What to do with Leftover BBQ Pork?

You’ve come to the correct spot if you’re wondering what to do with leftover BBQ pork! If you’ve had a barbeque and have a lot of leftover pork, here are some wonderful dishes to make the most of it. Taco soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, gyros, pizza, and more options are available. For a distinct touch, add extra barbecue sauce or your favorite toppings.

What Exactly is Pulled Pork?

Pulled pork is pork that has been cooked till tender and then shredded. Barbeque sauce is commonly mixed with meat before serving in a sandwich or on its own. When cooked correctly, it becomes wonderfully soft and tasty!

While barbecue is the most typical use, pulled pork is a very versatile meal that may be used with a wide range of flavor characteristics. It may be used to create carnitas in tacos, to top burgers, to make a Cubano sandwich, to serve over a salad, and much more.

The most often used meats are pig shoulder or pork butt, sometimes known as a Boston butt. Even though they are often used interchangeably, there is a little distinction between the two.

Both come from the animal’s front end (the butt does not come from the animal’s true rear end). Pork butt goes from the shoulder blades to the spine of the pig, while pork shoulder wraps around the pig’s bottom. Pork butt has a somewhat greater fat content.

Different Dishes with Leftover BBQ Pork

Pulled Pork Macaroni and Cheese

When you mix macaroni and cheese with pulled pork, you get a whole new level of comfort food. For a workday stress reliever or a beautiful Sunday lunch, serve this simple pulled pork macaroni and cheese casserole with homemade coleslaw and biscuits or soft rolls.

Egg Rolls with Pulled Pork

Pulled pork egg rolls are a fusion meal that may be baked or deep-fried and can be cooked using store-bought or handmade egg roll wrappers. Serve them as a fast snack or appetizer, or as a delightful takeout dinner with hot rice or Asian-style noodles.

Tamales with Pulled Pork

Tamales are most often associated with Latin American cuisine, but they are also a Mississippi Delta speciality. These tamales blend jerked pork shoulder with cornmeal masa and are more easy to prepare than you would imagine. Tamales with pulled pork may be frozen and warmed when ready to eat.

Empanadas with Pulled Pork Barbecue

The flaky, delicious crust turns these pulled pork barbecue empanadas into portable pies. Serve with homemade coleslaw and barbeque sauce for dipping.

Arepas with Pulled Pork

Slow-cooked pulled pork fills Venezuelan-style arepas, a griddle-fried corn cake, in this recipe. These South American sandwiches are delicious with a cilantro garlic aioli prepared with lemon or lime.

Cemita: A Mexican Pulled Pork Sandwich in the Pueblan Style

In this Pueblan-style Mexican pulled pork sandwich, pulled pork is piled with peppers, avocado, sliced tomato, and cheese. The recipe calls for rich Mexican cemita buns, but brioche buns or other somewhat sweet pieces of bread may be substituted.

Sliders with Pulled Pork

This party classic may be toned down for a more intimate dinner at home. For these pulled pork sandwiches, use regular slider buns or mini buns. Serve with a side of barbecue sauce and a simple coleslaw or pickle slices on top.

Sliders of BBQ Pork

If you’re hosting a little get-together or simply want to whip up a fast lunch, BBQ pork sliders are a super-easy pulled pork recipes you can create with just a few basic ingredients.

Although this recipe asks for you to create your pulled pork in a slow cooker, you may use what you have or reheat it with a little more BBQ sauce, butter, and any leftover pulled pig juices.

These sliders are topped with red cabbage coleslaw and served on soft slider bread, which may be toasted or untoasted (I like toasted).

Serve with baked beans or potato salad.

How to Keep Pulled Pork that has been Left Over?

Pulled pork may be kept correctly for up to three months.

Allow to cool fully before transferring to an airtight storage bag or container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days before serving.

Freeze: These leftovers freeze well! Put everything in a freezer-safe bag or container. Everything may be kept together or in distinct parts. If you’re using a bag, make sure it’s as empty as possible. Label and keep frozen for up to three months.

Allow the frozen food to thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until well warmed, in a microwave-safe container. You can also heat it in the oven by wrapping it in foil and putting it in an oven-safe dish. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

What to Serve with BBQ Pork?

Cornbread

Cornbread is a traditional companion to pulled pork, and you can’t go wrong with any of these two time-honored classics.

Best of all, it’s not too complicated to make, and you can experiment with various tastes!

jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread is a popular choice these days since it mixes the tastes of sharp cheddar and fiery jalapeño with the delicacy of corn. The salty and sweet mix complements pulled pork well!

Fritters made with sweet corn.

Fritters have a crunchier texture that even tiny toddlers would like. Sweet corn deep-fried into golden, crispy balls of delight can’t go wrong!

