Sunday Supper: Slow Roasted Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Carrot Fennel Slaw and Tuscan 3 Bean Soup

The market was bustling with onlookers and cooks of various skill sets jockeying for position in front of the season’s freshest bounty. As we are leaving summer and entering fall, the blueberries, beets and strawberries are on their way out and the apples, pears, grapes and squash are beginning to become present. The next few weeks are the most fun as the transition begins and menus change. Strawberries, blueberries and peaches are at their peak giving me the perfect excuse for freshly baked blueberry muffins, peach pie and strawberry tarts.

Six weeks ago, my life changed for the better freeing up my weekends and allowing me to celebrate Sundays for what they are. As I made my way down the avenue, I couldn’t help but smile at the live band dressed in cow-spotted chaps, Wranglers as they covered Johnny Cash. People of all ages danced and sang as they yee-hawed away. Typically, I am very systematic in my ways and often go to the market visiting the same vendors choosing much of the same ingredients and leave in a calculated 20 minute span without taking a moment to enjoy the scene.  This weekend, I chose to enjoy the journey and remind myself that Sunday is about slowing down, cooking throughout the day and enjoying the purpose of it all. And that is exactly what I did. Going forward, Sunday Supper will be posted later than it previously was so I can truly enjoy my day for what it is.

Today’s menu is low and slow with a variety of flavors. I started of my day with freshly baked blueberry muffins topped with an almond streusel served with my favorite coffee from Pacific Bay Coffee Co. After thoroughly enjoying my beautiful breakfast, I decided to make pulled pork BBQ sandwiches for dinner so I created a rub and began roasting the bone-in pork early in the day. I topped the pulled pork with a fennel carrot slaw and served it on freshly baked buns for dinner and made a Tuscan Bean Soup for lunch with some fresh cranberry beans that I had picked up at the farmer’s market. I served it with a sweet batard bread that was lightly toasted and buttered. It was delicious. What a perfect day…I did however, forget to take a picture of my sandwich. It was 8pm and all I wanted to do was sit, eat and savor the moment. So I did.

What You Will Need

Tuscan Bean Soup 

1/12 cups cranberry beans

1 cup garbanzo beans

1 cup kidney beans

1 large carrots

2 ribs celery
1 medium yellow onion

1 medium zucchini

1 bunch kale stems removed and cut into small pieces

1 can diced tomatoes (recommended San Marzanos)

1/2c. cubed pancetta

4 c. chicken broth

4 garlic cloves minced 

dried oregano

fresh thyme

fresh bay leaf

fresh rosemary

red pepper flakes

olive oil

sweet batard bread or alternate fresh bread with a nice crust

Parmesan cheese

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Carrot Fennel Slaw

Pork Shoulder or But, bone-in or bone out

For the Rub: salt & pepper, onion powder. garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne

For the Basting Jus:  Cider vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes
Red and Green cabbage 

Fennel Bulb and fronds

1 large carrot

1 rib celery

2 scallions slivered

1 T. verjus

1/2 t. cider vinegar

1/3 c. mayonnaise

Soft rolls

What To Do

Tuscan Bean Soup

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and let cook for approximately three minutes. Saute the onion, celery, carrot for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste then stir in garlic and allow to cook two more minutes. Meanwhile, shell the cranberry beans and blanch for one minute. Add the kidney beans, garbanzo beans and blanched cranberry beans to the pot. Stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the diced tomatoes, the chicken stock and herbs.

***Sugar Tip: If you have kitchen twine, it is helpful to tie the herbs including the bay leaf into a bundle. It makes it easier to remove later.

Season your soup with the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes, then add the kale. Continue cooking and tasting until the cranberry beans are completely tender. Slice thick slices of the batard bread and toast. Top with butter (Irish butter is my favorite) and serve with a big bowl of soup with grated Parmesan cheese on top. Crack fresh pepper on top if desired and serve.

 Pulled Pork Sandwiches
You will want to roast this low and slow for a minimum of 6 hours so begin in the morning and serve for dinner. Preheat oven to 250 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with a large piece of foil. Prepare your pork shoulder by rinsing and patting dry. There may be twine on it so if that is the case, just leave it on while cooking. Season with the rub making sure to massage it well into the meat. Once you ensure that the meat is seasoned on all sides, wrap completely in the foil and place on the baking sheet then place in oven and roast for 5 hours. In the last hour, baste every ten minutes with the basting jus. Make this approximately 10 minutes before you begin basting so the liquid is hot. To make the basting jus, add the cider vinegar, brown sugar and red pepper flakes to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.

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You will want to make your slaw in the morning as it becomes better over time. Using a mandolin, slice the celery, fennel bulb, and cabbages into a large bowl. Take a carrot peeler and shave the carrot into the bowl. Remove the fronds from the fennel and chop for approximately 1T. worth and sprinkle in. Add the cider vinegar, verjus and mayonnaise to the bowl, stir to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Sliver the scallions and toss them in as well. Stir to combine, cover and refrigerate. This can marinade for as long as the pork is roasting just make sure to stir every 2 hours. Taste for salt and pepper in the last hour. Add as needed.

Remove the pork from the oven and remove from the baking sheet preserving the drippings. Place foil on a cutting board and carefully remove the foil. Do not let the steam burn you- be careful.  Using two forks, begin to shred the pork apart. Pour the remaining basting sauce into a large sauce pan and add 1/4 c. ketchup, 2 T. of cider vinegar and the remaining pan drippings over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Pour over the pulled pork and stir to combine.

Serve the pulled pork on freshly baked buns topped with carrot fennel slaw. The crunch of the cabbage is the perfect contrast with the soft tangy pork. Pair this with a juicy Paso Robles Zinfandel.