Irresistibly Sweet & Savory Hoisin Honey Pulled Pork with Zesty Pickled Cucumber Salad
Welcome to a culinary journey that promises to tantalize your taste buds and impress your dinner guests, all while keeping your kitchen efforts to a minimum. Our Hoisin Honey Pulled Pork with Pickled Cucumber Salad is a magnificent fusion of sweet, saucy, slow-cooked pork, served gloriously over perfectly toasted bread, and crowned with a vibrant, crisp pickled cucumber salad. This recipe masterfully combines a symphony of flavors and textures, delivering a dish that is both luxuriously rich and surprisingly easy to prepare. It’s a meal that’s destined to become a staple in your repertoire, whether for a cozy weeknight or a special holiday gathering.
As the festive season approaches, many of us find ourselves juggling a whirlwind of activities. Whether it’s the annual quest for the perfect gifts (thank goodness for online shopping, right?), decking the halls with festive decor, or the monumental task of addressing what feels like a thousand holiday cards – this time of year can be wonderfully chaotic. It’s precisely during these bustling periods that we crave meals that deliver maximum flavor with minimal fuss. This recipe was born out of that very need: a desire for a new, exciting weeknight dinner that could ease the holiday rush. Yet, what emerged from my kitchen was so incredibly delicious and elegantly sophisticated that I quickly realized it was worthy of a holiday feast. Talk about a culinary win!
The secret weapon behind the phenomenal success of this dish lies in a truly exceptional ingredient: Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey Globe Jar. This isn’t just any honey; it’s a game-changer that elevates the entire sauce. The natural presence of honeycomb in the jar works wonders, transforming the hoisin-based sauce into a perfectly sweet (never overly so), wonderfully thick, and lusciously saucy creation. Each spoonful is a testament to the magic of real, unprocessed honey.
Discover the Magic of Don Victor Honey with Honeycomb
If you’re not yet acquainted with Don Victor® Honey, allow me to introduce you to an ingredient that will undoubtedly elevate your cooking and dining experiences. You can typically find it in the Hispanic foods aisle at Walmart, which might seem unconventional but is surprisingly easy to locate. What truly sets this honey apart is its commitment to purity and quality. Don Victor Honey is raw, filtered, and unequivocally REAL honey – a claim that, much like with olive oil or balsamic vinegar, we can no longer take for granted. It has not been subjected to excessive heating or processing, preserving its natural enzymes, floral notes, and delicate flavors.
The most distinctive feature of Don Victor Honey is the actual honeycomb nestled within the jar. This isn’t just a charming visual; it’s a delicious and versatile component. The honeycomb itself is wonderfully tasty and soft enough to be easily mashed onto hot toast, warm biscuits, or spread generously over French toast. While it won’t entirely melt, the warmth gently softens the wax and releases its aromatic essence, infusing your food with an unparalleled depth of honey flavor. Beyond this recipe, imagine adding a delicate nib of this sweet honeycomb to a sophisticated cheese board. Picture it: multi-grain crackers, a creamy slice of brie or sharp cheddar, then topped with a glistening piece of honeycomb – a truly swoon-worthy combination!
But its culinary potential doesn’t stop there. As I discovered with this pulled pork recipe, cooking with the honeycomb is where its true magic shines. I incorporated the entire honeycomb directly into the slow cooker with the pork. As the pork slow-cooked to tender perfection, the honeycomb gradually softened and integrated into the sauce, acting as a natural, luxurious thickener. The result? A rich, glossy, and intensely flavorful sauce that perfectly coats every strand of succulent pork. It’s an “Oh my goodness, so good!” kind of moment. Moreover, these beautiful jars of honey with their visible honeycomb make for thoughtful and affordable gifts. I even picked up a few extra jars to include in gift baskets for an upcoming charity auction because their aesthetic appeal and inherent quality make them a delightful present.
Crafting the Hoisin Honey Pulled Pork: A Slow Cooker Marvel
When I say this recipe is easy enough for a weeknight, I truly mean it. The beauty of this Hoisin Honey Pulled Pork lies in its simplicity and the magic of your slow cooker. In the morning, you simply combine all the ingredients – your chosen pork roast, the hoisin sauce, that incredible Don Victor Orange Blossom Comb Honey, fresh garlic, grated ginger, lite soy sauce, Thai chili sauce, and a touch of sesame oil – directly into the slow cooker. Then, you set it to low, and let it work its wonders throughout the day, transforming tough cuts into melt-in-your-mouth tender pulled pork. The house will fill with an intoxicating aroma, building anticipation for dinner.
