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Pulled pork buns with sage butter and spiced cranberries

22/2/2014

 
 Pulled pork buns with sage butter and spiced cranberries
On our way driving from Brisbane to our Noosa holiday destination last week, we stopped at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast for a bite to eat. We'd been travelling since 9am and the 'food' served on the flight did little to fill our bellies. Surveying the various restaurants and cafés along the Esplanade, the menu at Hot Pipis caught our attention. 

Peter choose the Pulled Pork Sliders served with battered onion rings, while I opted for a steak sandwich, which was the special of the day. Taking a small bite of my man's lunch, as you do, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavours of the sage butter and the cranberry sauce, which enhanced the pork rather deliciously. Better still, there was none of that often rather horrid (methinks) coleslaw mixture that seems to be the standard accompaniment on a pork slider these days. I promised Peter and myself that I would try my hand at making my own version of the dish once we got home. 

The sage butter and the spiced cranberry sauce...

To my mind, the stars of this dish accompanying the slow-roasted pork are the sage butter and the spiced cranberries, and I am delighted to share my recipes with you. I can truly label them as good things! Enjoy xo
Sage butter and spiced cranberry sauce
SAGE BUTTER
2-3 large fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon softened butter

Combine the chopped sage leaves and the butter, and set aside until ready to use.

SPICED CRANBERRY SAUCE A LA LIZZY
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon champagne wine and strawberry vinegar+
1 whole star anise

Combine the dried cranberries, water, cinnamon, vinegar and star anise in a small saucepan. Gently bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the cranberries are plump. Add a little more water to prevent the sauce from catching. Allow to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Remove the star anise before serving.

+ If you don't have champagne wine and strawberry vinegar, use another fruit infused vinegar or wine vinegar instead.

The slow-roasted pork...

Inspired by mouthwatering recipes for pulled pork from Johnnie Mountain author of Pig: cooking with a passion for pork; and my friend Celia, who blogs at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, I slow roasted a two kilogram boneless shoulder of pork to tender perfection. My recipe is adapted from Johnnie's Eight-hour roast shoulder of pork, which in my high-tech new Fisher & Paykel oven, took only five hours at 130 degrees C.
Slow roasted pork with fennel
SLOW-ROASTED PORK SHOULDER
2kg boneless pork shoulder, boned, skin scored, tied with string
2-3 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 celery stalks
2 carrots, sliced lengthways
1 large brown onion, cut into quarters
1 lemon, sliced thinly
juice of a lemon extra
250ml dry white wine
1-2 cups water, for the pan
2-3 potatoes, if desired

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees C. Pat the skin of the pork shoulder dry with paper towelling, then rub the olive oil all over it. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the skin. Grind the fennel seeds and sea salt together with a small mortar and pestle, or spice grinder, add the black pepper, and then rub this spice mixture all over the pork, making sure it gets into the scored skin.

Place the carrot, celery, lemon slices and onion into the base of a roasting pan. Sit the roast on top and pop into the hot oven, roasting for  30 minutes until the skin starts to crackle.  Now, turn the oven down to 130 degrees C and pour the white wine into the base of the pan. Roast for around five to eight hours, rotating the pan during cooking if needed to allow even browning; and adding water to the base of the pan as needed to keep the meat moist. Add the potatoes in the last hour of cooking if you wish. The pork is ready when the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F and the meat is tender and can be 'pulled' with a fork. Serve the meat sliced with the roasted vegetables and baked apple. The remainder of the roast can be used for pulled pork buns and other good things.

Put them all together...

PULLED PORK BUNS WITH SAGE BUTTER & SPICED CRANBERRIES A LA LIZZY
150-180g pulled pork meat, warmed
1 tablespoon Crème fraîche+
sea salt and cracked black pepper
6 tiny dinner rolls or brioche buns*
sage butter (see above) 
spiced cranberry sauce (see above)

Combine the pulled pork meat with the Crème fraîche, salt and pepper. Spread the buns with the sage butter. Pile on the pork meat and top with the spiced cranberry sauce. Serve immediately. Serves 2-3 as a small bite.

* Bake your own if you have time. Katie Quinn-Davies from What Katie Ate has a recipe for mini brioche buns here.
+ I have successfully substituted the Crème fraîche with mascarpone, but you can also use sour cream.
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 Pulled pork buns with sage butter and spiced cranberries

= Yummy...

Picture

Little bites...

 Pulled pork buns with sage butter and spiced cranberries

Tell me, do you like to 'swap bites' with your partner when you are dining out? And do you enjoy replicating dishes you've eaten out in your kitchen back at home?
Liz link
21/2/2014 01:32:39 pm

Oh, how wonderful these look! We love pulled pork and your mini-sandwiches would be terrific for all sorts of occasions (especially MY dinner)!

