Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps

I made this dish for my brothers, Jamila, and Matt a couple of weeks ago, and I have STILL been thinking about how delicious it was. It smelled and tasted so good that we all gobbled it up before I could even snap a picture of it , so there won't be a picture included in this post until I make this recipe again (which I think will be quite soon).

I was initially attracted to this recipe because it was apparently inspired by Momofuku head chef David Chang, who Shea and I both love. I'm also a fan of lettuce wraps in general, so I figured I had to give this dish a try.

When I was first preparing the pork for the slow cooker, I thought that I misunderstood the recipe because of the large amount of salt and sugar that you rub onto the meat. Seamus reassured me that we were doing everything right, and advised me to trust the recipe. And boy, am I glad he did! The pork was perfect completely on its own, and with the added sauce that is included in this recipe, this dish is fabulous.

Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps

Courtesy of Cooking Light, July 2015 issue

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar 

2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 (2 1/2-pound) boneless pork shoulder, trimmed

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

2 tablespoons sherry or white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

2 tablespoons unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)

1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chile paste)

1 1/2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce 

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

30 Boston lettuce leaves (about 2 heads) 

1 cup thinly sliced radishes

Lime wedges (optional) 

Preparation

1. Combine sugar and salt in a small bowl. Place pork in a large bowl; rub evenly with sugar mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 300°. Place pork on a rack set inside a roasting pan. Place pan in oven; bake 4 hours or until a thermometer registers 210°, basting occasionally with drippings. Remove from oven; let stand 30 minutes. Shred pork with 2 forks.

3. Combine ginger and next 5 ingredients (through soy sauce), stirring with a whisk. Stir in onions. Reserve half of sauce. Toss shredded pork in remaining half of sauce. Divide pork evenly among lettuce leaves. Top with radishes; drizzle with reserved sauce. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.