To add a sweet and crunchy touch to your supper, follow the North Carolina approach and serve your pulled pork with some Buttermilk Hush Puppies.

Biscuits with Honey and Butter

If you can’t decide between the two sides, choose the honey butter cookies and all your worries will go. These are easy to make, fast to prepare, and popular with both children and adults.

Just don’t leave them out before lunch, particularly if there are youngsters around. Dinner will be done before you know it! They’ll be gone.

I also advise avoiding eating canned biscuits. You can simply increase the taste of your biscuits, believe me.

The best thing about a bread side dish is that it can be used to wipe the plate and absorb any residual sauce. Yum!

What is the Best Way to Freeze Pulled Pork?

Freezing leftover pulled pork is an excellent way to keep it fresh. It is critical to preserve as much moisture as possible when freezing pulled pork. Because the beef isn’t allowed to dry out, it retains its melt-in-your-mouth consistency even after freezing and reheating!

If you know you’ll be freezing a substantial portion of the pork butt, shred what you’ll eat right away but leave the rest intact. Allow it to cool fully before shredding so that the meat maintains the majority of its juices.

Once the meat has reached room temperature, place it in a large resealable freezer bag or an airtight container. You might also separate the meat and keep it in separate bags. The latter method is perfect if you just want to defrost a serving or two at a time in the future.

Following that, be sure to remove as much air as possible. This is the most crucial step in preventing freezer burn.

A vacuum sealer is ideal for packaging frozen pulled pork.

Pulled pork may be frozen for up to 6 months if properly wrapped. It’s the dinner that never fails to impress!

What is the Best Way to Reheat Pulled Pork?

Warming up leftover pork may be done in a variety of ways, and it will be difficult in each instance to completely heat the meat without drying it up.

You’ll need to thaw the pork first, either at room temperature for a few hours or in the refrigerator overnight, for each technique. A dab of liquid, such as the pork’s saved cooking juices, apple juice, broth, or simple water, can also help keep the meat tender.

It is also critical that the meat reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using the Slow Cooker

In the Crock-Pot, the low-and-slow approach is practically failsafe. Simply insert the meat in the slow cooker and cover with barbecue sauce or water.

Set the thermostat to warm and let it alone for 2-3 hours. If you’re in a hurry, you may simmer it on low for 1-2 hours. Just keep an eye on the meat and stir it occasionally. When the internal temperature reaches 165°F, it is ready to serve.

Oven

This method is also viable, and it just takes 30-45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 225°F and put the pork in a roasting pan with the liquid of your choice. Cook, covered with foil, until the meat is well heated. If preferred, add the barbecue sauce in the final 5 minutes of cooking time.

Grill

Preheat the grill to a low temperature. Just like in the oven, you’ll place the pork in a disposable aluminum pan with your preferred liquid. Cook for 30-45 minutes, or until the beef is completely cooked, with the pan on the grill rack. If desired, add more BBQ sauce for the final 5 minutes.

What are the Best Toppings for Pulled Pork Sandwiches?

I love a decent pulled pork sandwich, but it’s enhanced by the toppings I can’t get enough of, such as these:

To generate a hot flavor bite, combine sour cream or Greek yogurt with prepared horseradish.

Coleslaw: A basic slaw with a vinegar flavor adds a fresh bite to these delectable sandwiches.

BBQ Sauce: I save half of the sauce that the pork is slow-cooked in and add it to the shredded pork, then purée the rest to serve as a dipping sauce if I’m feeling really saucy.

Additional components include potato chips, fresh sliced or caramelized onions, melted cheese, homemade pickles, and even pickled jalapeos.

For my favorite pulled pork sandwiches, I usually use a very soft bread or roll. Use ordinary grocery store hamburger buns for a family meal; if you’re serving a bigger party gathering, use smaller rolls to stretch the dish further.

How to Make Leftover Pulled Pork Sandwich?

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

thinly sliced 3 teaspoons minced garlic

2 pounds of leftover pulled pork

1 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth Coleslaw

6-8 hamburger buns

Directions:

In a pan over medium heat, combine the onion, garlic, BBQ sauce, and chicken broth. Cook, stirring periodically, until the onions are soft.

In the pan, combine the remaining pulled pork and the sauce. Cook until well heated.

The buns had been toasted. Then, pour shredded pork onto one side of the toasted bread.

Drizzle with barbeque sauce and serve with coleslaw and bun tops. Have fun while serving!

Conclusion

Pulled pork is really easy to make at home and can be used in a variety of dishes. It’s ideal for meal prep since it can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. Do you have no idea what to do with all of the leftovers? This collection of scrumptious Leftover Pulled Pork Recipes will inspire you.