PULLED PORK & FRIED GREEN TOMATO SANDWICHES plus CABBAGE & APPLE SLAW

So now you’ve easily made rich and delicious Slow Cooker Sunday Pork Roast, and you have leftovers.  

Sometimes leftovers are boring…but not if they get a makeover!

For this makeover I turned leftover pork roast into Pulled Pork & Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches and served it with a tart Cabbage & Apple Slaw.  Isn't it lovely?

Seriously, sandwiches are a tasty meal cuz in every bite you get a taste of everything at once.  

I don’t mean to toot my own horn but...here it comes...I make dang tasty sammies!  Toot Toot, Rooty Toot Toot!

Every time I make Billy a sandwich, he tells me that I should open up a shop…truth is, I don’t wanna work that hard!

The richness of the Pulled Pork is perfectly paired with crisp and slightly tart Fried Green Tomatoes, sharp cheddar cheese, topped with a spicy Sriracha Mayo and all buttoned up in a sweet onion roll.

And the Cabbage & Apple Slaw is tart, because that is what is needed to go with this somewhat indulgent, but oh so totally worth it, meal!

Here’s what you do to make over your leftovers.

First things first; slice the tomatoes nice and thick (about 1/3 of an inch), salt the tomatoes on both sides and allow them to sit for 20 to 30 minutes; this will draw some of the moisture out so the end product will be crisper.

While the tomatoes are doing their thing make the Cabbage & Apple Slaw.

 

Slice a granny smith apple really thin and toss it with the juice of half of a lemon.

Also shred half of a small head of cabbage.

In a small bowl whisk together some mayo with some Dijon mustard, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.

Pour that over the apples and cabbage to which a bit of caraway seeds has been added.  

The caraway seeds look creepy in the photo, but they add such a nice anise like flavor

Give it a good toss and refrigerate until service.

Now mix the Sriracha Mayo

Sriracha Mayo is simply jarred mayonnaise mixed with a little Sriracha sauce…Aren’t I clever?

 The spice of the Sriracha keeps the sandwich from being rich.

Gently heat the leftover pork roast in the leftover juices. 

 

I shredded the pork while it was still warm, before refrigerating the leftovers; I prefer the pieces of pork to be a little bit bigger, but if you like shredded pork, by all means shred it.

Pour some canola or vegetable oil to a depth of about 1/2 inch into a heavy skillet and put the skillet on to heat over medium-high.

Blot the salted tomatoes with some paper towel.

Dredge the tomato first in flour that has been seasoned with garlic powder, salt and pepper, be sure to shake off any excess.

Then dip the tomato into an egg that's been whisked with a little milk.

Finally into a mixture of corn meal, Panko bread crumbs, paprika, salt and pepper.

Lovely breading...sigh.

Test the oil to see if it's hot enough by dropping a few bread crumbs into the oil, if it sizzles immediately it’s hot, if not wait a few more minutes and try again.

 

Fry the tomatoes really quickly, about 1 minute on each side or until golden brown.

Remove the fried green tomatoes to a wire rack and season with a pinch more of salt.

Now to assemble the sandwich.

Spread a thin layer of the Sriracha Mayo on the bottom half of a toasted onion roll.

Layer on a some crisp lettuce, a healthy portion of the hot pork, and drizzle a touch of the pork juices over the it.

I like to put the cheddar cheese in between the hot pork and Fried Green Tomatoes.

Place a slice or two of fried green tomatoes next and smear a big dollop of the Sriracha Mayo on that.

Place the top half of the onion roll on the sandwich, grab on with both hands, and enjoy!

P.S.  This also tastes really great sans pork, for the vegheads!

