Mexican Style Pulled Pork & Cabbage Salad

When I came up with this pulled pork recipe, I was surprised how delicious & moreish it is. Even those who are not huge pork fans came back for seconds! And it is the perfectly paired with my old friend, Jamie Oliver’s Mexican Street Salad. 

I would say that you can have these two dishes as a meal on their own. But you can obviously also enjoy your pulled pork & salad in a lettuce wrap, in burritos, in a fresh bread roll, potato or taco. You can make the pork & prep most of the salad the day before, so it is a really easy way to feed a big group of people!

Mexican Style Pulled Pork, serves 8 – 10

olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 kg boneless piece of pork (like pork leg or shoulder), cut into 4 pieces

3 teaspoons paprika

4 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons dried coriander

200g bottled pickled jalapenos (about 90g drained)

50 g tomato paste

about 1 cup of water (more if needed)

1. Preheat your over to about 140 degrees Celcius.
2. Mix together the spices and salt & rub it all over the pork pieces.
3. Heat the oil in an oven proof dish or pot. Fry the onion & garlic on a low heat until soft (about 3-4 minutes). Remove from the dish & place all the pork pieces into the dish to brown for about 2 minutes on each side.
4. Mix the tomato paste & water together. Return the garlic & onion to the dish, add chillies & pour over the tomato. Cover (with the lid or with tin foil) & place in the oven for 7 – 8 hours. You can check it after about 3 hours to make sure that it is not too dry. I just leave it overnight & by the time I wake up it is perfect.
5. Once the pork is cooked, you should be able to pull it apart with two forks. Delicious!

Mexican Street Salad with Shredded Cabbage & Jalapeño Chilli, serves 8

Original recipe by Jamie Oliver: 

1x small white cabbage

1x small red cabbage

2 small bunches of radishes, (about 10) trimmed & finely sliced

4 carrots, peeled and finely sliced

2 large bunches of fresh coriander, leaves & stalks finely chopped

4 large jalapeno chillies (or other green chilli), to taste, finely sliced

extra virgin olive oil

4-6 limes, juice of

sea salt

1. Shred your white & red cabbage into two separate piles.
2. Put just the white cabbage into a large bowl with the radishes, carrots and most of the coriander.
3. Mix everything together really well, then kick up the flavours by adding almost all the chopped chilli & a good few lugs of extra virgin olive oil.
4. Add most of the lime juice & a good pinch of salt, then toss together & have a taste.
5. Just keep adjusting everything, adding more fragrance with the coriander, heat with the last of the chilli & acid with another squeeze of lime juice, until it’s just right for you.
6. When you’re happy, fold in the red cabbage right before serving so it doesn’t stain everything.
7. Tuck in.

So, are you tempted to make this delicious combo? Let me know when you do.

Yolandi ♥

These recipes were first featured in my Entertainer of the Month feature in the March 2018 issue of Garden & Home magazine. Image: Andrea Caldwell.