Serves: 6 with leftovers
Total Time: 4 hours (active time: 30 minutes)
Ingredients:- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pound boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 1- 24 oz. can chopped tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ - ½ cup water
- 1 cup polenta
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- ½ cup shredded cheddar (optional)
- Fresh chopped cilantro, to serve
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pork, and season the top side with salt and pepper. Sear for 5-6 minutes until golden brown. Flip to the other side, and season again with salt and pepper.
- Add the onions, garlic, and ground cumin, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Deglaze with the apple cider vinegar. Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, chopped tomatoes, bay leaves, and water. Stir well to combine. Cover and put in the oven.
- Allow to cook for 1 hour, then flip the pork over and stir the liquid. If the liquid seems low (less that ½ way up the pork) add more water or vegetable stock as needed. Cook the pork for another hour, and flip it again. Cook the pork for a final 30 minutes to 1 hour, until its completely falling apart and shreds easily when pressed.
- Shred the pork using two forks and mix it into the sauce. Season to taste with a splash of apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper as needed.
- To cook the polenta, bring 3 cups of vegetable stock up to a boil in a large pan. Whisk in the polenta, and stir constantly for 5 minutes. It will soak up all the stock. Add the shredded cheddar, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Serve the pulled pork alongside the polenta, garnished with the chopped fresh cilantro. Enjoy!