Lizzy
21/2/2014 01:51:44 pm

Thanks so much, Liz xo

azita link
21/2/2014 02:17:12 pm

I don't eat pork but the buns and the sage butter and cranberry sauce has me practically howling! Not kidding! MUST remember to make this. Bet it'd go beautifully with thanksgiving turkey. Don't you think?

Lizzy
21/2/2014 02:22:30 pm

Azita, YES, YES, YES!! : )

celia link
21/2/2014 03:44:42 pm

Oooh, that looks scrumptious Lizzy! Thanks for the shout-out love! I love all the work you put into make the perfect bites - so worth the effort! xxx

Lizzy
21/2/2014 04:06:03 pm

Celia, my pleasure... I've been drooling over your pulled pork dishes for some time now! xox

Tandy | Lavender and Lime link
21/2/2014 04:38:16 pm

I think I better cook some pulled pork! And the sage butter is what I've been slathering on my corn. Dave and I swap bites when we eat out :)

Lizzy
21/2/2014 05:50:38 pm

Tandy, that sounds yummy! I did too last night. Lately we've been using home grown chillies in butter on the corn. Glad to hear you two swap bites too : )

Zsuzsa link
22/2/2014 04:56:36 am

Ah Lizzy there is noting as good as slow roasted pork - you do know what you are doing :-) These buns must have been delicious!

Adri link
21/2/2014 11:54:20 pm

Wow, every component sounds great. I have got to try this. My husband particularly enjoys pork roasts. He likes to make snacks and sandwiches for himself for a couple of days as he works his way right through those large cuts of meat.

Your addition of star anise to the cranberry sauce is a great idea. I have never included it. I must try that once cranberry season returns to the U.S.
.

Lizzy
22/2/2014 07:24:05 am

Adri, thank you so much! I think you might like this very much... I played around with the addition of the vinegar and the cinnamon to the sauce, and then thought that the star anise would add the perfect component. And it did : )

Padaek link
22/2/2014 02:38:12 am

It looks absolutely delicious! :) Such tempting porky buns - yum. I think it's only fair to swap bites. I sometimes take snaps of the food and menu to help me recall/replicate the dishes - which are not always successful. :)

Lizzy
22/2/2014 07:24:40 am

Thank you, Padaek! I think it's a good thing to swap bites too. : )

Zsuzsa
22/2/2014 07:22:52 am

Ah Lizzy there is noting as good as slow roasted pork - you do know what you are doing :-) These buns must have been delicious!

Lizzy
22/2/2014 07:26:01 am

Zsuzsa, I agree... this is something that I have wanted to do for such a long time! Now I'm retired I can cook to my heart's content : )

Eva Taylor link
22/2/2014 08:35:00 am

What a fantastic idea to serve these as small bites, they are quite lovely. We adore sage and your sage butter sounds like a perfect flavour with the pulled pork and cranberries. I usually do my pulled pork from the pork tenderloin int he slow cooker to help mitigate calories, you'd be surprised at how tasty it is.

Lizzy
22/2/2014 12:29:27 pm

Eva, thank you for that hint... I've been seeing a number of recipes using the shoulder... Jamie Oliver included, and have been salivating! Will try the tenderloin next! Thanks for your kind words.

Barbara | Creative Culinary link
22/2/2014 09:09:54 am

These are many of the flavors of our Thanksgiving here in the US and I would love some now. I grow sage and use it for two things...a turkey and some sage butter for biscuits; now you've got me craving it Liz; looks divine!

Lizzy
22/2/2014 12:30:11 pm

Barbara, thanks so much! I dried the rest of the sage for later use! My friend, The Dog, tells me that pork sliders are very popular in the USA. : )

Hotly Spiced link
22/2/2014 09:15:22 am

These look so yummy, Lizzy. I love how they come with a spiced cranberry sauce and that it can be easily made with dried cranberries (so hard sourcing fresh!) Pulled pork seems to be growing in popularity in this part of the world and I'm very glad as it's something I enjoy very much. I'll have to cook this soon xx

Lizzy
22/2/2014 12:31:09 pm

Thanks Charlie... you know, when I first tasted that sauce in Qld, I knew I had a bag of dried cranberries in my larder so was busting to try it... I was delighted with how my recipe turned out! : )

Maureen | Orgasmic Chef link
22/2/2014 09:17:54 am

I can't tell you how much I'd like one of these today. Maybe two. :)

Lizzy
22/2/2014 12:31:32 pm

Go for it... Hot Pipis is so close to you xox

A Canadian Foodie link
22/2/2014 09:23:43 am

That sounds sweller than swell - but, I was really surprised to see the sage butter not sage fried in butter.... as that flavour I know and love - but this one would be completely different - and, I have no doubt, equally delish - just different. But, I think turkey, not pulled pork. Probably as I don't eat meat anyway - but, can, on occassion, get away with a bit of turkey meat on a bun, now and then!
YUM!
:)
V

Lizzy
22/2/2014 12:32:33 pm

Thanks Valerie... I have often made things with burnt sage butter... but I find it too intense... the chopped sage I use here is more delicate and less overpowering. Turkey would be perfect : )

John @ Kitchen Riffs link
22/2/2014 09:59:19 am

These look great! Slow roasted pork is always my idea of good stuff! And with the sage butter and spicy cranberries? Really super (pork and cranberry is such a wonderful flavor combo).

