Cape Town blogger Bianca Davies (thesecretlifeofbee.co.za) is a genius, adding fresh mushrooms to a classic pulled pork sandwich https://bit.ly/1UW7mDq, which happily lightens the kilojoule load and ups the umami flavour. And you know how we love our fresh mushrooms on this page! So thank you Bianca, we’re popping out for more ingredients right now.
Mushroom & Pulled Pork Sliders
Makes 12 sliders
Ingredients
500g Portabella mushrooms
500g pork shoulder meat (so with bone in & fat cap: +- 1kg)
Buns
250ml warm water
45 ml warm milk
8,5g dry yeast
40g caster sugar
2 eggs
450g strong white bread flour
60g all-purpose flour
13g salt
55g butter, softened
Rub
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsp Muscovado sugar
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
250ml beer
1 tsp garlic flakes
1 tsp liquid smoke
BBQ Sauce
180ml tomato sauce
25g Demerara sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1 garlic clove, finely grated
60ml apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp mustard powder
freshly ground black pepper
Tabasco to taste
Slaw
1 baby red cabbage
1 baby green cabbage
3 carrots
1 green apple
apple cider vinegar
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method
For the buns: Preheat oven to 200˚C. Mix the warm water, milk, sugar and yeast together and leave to get frothy and foamy for about 5-10minutes. Mix the two flours, salt and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the yeast mixture as well as one of the eggs, beaten, to the flour mixture and let the mixer do the work for you on medium speed for about 7-10 minutes until a silky, elastic dough has formed. Place in a greased bowl and cover with clingfilm. Once the dough has doubled in size turn out onto a floured work surface and divide into twelve. Roll into balls and place onto a lined baking sheet. Once again let them double in size. Don’t rush this second rise! It’s super important. When the buns have doubled in size brush them with an egg wash. Mix the remaining one egg with a teaspoon of water and brush all over the surface of the buns. Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
For the pork: Preheat oven to 225˚C. Score the fat of the pork shoulder. Combine all the rub ingredients well. Massage the pork with the rub making sure to get it in all the nooks and crannies. Discard excess. Place the pork in a roasting tin lined with tinfoil (leave some excess tinfoil hanging over the edge).
Place the pork on the tinfoil and roast at 225˚C for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Turn the oven down to 125˚C. Add the beer, garlic flakes and liquid smoke to the roasting pan. Seal the pork into a parcel with the tinfoil and continue to cook for another 4-5 hours. Remove and let it rest for 30 minutes before pulling it apart using a fork.
Clean the mushrooms by brushing them with a damp pastry brush. Slice them very finely into long strips. Fry the mushrooms on high heat in several batches with a touch of olive oil and sea salt until golden brown.
Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
For the slaw- slice the cabbage very finely. I use a spiralizer and it works like a charm. Grate the carrots and julienne the apple. Mix everything, drizzle with apple cider vinegar and season well.
Mix the pulled pork with the mushroom slices. Add some BBQ sauce and mix well. Serve on the buns topped with the crunchy coleslaw.
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