Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Apple Slaw, Potato Salad and Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Pie (Recipe)

This past Sunday, I treated my father to a Southern-style lunch in honour of Father's Day. As frequent travellers to Georgia, my family and I truly appreciate the taste of traditional Southern barbecue. I therefore rose to the challenge to recreate a family favourite...slow-roasted pulled pork sandwiches! And what goes better with this comfort food than potato salad, coleslaw (with an apple twist) and of course, scrumptious pie!

While many tend to shy away from making pulled pork because of the lengthy cooking time required, it is actually very easy when using a crock pot and ridicuously delicious! Follow the below recipes to recreate this Southern meal, and you too can be enjoying melt-in-your-mouth, succulent barbecue...or as I like to call it "heaven on a bun!" Be sure to also check out the 'Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Pie' recipe at the bottom, which was the perfect way to end the meal.

Crock Pot Pulled Pork and Mustard B.B.Q Sauce

Ingredients:

Pulled Pork:
3 lbs Pork Tenderloin
3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Hot Sauce
1/2 tbsp Liquid Smoke
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Mustard BBQ Sauce:
1 cup Yellow Mustard
1/2 cup Molasses
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper to Taste (I used 1 tsp each)

Directions:

1. Combine the vinegar, hot sauce and liquid smoke in a slow cooker.
2. Place the pork into the crock pot as well, cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. (I cooked it on high for 6 hours)
3. While the pork is cooking, combine the ingredients for the bbq sauce in a medium sauce pan.
4. Bring the mixture to a low boil, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from the heat and set aside to allow to cool slightly (If you cook this sauce more than an hour or two before serving, you will want to store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use).
6. When ready to eat, pour sauce over pulled pork, mix and serve on a bun. (Ciabatta buns are good option).

Apple Slaw

Ingredients:

3 cups of Slaw Mix
1 Lady Alice Apple, Grated
1/2 cup of 0% Greek Yogurt
Juice of Half a Lemon
Pinch of Black Pepper
2 tbsp of Miracle Whip Mayonnaise 

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and gently mix to combine.
2. Store in a lidded container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Potato Salad

Ingredients:

4 Potatoes
4 Eggs
1/2 Stalk Celery, Chopped
1/4 cup Sweet Relish
1 clove Garlic, Minced
2 tbsp Mustard
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Paprika (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. (Tip: use chicken broth instead of water to give the potatoes some added flavour).

2. Drain potatoes, and after they have cooled, chop into bite size pieces.

3. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water; peel and chop.

4. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, sweet relish, garlic, mustard, mayonnaise and salt and pepper. Gently mix together and finish it off with a nice dusting of paprika on top!

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Pie

Ingredients:

Pie Crust: (makes 1 9-inch pie crust)
2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Shortening, Cut into Cubes, Chilled
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter, Cut into Cubes, Chilled
4-6 tbsp Cold Water

Pie Filling:
1/2 cup Flour
1 cup Sugar
1 cup + 2 tbsp Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup Pecans, Chopped
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (1 stick), Melted and Cooled
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs, Beaten

Directions:

1. Add flour and salt to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse to mix it. Add cold shortening and butter to the food processor and pulse for 30 to 60 seconds until pea-sized shapes of butter and flour start to form.
2. While pulsing, stream in water 1 tablespoon at a time. Pulse until ingredients are moistened and dough begins to form and pull away from the sides of the food processor. You may not use all of the water. Remove dough from food processor and mold into a circle and flatten. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
3. Remove from the refrigerator and place the pie crust between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll to about a 1/8 inch thickness, using a rolling pin. Place pie crust on pie plate and cut off excess. Using your fingers crimp the top edge of your pie crust. Place pie plate in the refrigerator.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Add flour and sugar to a medium-sized bowl and mix with a rubber spatula. Add chocolate chips and mix until coated in dry mixture. Add pecans and do the same thing. Add melted butter and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add eggs and mix again just to combine.
6. Pour pie filling into prepared pie crust and bake for about 50 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a side of ice cream!

Verdict: This meal was a real crowd pleaser! My family thoroughly enjoyed every last bite. The pulled pork was succulent with just the right amount of punch, the apple slaw was the perfect combination of sweetness and creaminess, the potato salad was tasty and flavourful, and the cookie pie was sinfully delicious!!

Total Prep Time: 2 hours 
Total Cook Time: 7 hours 

Rating: 10/10