Recipe: BBQ Sauce for Pulled Pork

It had been a while since I pulled out my slow cooker and a made a meal, so I thought pulled pork would be the perfect thing to correct that. We headed out to Kensington Market to pick up a pork shoulder, among other things, and once home, put a quick rub on it (with my Epicure Louisiana spice mix) and let it sit in the fridge overnight.

The same day, while the pork marinated, I decided to make use of a recipe my brother and his wife gave me for BBQ sauce. I had never made anything quite like it, other than spaghetti sauce, I guess, so it was kind of exciting to see how it would turn out. The recipe couldn't be simpler; it just takes time, some patience, and some occasional stirring. 

When going through the ingredient list, the only thing I didn't have was molasses, and part of me was ready to just substitute that out, but in the end, I went out to pick some up. And am I ever glad I did! Turns out the molasses, in my opinion, is what gives the sauce the rich colour and sweetness, so I was glad I added it. After the sauce was finished thickening, I cooled it slightly before putting it in a jar, ready to use the next day. The pulled pork turned out great, really juicy and flavourful, and that homemade sauce really did the trick! I'll be looking forward to making it again, perhaps adding a bit more spice to it. 

So, one of the problems with pulled pork is that you often end up with a lot of meat, more than two people can handle in one sitting. But I found the solution to this problem while browsing a cooking magazine - pulled pork lasagna! Yup, using the left over pulled pork the next day, I simply added a bit more BBQ sauce and heated while I cooked up the lasagna noodles. I also decided to add some caramelized onions and sliced green peppers, for both colour and vegetable content. Then, layer by layer - noodle, meat, veggies, repeat - you build yourself a lasagna, topping it all off with mozzarella cheese. For the two of us, I had exactly enough to make in a loaf pan, and even that turned out to be enough for 2 nights. And it was goooo-oood. 

The recipe for the BBQ Sauce (contributed by Jeff and Chris)

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 (8oz) can tomato sauce

1 (28oz) can whole tomatoes with juice

3/4 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tbsp molasses

1 tbsp sweet paprika

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 cup orange juice

DIRECTIONS

HEAT oil in a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat until hot and shimmering.

ADD the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (7-10 minutes). 

ADD remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. 

REDUCE heat to low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until thickened, 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

PUREE the sauce, in batches, in a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender. 

TRANSFER sauce to a bowl and use immediately, or let cool, then store in an airtight container. Can be refrigerated for 2 weeks or frozen for several months. 

Tastes great on chicken, pork, ribs, or steak!