To some people holidays are nothing more than a source of stress. Gift buying and get togethers don't mesh with their busy schedules. I am not one of those people. Every holiday, for me, is an opportunity to shower those I love with cards and gifts and more importantly, every holiday is cause for a feast; at least in my house. Growing up in a mostly Italian family we treated births, deaths and any holiday as an occasion to eat. And I mean eat! Come to dinner without your "eating pants" on and you won't make it to the entree course. Seriously.
Holidays take on a slightly different meaning when unemployed, however. Gifts are harder to come by when you're scraping to make ends meet. So when faced with Valentine's Day and nary a gift for Doug in sight (nor funds for said gift in wallet), I figured I'd do what I do best - feed him. Honestly, what says love more than a full belly and a sated smile?
Ok, ok, now I know what you're thinking. "Second recipe and this is what she's throwing at us? Homemade pasta and crazy French terminology? Beurre what? Demi who?" Simmer down, the former is nothing more than a brown butter and the latter a simple sauce thickened and reduced to a glaze...they just sound fancier in French, don't you think?! Admittedly, this recipe is a touch more ambitious, but having said that, I've broken it down into 2 parts for you. If you're not ready to tackle the recipe in it's entirety just yet, simply stop at pulled pork, add a ciabatta bun, some slaw or a salad and a pickle and you're set. For those of you who want to take the plunge and attempt the finished product, I promise you it's so worth it, whichever sauce you choose!
Remember when I told you about our occasional splurges? The beurre noisette is most definitely one of them. So much so, that I'm not even going to calculate the nutritional information for fear of instant cardiac arrest. The BBQ demi glace is slightly less caloric, but still counts as a splurge in my book. This decadent recipe not only makes a fair amount (I used only half of the pulled pork and yielded 30-35 raviolis), it's quite filling, so feel free to halve the entire recipe if there are only a couple of you.
Pulled Pork Ravioli Two Ways
Pulled Pork
1 2lb boneless pork tenderloin
We love pulled pork. The only complaint I have about it is that it can be really fatty and that just ruins the whole smoky, barbecuey, tender love-filled experience for me. So, when making my pulled pork, I like to use a leaner cut. I find that if you cook it "low and slow" in a crock pot it falls apart and shreds nicely. Best part is, no hunks of fat to contend with!
drizzle of olive oil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
cooking oil spray
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
Cut the pork tenderloin into 1 1/2 - 2 inch cubes and place in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine cayenne, salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and brown sugar. Drizzle the pork cubes with olive oil, add the spice rub mixture and toss well to coat. Really get in there and massage the pork so that all your little cubes get some spice loving.
Spray the inside of your crock pot evenly with cooking oil spray and transfer the seasoned pork cubes to the crock pot. Set the pork for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. While it's cooking, your house will take on the smell of a Memphis barbecue pit; the savory garlic, warm cayenne and paprika and sweet sticky molasses aromas dancing through the air. It's amazing!
Once your pork is done cooking, transfer the cubes to a cutting board using a slotted spoon and shred them using 2 forks. I find it easier and less messy to transfer the cubes in small batches rather than all at once and add my shredded pork to a separate bowl until I've finished shredding it all. After you've shredded all the pork, return it to the sauce in the crock pot and give it a good stir.
At this point, you've got the makings of a fantastic meal. A good bun, some salad or slaw and a pickle (or 4) is all it takes to make me deliriously happy. If you're zealous enough to try the rest of the recipe, then read on. If not this time, (trust me, you'll be back), bon appetit!