Lizzy
22/2/2014 12:33:11 pm

Thanks John, I agree, I love cranberries with pork... and turkey of course. Thanks for your kind words.

Eha
22/2/2014 12:27:19 pm

Two fascinating but sinple recipes to copy - the sage butter [have enough sage in my garden to prep this for sale :) !] and the spicy cranberry sauce: love star anise but would not have thought to include it either :) !

Lizzy
22/2/2014 12:33:43 pm

Eha, hello and welcome back love! Yes, do please try this... it's a keeper!

Eha
22/2/2014 01:56:12 pm

Nice to be so :) ! But only coming back 'half-time' as paidwork and studies are both seriously knocking on my door!! Was so glad you had time up in Queensland . . .sounded relaxing and happy . . .

Karen (Back Road Journal) link
23/2/2014 02:41:33 am

I sure wish I had some pulled pork left to make your delicious little buns…they sound wonderful. Saving this for another time. :)

Lizzy
24/2/2014 08:07:45 am

Thanks Karen : )

Andrea Mynard link
23/2/2014 08:16:57 am

Your pork looks wonderful! And I definitely like/in fact often am a bit too eager to swap food with my partner - when we eat out he often just asks which are the two things I'd like to try, knowing it's inevitable!

Lizzy
24/2/2014 08:08:12 am

Sounds like us, Andrea. Thank you for your kind words.

nancy@jamjnr link
24/2/2014 12:55:47 am

I need to get on this pulled pork bandwagon - I can't read another post without salivating at the photos. I really like your star anise and cranberry sauce. And yes - we always, always swap bites.

Lizzy
24/2/2014 08:08:47 am

Ah, Nancy, yes, you must! The sauce is gorgeous! Glad to hear you swap bites too. : )

kellie@foodtoglow link
24/2/2014 07:36:23 am

I'm not much of a pork person but I love all of the flavourings you have here, and know that it would be a succulent sweet-savoury treat for those who do like pork. Lovely.

Lizzy
24/2/2014 08:09:02 am

Kellie, thank you kindly... turkey would be lovely here too.

InTolerant Chef link
24/2/2014 02:29:47 pm

Mmmmm, looking good Lizzy! Sounds delicious indeed :)

Lizzy
24/2/2014 04:36:58 pm

Bec, thanks so much : )

The Food Sage link
24/2/2014 08:18:51 pm

Lovely looking sliders, Lizzie. It's great when a meal eaten out, inspired a meal eaten in!

Lizzy
26/2/2014 09:53:35 am

Rachel, thanks so much! I agree... : )

Karen S Burns-Booth link
24/2/2014 10:35:19 pm

Absolutely drop dead gorgeous as usual, and as you know I am a pulled pork fan, all the way and yours looks divine Lizzy! Karen

Lizzy
26/2/2014 09:54:15 am

Karen, thanks so much! I'm with you! With the cooler weather coming, I suspect this will be on the menu more often!

Hot Pipis Restaurant link
26/2/2014 08:56:10 am

Hi Lizzy, just saw your post about our pulled pork sliders. You've done a great translation from "inhouse" to "at home".
Photo looks amazing as well. So pleased you enjoyed your visit with us at Hot Pipis and love that you loved it enough to share on your page, with your fans.
Next time you visit, be sort to leave room for one of our desserts. They are a visual feast even before they hit your mouth. Best regards, Jo, Hot Pipis.

Lizzy
26/2/2014 09:55:49 am

Hi Jo, thank you for your kind words! We enjoyed such a lovely lunch at Hot Pipis and will definitely stop by on our way through to Noosa next time! It was a pleasure to recreate this at home... you might recall how much I enjoyed the cranberry sauce in particular, and was delighted to create my own version at home. Looking forward to your desserts! : )

David Scott Allen link
11/1/2015 11:54:57 am

You are so right - this is the perfect pairing for my porchetta! Definitely will make some and freeze it while I can still get fresh cranberries. Don't you think it will work okay with fresh versus dried?


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    Photo of Liz Posmyk, Food Writer, Cook and Traveller

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