What to do with leftover pulled pork? Turn it into an easy salad featuring shredded lettuce, cabbage, french fried onions, a tangy barbecue dressing and more!
Pulled pork is a great option when it comes to entertaining and feeding a crowd, as one pork shoulder alone can feed up to 10 people. Now, if only we could serve the pulled pork and only the pulled pork. You've heard about everything being bigger in Texas, yes? Well, this applies especially to food.
Time after time, this Southern practice results in an inflated party menu, comprised of a number of dishes, expanding far beyond any group of human being's ability to consume. Inevitably, there is always a buffet of proteins scattered across the table, and we are left with a mountain of meaty leftovers. Of all the leftovers, pulled pork is by far my favorite to repurpose.
PULLED PORK IS GREAT FOR LEFTOVERS!
Pulled pork is most commonly cooked low and slow, via a braise in the oven, or on the smoker in the great outdoors. Pork shoulders are well-known for possessing a massive amount of marbling (i.e. vein-like streaks of fat) that runs throughout the pork shoulder.
When the cut is cooked at a low temperature for an extended period of time, it causes the fat to melt down all throughout the shoulder, ensuring a juicy and flavorful end product. I know it doesn't sound all that appetizing, but because of the coating of melted fat running throughout the pork shoulder, pulled pork stays tender and juicy, even when reheated! A definite bonus for our taste buds...but maybe not the waistline. Oh well, can't win 'em all.
USE LEFTOVER PULLED PORK IN A SALAD!
Wondering what to do with leftover pulled pork...besides boring ol' sandwiches? Friend, you've come to the right place. This salad is anything but boring, and it touches upon just about every flavor component one could possibly imagine. Savory, sweet and tangy, crunchy and soft -- it's got 'em all. The pulled pork salad begins with leftover, savory pulled pork and ends with a drizzle of quick and easy homemade barbecue dressing.
But, let's not overlook the middle: Pulled pork and coleslaw go hand-in-hand, and keeping this symbiotic relationship in mind, shredded cabbage is mixed in with Romaine lettuce to create the base of the salad. The bitter notes of the cabbage are perfectly complemented by the sweet crunch of the Romaine lettuce.
Next, in the bowl, pickled red onions, slices of crunchy dill pickles and bits of French fried onions give the salad both a contrast in texture and zingy complexity in flavor. And, if you happen to have a cheese obsession like I do, then might I suggest adding a generous pinch of Monterrey Jack to the mix?
If you too are looking for a way to use up all that leftover meaty goodness, go ahead and get your salad tongs ready. Leftovers don't get much better than this. Please, enjoy.
NEED A PULLED PORK RECIPE?
If you're also on the hunt for a pulled pork recipe, check out my Easy BBQ Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker. It takes less than 10 minutes to prep, and packs a TON of flavor!
For a savory, spicy pulled pork recipe, try this recipe from BlogtasticFood.com.
7 MORE PORK RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
- Pulled Pork Sliders are great for using up pulled pork leftovers! A great kid-friendly dinner idea or an inexpensive way to feed a crowd!
- Pulled Pork Quesadillas are loaded with flavor, over-the-top easy, and require all of 20 minutes to make!
- Pulled Pork Nachos is where BBQ meets Mexican food and the results are everything you could want them to be…and then some more!
- Oven Baked Crusted Pork Chops are perfect for quick, weeknight dinners. They come loaded with a Panko crust, and always bake up crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside!
- Oven-Baked Country Style Pork Ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender and absolutely perfect for slow-cooking on weekends.
- Pork Loin Roast is simple to prepare, feeds a crowd, and everything you need to cook it perfectly is straight ahead!
- The Best Pork Tenderloin is always succulent, never dry, and packed with flavor. Perfect for family dinners and entertaining.
A quick and easy salad using leftover pulled pork with tons of flavor and a BBQ sauce dressing!
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons ground chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ of a red onion thinly sliced
- 5 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
- 2 ½ cups store-bought shredded cabbage
- 3 cups leftover pulled pork
- 4 Kosher dill pickles sliced thin (preferably Claussen brand)
- ½ cup French fried onions
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese optional
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For the sauce, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together ketchup, mayonnaise, water, sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Slowly, drizzle in the canola oil, whisking all the while. Refrigerate until ready to use.
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If you are using pickled red onions, in a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar and sugar. Add the sliced onions, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Alternatively, use plain, thinly sliced red onions.
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For the salad, combine lettuce and shredded cabbage and toss. Top with pulled pork, pickle slices, french fried onions, onion slices and shredded cheese (if using). Drizzle with desired amount of sauce, serve and enjoy.
Serves 4