PULLED PORK & FRIED GREEN TOMATO SANDWICHES

Serves 4

4                                           Onion rolls, cut in half and toasted

           Sriracha Mayo (recipe follows)

4                                           Crisp lettuce leaves, such as ice burg, or romaine

3              cups                       Left Over Pork Roast and its Au Jus

8              oz.                         Cheddar Cheese, sliced (or however many slices you judge will do)                        

                                             Fried Green Tomatoes (recipe follows)

   1.       Heat the leftover pork roast in the leftover Au Jus (gravy) in a medium sauce pan, once the pork is hot proceed to pull it using two forks, into bite sized pieces or shreds.

   2.       Smear a thin layer of the Sriracha Mayo on the bottom half of the onion roll, next a leaf lettuce, and then a healthy portion of pulled pork, spoon about a tablespoon of the Au Jus over the pork, lay a couple of slices of cheese, place a slice or two (depending on their size) of the Fried Green Tomatoes, dollop some more Sriracha Mayo, and finally the top bun.

 

Note; if you don’t feel like frying up the tomatoes, Green tomato pickles, or dill pickles would also be good on this sandwich; you may even top the sammie with some of Cabbage & Apple Slaw.

SRIRACHA MAYO

1/3           cup                        Jarred Mayonnaise

2              tsp.                        Sriracha Sauce

Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

¾             lb.                        Green tomatoes, about 2 small tomatoes or 1 giant

                                           Salt & pepper

¼             cup                      All-purpose flour

1/8           tsp.                      Garlic Powder

1                                          Egg

2              Tbsp.                     Milk

¼             cup                       Cornmeal

¼             cup                       Panko bread crumbs

1/8           tsp.                       Paprika

                                           Canola or corn oil for frying

   1.       Lay a double layer of paper towel on a sheet pan.  Slice the tomatoes about 1/3 of an inch thick.  Lay the tomatoes on the paper towel and sprinkle a little salt on both sides.  Press another double layer of paper towel on top of the tomatoes.  Allow them to sit for 20 to 30 minutes.

   2.       In a shallow dish combine the flour, garlic powder and a pinch of salt & pepper.

   3.       In another shallow dish whisk together the egg and milk.

   4.       In yet another shallow dish combine the cornmeal, Panko bread crumbs, paprika, and about 1/8 tsp. each of salt & pepper.

   5.       Pour the oil in a heavy skillet to about a depth of ½ inch.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat to reach a temperature of 380 to 385 degrees.

   6.       Have standing by a wire rack placed on a sheet pan.

   7.       Blot the green tomatoes with the paper towel.  Now in an assembly line fashion bread the tomatoes.  Start by dredging a tomato in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess flour, then dip it into the egg and finally into the cornmeal and bread crumbs.  Place on a clean dish and repeat with the remaining tomatoes.

   8.       Place a few tomatoes in the heated oil, being sure not to over crowd the pan.  Fry the green tomatoes for about a minute on each side, just so that the coating is golden brown.  It’s helpful to use a spatula to turn the tomatoes.  Remove the cooked tomatoes to the wire rack, season immediately with a pinch of salt.

CABBAGE & APPLE SLAW

   Serves 4

    1                              Small Granny Smith apple, sliced about 1/8 inch thick

    ½                             Lemon, juice of

    5              cups          Cabbage (red or green) finely shredded, (about ½ of a small head)

    5              Tbsp.         Jarred mayonnaise  

    ¼             cup           Unsweetened Apple cider

    2              tsp.           Dijon mustard

    2              tsp.           Apple cider vinegar

                                   Salt and pepper to taste

    ¾             tsp.           Caraway seeds

   1.       Add the apples to a medium bowl and squeeze the lemon juice over them.  Toss so that the apples are completely coated.

   2.       In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

   3.       Add the cabbage and the caraway seeds to the bowl with the apples, pour the dressing over the top and toss until thoroughly mixed.  Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

    Note:  This slaw is not sweet, it's perfectly suited to serve with rich pork or beef.  If you like it sweeter add 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp. of honey to the dressing.

This recipe was shared at:  The Weekend Potluck    Freedom Fridays

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