I liked this SO much that I'm going to tell you straightaway - this is a dang, dang, dang, dang, dang good sandwich...yep, a 5 danger, no doubt about it. And dang easy to make, too! I made this for the SIL who was in town for a quick visit last week...he smells everything he eats before he eats it...put his nose right down in the food...it's fascinating to watch! He has a highly developed sense of smell...I'm sure he would have made a great per-fumier or an even better tracking dog - and he can detect poop in Baby Max's diaper from across a room filled with babies...and dirty diapers. His talent is immense. So it was with great pleasure that I watched him smell this dish...and then listened to him..."Mmmmmmmmmmmm...mmmmm!"
The secret to the pork is Cherry Juice. It's cooked in it. If you can't find cherry juice you could juice your own - although that would take a bit of doing. I looked high and low for Cherry juice - it's not easy to find - but I settled for Wild Cherry Drink Boxes - and they were GREAT! The pork cooks in the crock pot - so you won't heat up your kitchen - although if you live in Seattle you probably WANT to heat up your kitchens - summer is still evading us!
The cherry flavor in the pork alone is reason enough to make this...but then there's the sauce...it just sparkles on the pork - the perfect blend of sweet and tang with a hint of cumin...it's what puts da-BOMB in the cherry!
Cherry Bomb Pork Sandwiches with Cherry BBQ Sauce - Pots and Pins
To Make Pork Roast:
1 3 to 4 lb. pork roast (Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder)
1 package (6 oz.) Dried Cherries
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 Wild Cherry Juice Drink Boxes (6.75 oz.) (No sugar added, 100% juice blend)
8 Sandwich buns
To Make BBQ Sauce:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup fresh cherries, pitted
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Put pork roast in a large crock pot; cover with cherry juice. Add onions and dried cherries. Put on lid and cook on high for 5 hours. After 5 hours, drain juices from crock. Using forks, shred the roast. Make BBQ sauce.
In a medium-size pan on medium-high heat, add all of the BBQ sauce ingredients. Stir well. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend up the sauce, or carefully pour the sauce into a regular blender and puree. Pour the pureed sauce over the shredded pork, stir with a fork until all is mixed. Replace lid and continue cooking for an additional hour. Place pork on sandwich buns and stand back because they'll come a runnin! Total cooking time: 6 hours. Serves 8.
"The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again." ~ Erma Bombeck
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One year ago today:Caveman 101
