think I'll replace the mushrooms with rapini to give it a bit more nutritional value.

*Update* This made a come back with red pepper rings, blanched rapini, and only parmesan cheese on top. Ladypants and the beard both enjoyed this quite a bit even though it is significantly healthier with less sodium and cheddar cheese fat.

*Update the second* I can't get enough of these. I made another version for supper today. I call it The Hulk because it is angry green. Blanched rapini, spinach, avocado, feta & old cheddar cheese, and pulled pork: