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Pulled Pork Salad with Grilled Vegetables
Source: National Pork Board
PREP TIME
25 mins
COOK TIME
240 mins
SERVING SIZE
8
What You’ll Need
1 PrairieFresh® boneless pork shoulder roast, about 3 1/2 lbs.
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 large handfuls hickory or applewood chips, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
Salad
1 1/2 heads iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 pint grape tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
Grilled Vegetables
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise1 sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
vegetable oil, for brushing
2 ears corn, husked
Honey Mustard Dressing
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed under a knife and peeled
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
To smoke pork: Mix chili powder, garlic salt, onion powder, dry mustard and pepper together and season pork with spice mixture. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect cooking with medium heat, about 350 F.
For a gas grill: Use a smoker box or create one using small, shallow aluminum foil pan. Remove cooking grates. Preheat grill on high. Turn one burner off. Place disposable aluminum foil pan over on burner, adding 1 handful of drained chips. Replace grates. After chips begin smoking, adjust heat to 350 F.
For a charcoal grill: Place large disposable aluminum foil pan on one side of charcoal grate and fill with 1 quart water. Build fire on opposite side, and let burn until coals are coated with white ash. Spread coals in grill opposite pan and let burn 15-20 minutes (you should be able to hold your hand about 1 inch above the grate for about 3 seconds). Add 1 handful of drained chips to coals. Position cooking grate in grill.
Lightly oil grill grate. Grill pork with indirect heat, with the lid closed, for 45 minutes. Add remaining drained chips to box or coals and grill for 45 minutes more. Wrap pork in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Grill over indirect heat, with lid closed, about 1 1/2 hours more. (On a charcoal grill, add more charcoal as needed to maintain temperature, leaving grill lid open for a few minutes to help charcoal ignite.) Unwrap pork and continue grilling until tender and spice coating is crusty, about 30 minutes.
Transfer to a carving board and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Using a knife and your fingers, pull the pork into shreds, discarding excess fat. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
While pork is resting, make vegetables: Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat, about 450 F. Brush grill grates clean. Lightly oil zucchini halves and onion slices (no need to oil corn). Place onion slices, zucchini and corn on grill and close grill lid. Grill onion slices, turning once, until seared with grid marks and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; transfer to bowl. Grill zucchini, turning once, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes; add to bowl. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until kernels are lightly browned in spots, 10 to 12 minutes; add to bowl. Let vegetables cool. Chop zucchini and onion into bite-sized pieces, cut kernels from corn, and return vegetables to bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
To make dressing: Process all ingredients in blender together until smooth and thickened.
If shredded pork has cooled, you may reheat it in large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until warm, 3 to 5 minutes.Mix lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, zucchini mixture with corn and onions, and 2/3 cup of dressing in a large bowl.Divide salad among 6 salad bowls and top each with equal amounts of warm pork.Sprinkle with peanuts and serve with remaining dressing passed on the side.
Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect cooking with medium heat, about 350 F.
For a gas grill: Use a smoker box or create one using small, shallow aluminum foil pan. Remove cooking grates. Preheat grill on high. Turn one burner off. Place disposable aluminum foil pan over on burner, adding 1 handful of drained chips. Replace grates. After chips begin smoking, adjust heat to 350 F.
For a charcoal grill: Place large disposable aluminum foil pan on one side of charcoal grate and fill with 1 quart water. Build fire on opposite side, and let burn until coals are coated with white ash. Spread coals in grill opposite pan and let burn 15-20 minutes (you should be able to hold your hand about 1 inch above the grate for about 3 seconds). Add 1 handful of drained chips to coals. Position cooking grate in grill.
Lightly oil grill grate. Grill pork with indirect heat, with the lid closed, for 45 minutes. Add remaining drained chips to box or coals and grill for 45 minutes more. Wrap pork in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Grill over indirect heat, with lid closed, about 1 1/2 hours more. (On a charcoal grill, add more charcoal as needed to maintain temperature, leaving grill lid open for a few minutes to help charcoal ignite.) Unwrap pork and continue grilling until tender and spice coating is crusty, about 30 minutes.
Transfer to a carving board and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Using a knife and your fingers, pull the pork into shreds, discarding excess fat. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
While pork is resting, make vegetables: Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat, about 450 F. Brush grill grates clean. Lightly oil zucchini halves and onion slices (no need to oil corn). Place onion slices, zucchini and corn on grill and close grill lid. Grill onion slices, turning once, until seared with grid marks and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; transfer to bowl. Grill zucchini, turning once, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes; add to bowl. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until kernels are lightly browned in spots, 10 to 12 minutes; add to bowl. Let vegetables cool. Chop zucchini and onion into bite-sized pieces, cut kernels from corn, and return vegetables to bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
To make dressing: Process all ingredients in blender together until smooth and thickened.
If shredded pork has cooled, you may reheat it in large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until warm, 3 to 5 minutes.Mix lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, zucchini mixture with corn and onions, and 2/3 cup of dressing in a large bowl.Divide salad among 6 salad bowls and top each with equal amounts of warm pork.Sprinkle with peanuts and serve with remaining dressing passed on the side.
