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6 Ways To Use Braised Pork

Happy New Year! I hope you haven’t decided on giving up on all of your resolutions as of yet because I’ve got one more for you to aim to stick to for 2015…finding more creative ways to use braised pork! Obviously! Now, we’ve all had delicious pulled pork sandwiches, but there is so, so much more you can do with the slow-cooked piece of meat that you may have never considered before.

Firstly, here’s a basic braised pork recipe to start off with and here are 6 ways for you to to use the finished product when you’re cooking up a meal at home. 

Biscuits

Try using a simple biscuit recipe and stuffing some braised pork in the middle, folding the dough over-top and then baking. A little pocket of tender, meat-y goodness. Best when eaten warm on a chilly day!

Breakfast Hash

Skip the bacon (gasp!) and try adding some braised pork into your basic breakfast hash. Cook until the pork starts to get a little crispy on the bottom, then top with a fried egg. Breakfast of champions.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

It’s true, you can shove pretty much anything between two slices of bread with some cheese and grill it to perfection. Try smearing the bread with some grainy mustard, a bit of barbecue sauce, topped with braised pork and provolone cheese. The result? An ooey-gooey mess of a meal, but definitely a delicious one.

Pasta

Kick the typical bolognese (meat sauce) and try adding a generous amount of the pork into a homemade tomato sauce. Cook up some spaghetti, then toss the pasta with the meat, along with a splash of lemon juice, pesto and olives for a surprisingly filling dinner that isn’t loaded with a million calories. I mean, it is January, after all…

Soups

As pictured above, braised pork is something that doesn’t grace many soup pot, which is a shame. Such a shame! Everyone’s had a bowl of chicken noodle soup before, so why not try adding in some of this pork near the end of the cooking process instead of the chicken and a richer flavour and more tender texture. Beef and Barley? More like braised pork and barley. Actually, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a soup that the pork won’t go well with.

Vegetable Dishes

Whether you’re roasting carrots, brussels sprouts or cauliflower, give some cooled braised pork a rough cut, toss it with the sliced vegetables along with some oil and spices and roast until everything starts to caramelize. Finish with a drizzle of maple syrup for a touch of sweetness and you’re pretty much winning at life, kid!