Italian Pulled Pork with Pepperoncinis – 3 Ways

This super easy and delicious Italian Pulled Pork recipe uses just a few simple ingredients and can be enjoyed in a number of ways. Cook once and have several ready-made options for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Because it can be made ahead, this pulled pork recipe is perfect for entertaining, too!

We’ve used the pulled pork to make the following dishes:

• Italian Pulled Pork & Provolone Sandwiches with Special Sauce – recipe below
• Italian Pulled Pork Breakfast Hash with Onions and Herbs – recipe coming Thursday
• Italian Pulled Pork Tot-chos with Provolone and Pepperoncinis – recipe coming Friday

Italian Pulled Pork & Provolone Sandwiches with Special Sauce

Recipe below!

These sandwiches are a thing of beauty. They’re easy to throw together as a hearty meal or as snackable sliders, and they’re just as good at room temp as they are warm. You can use any kind of bun, roll or bread that you like… toasted or soft. Load them with cheeses, or keep ’em simple. It’s all up to you.

I had a little fun making this one big and messy! I sliced and buttered the ciabatta roll, buttered both sides and toasted them in a hot pan. Then I removed the pan from the heat, flipped the toasted rolls over and added slices of Provolone allowing it to melt over the edges (because, YUM!). Then I loaded the bottom half with warm pulled pork and more pepperoncinis, drizzled on a righteous amount of sauce, sprinkled in a few delicate pieces of arugula (because, why not?!), and topped it all off with the other half of the toasted, cheesy ciabatta goodness. So good!

Speaking of sauces… The best sandwiches always include great sauces, and this one comes with a “special sauce” recipe all its own. But, if you’re in the mood to change things up, here are a few more fun recipes for you to get saucy with!

• Fresh Cilantro Lime Yogurt Sauce – light and fresh with a hint of ‘kick’.
• Reubenesque Reuben Sauce – a great sandwich spread in general, but, yes… it’s amazing on Reubens!
• Black Grape Sauce – thick and jammy with a subtle savory/sweet profile; great with fish and pork.
• Creamy Raspberry Chipotle Sauce – a great sauce for pork, chicken and fish with a little heat.
• Chimichurri Sauce – totally addictive – full of herbs, tart red wine vinegar, and so good on everything!
• Giardiniera Chimichurri Sauce – another herb-filled sauce; great with the pepperoncini flavors.

Italian Pulled Pork Breakfast Hash with Onions and Herbs

Recipe coming Thursday!

Like all of these dishes, this recipe only takes a few minutes to make. While hashes are great for breakfast and brunch, they’re also perfect for lunch and dinner. I usually dice up some red or yellow potatoes and fry them with finely chopped onions and fresh herbs (such as flat leaf parsley and chive blossoms). But, you could also use a variety of root veggies or even frozen vegetables and/or hash browns if you want. Just fry ’em up with some onions, season to taste, top with warm pulled pork and a fried egg, and enjoy!

Italian Pulled Pork Tot-chos with Provolone and Pepperoncinis

Recipe coming Friday!

Last, but not least – and the dish that actually started this whole series – we have the Tot-chos. Think Nachos, but instead of tortilla chips, we have a bed of crispy, crunchy, golden brown tater tots. Then the pulled pork and pieces of Provolone are layered on top of the tots before a final quick trip beneath the broiler to toast everything up. Just before serving, a final sprinkling of sliced pepperoncinis and some roughly chopped flat leaf parsley go on top of it all, followed by drizzles of the Special Sauce.

Sauce Note: Just drizzle a few tablespoons of sauce on top of the tot-chos, and then serve the rest in a small bowl so everyone can spoon on as much as they want.

Thanks to my fave 10″ cast iron pan, this dish is (almost) a one-pan meal. Serve it up Family Style in one, big pan or casserole dish, or use smaller pans or dishes to offer individual servings. Make sure to check out additional recipe tips below!

Italian Pulled Pork with Pepperoncinis

This pulled pork recipe is what started it all. It’s is a simplified version of an absolutely amazing recipe that our friends Carla & Brian have made for large dinner parties, and it’s always a hit. They typically use venison because they often have a freezer full, and this is a great way to enjoy the frozen venison. The venison is wonderful but because pork is more readily available, that’s what we used here.

The Italian seasoning and the pepperoncini brine add a lot of flavor, so taste your pork (or venison) after cooking and then season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

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Italian Pulled Pork with Pepperoncinis (base recipe)

This easy, delicious Italian Pulled Pork recipe uses just a few simple ingredients. Cook once and enjoy several different ways for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This recipe is perfect to make ahead for entertaining, too!

Course Main Course

Author Michele Phillips, BaconFatte.com

Ingredients

• 3 pounds pork loin roast
• 8 ounces sliced pepperoncini peppers + liquid (I used Mezzetta brand)
• 1 7-ounce pkg. Italian seasoning (I used Good Seasons brand)
• 8 ounces water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Drizzle olive oil in slow cooker to coat. 

2. Place meat in slow cooker – fat side down.

3. Combine Italian seasoning with water, and add to slow cooker.

4. Cover slow cooker and cook on medium-high for 5 – 6 hours, or until meat it fall-apart tender.

5. When done, shred pork using forks. Serve immediately or allow to cool to room temperature and store shredded meat with all juices in a covered container and refrigerate. 

Recipe Notes

*I used all the liquid and roughly half of a 16-ounce jar of pepperoncini peppers in the slow cooker, then used the rest of the peppers for serving and garnish for the Tot-chos and Sandwiches. For the Hash, because I use onions and herbs, I don't usually add more pepperoncini, but you certainly can if you want!

And here are ‘3 Ways’ to enjoy this delicious pulled pork:

1. Italian Pulled Pork & Provolone Sandwiches with Special Sauce

Print

Italian Pulled Pork & Provolone Sandwiches with Special Sauce

These sandwiches are hearty, to be sure. The Special Sauce makes the flavorful Italian Pulled Pork even more crave-worthy!

Course Sandwiches

Servings 4 people

Author Michele Phillips, BaconFatte.com

Ingredients

Sandwiches

• 4 or more Ciabatta (or other) rolls - sliced
• 4 - 8 slices Provolone cheese
• additional pepperoncini peppers - for serving/garnish
• butter (optional) for pan-toasting rolls

Special Sauce

• 1/4 cup cooked Italian Pulled Pork liquid
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• pinch red cracked pepper flakes
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Sauce

1. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl. To store, cover tightly and refrigerate.

For the Sandwiches

1. Slice the ciabatta rolls, butter cut sides, and toast them in a pan over medium-high heat. When toasted to your liking, remove the pan from the heat, flip the toasted rolls over and add slices of Provolone on one or both halves, and allow it to melt over the edges of the rolls. 

2. Alternatively, place sliced rolls into a toaster, then prepare sandwich with or without butter. Or, serve un-toasted.

3. To assemble: Layer bottom half of rolls with warm pulled pork and more pepperoncinis (optional). Drizzle on some sauce, add parsley or arugula (also optional), top with the other half of the roll, and serve.

2. Italian Pulled Pork Breakfast Hash with Onions and Herbs

3. Italian Pulled Pork Tot-chos with Provolone and Pepperoncinis

I’d love to know if you try these recipes!

Please leave a note here on the blog in the comments below, or share your creations on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and/or Google+ .

Make sure to hashtag #baconfatte or tag @baconfatte in your social media posts!

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