Today is our Wedding Anniversary.
I thought I would make us a lovely dinner to enjoy together.
I typically cook early in the day and had our meal ready not long after lunch. Note the ‘after lunch’. Lunch had been eaten. My meals are big and my lunch was no exception.
However, by 2:30 I was really hungry. I don’t like being hungry. Snacks were not going to cut it.
The meal was looking good.
Before I knew it I was happily seated at the dinner table tucking in. By 3pm my serve and half of the kids had been demolished.
By 6pm I was hungry. I wanted dinner. My fridge and cupboards were bare.
My husband gave me his.
Straight away I thought ‘this is exactly why I married this man’.
This man who lets me order for him when we go out so that I can try two meals that appeal to me and then eat the one I like best. This man that gives me his dinner when I have eaten mine and still feel hungry. This man that always lets me have the good bits of the chicken. This man who doesn’t blink an eye when I eat all of his favourite chocolates while he is out.
This man who always puts me first. This man who knows exactly how to make me happy. This man who chose to spend his life with me by his side, eating his treats and stealing his meals.
Happy Anniversary. I am so glad your mine.
Pulled Pork and Salad
the pork
(jump to the end for the updated simplified version)
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup stock
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2kg pork forequarter
extras
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup stock
the salad
- 1 large beetroot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 large apple, cored and quartered
- splash of extra virgin olive oil
to top
- 1 avocado, diced
- Pour the vinegar and stock into your slow cooker.
- Mix the sugar and salt in a small bowl. Rub the mix all over the meat, exclude the fat as we will discard this later. I rub it into the gaps and over all of the surface.
- Place the meat into the slow cooker. Lightly drizzle over a tablespoon of the balsamic and stock mix from the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 7 hours.
- Remove the meat from the slow cooker. Set aside on a plate loosely covered with foil to rest for around 30 minutes.
- Discard the liquid from the slow cooker.*
- Use two sets of tongs to roughly shred the meat and return it to the slow cooker. Once it is cool enough to handle pull the meat apart with your hands.
- Add the extra balsamic and extra stock and mix to combine.
- To make the salad place the ingredients into your food processor and pulse until you are happy with the texture. Alternatively, grate all three.
- Plate up. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve. Eat. Enjoy.
*you can use a 1/3 cup of this liquid in place of the extra balsamic and stock stated in the recipe. However, I would suggest setting it aside until you can skim the fat from the top. I personally just like to get it all done which is why I use the recipe / method outlined above.
The Updated Simplified Version
Now that I am pregnant and exhausted I decided I needed a quick and easy take on this recipe. This is what I have been doing lately.
- 1 cup of chicken stock into the slow cooker.
- 2kg pork forequarter into the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 7 hours.
- Set aside, loosely covered with foil, to cool for around 45 minutes.
- Shred the meat with 2 sets of tongs and place into a large dish.
- Pour over 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar. Mix to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with the salad, avocado and drizzle of vinegar as outlined above.
- Enjoy!
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