For the pork itself, I’ve successfully used both a Boston butt (pork shoulder) and a smaller picnic roast. Both cuts are ideal for slow cooking as they contain enough fat and connective tissue to break down beautifully, resulting in incredibly moist and flavorful shredded meat. You can easily adjust the size of your roast to accommodate the number of people you’re feeding. Regardless of the cut or size, rest assured there will be an abundance of that luscious, rich hoisin honey sauce, perfect for soaking into your chosen bread or accompanying side dishes. The combination of hoisin’s savory-sweet umami, honey’s complex sweetness, and the sharp notes of ginger and garlic creates a truly unforgettable flavor profile.
The Essential Counterbalance: Pickled Cucumber Salad
Next, we turn our attention to the Pickled Cucumber Salad, an integral component that perfectly complements the richness of the pulled pork. The inspiration for this salad struck me during a visit to the Food and Wine Festival at Disney, where I experienced Korean barbecue. I had never encountered pickled cucumber before, nor had I ever considered pairing fresh cucumber with meat (apart from on my Chicken Gyro Pizza). The combination was absolutely fantastic! It was a revelation of fresh, zesty flavor cutting through the richness of the barbecue. I knew immediately I had to replicate that experience for this dish.
So, following the lead of the slow cooker, I prepared the pickled cucumber salad in advance and let it chill in the refrigerator all day. This allows the flavors to meld beautifully and the cucumbers to achieve that perfect crisp, tangy texture. The interplay between the rich, deeply flavored pulled pork and the light, crisp, and tangy cucumber salad is precisely what makes this dish so balanced and enjoyable. In recipes where sweetness plays a prominent role, an acidic element, in this case, rice wine vinegar, is crucial. It brightens the palate, prevents the dish from becoming overly sweet or cloying, and adds a refreshing counterpoint. Understanding this principle is one thing, but experiencing the delightful harmony it creates in a dish truly makes an inner foodie gleeful.
Bringing It All Together: Serving Perfection
Finally, the moment arrives to assemble this magnificent meal. I highly recommend serving the Hoisin Honey Pulled Pork on slices of toasty baguette, presented open-faced. This not only looks incredibly impressive, defying its easy preparation, but also provides a wonderful textural contrast with the crusty bread soaking up the savory-sweet juices. If you prefer a simpler approach or are looking for alternatives, feel free to pull out those hamburger buns from the freezer – perhaps leftover from a summer barbecue – and load them up! This dish is incredibly versatile, and you can truly “do you” when it comes to serving. Other fantastic options include serving the pulled pork in lettuce wraps for a low-carb option, over steamed rice as a hearty bowl, or even as fillings for sliders or tacos. Garnish with fresh cilantro, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, or extra red pepper flakes for an added kick.
So there you have it, folks. A rich, deeply delicious pulled pork that demands minimal effort, complemented by a light and crisp pickled cucumber salad, and served on your favorite toasted bread to capture every drop of that incredible sauce. Whether you’re searching for a fresh, exciting dish for a Christmas gathering, a special occasion, or simply an easy yet impressive weeknight dinner to navigate the demands of a busy season, this Hoisin Honey Pulled Pork with Pickled Cucumber Salad is an absolute must-try. Don’t forget to PIN this recipe to save it for later, give it a whirl in your kitchen, and as always, let me know how it turns out for you in the comments below!
Hoisin Honey Pulled Pork with Pickled Cucumber Salad
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Ingredients
For the Hoisin Honey Pulled Pork
- 1 3 lb Boston butt or picnic pork roast
- kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
- 8 oz hoisin sauce
- ½ cup Don Victor® Orange Blossom Comb Honey Globe Jar
- 2 large cloves garlic chopped
- 2 heaping Tbs fresh grated ginger
- ¼ cup lite soy sauce
- 1 Tbs Thai chili sauce
- 1 Tbs sesame oil
For the Pickled Cucumber Salad
- 1 large cucumber sliced super thin
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 3 Tbs rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tbs water
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- couple pinches Chinese 5-Spice seasoning
- pinch fresh cracked pepper
For serving
- baguette sliced in 1-1/2-inch thick slices
- olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
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Combine all the ingredients for the Hoisin Honey Pulled Pork in your slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the pork is incredibly tender and easily falls apart with two forks. Once cooked, use two forks to shred the meat directly in the sauce.
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While the pork is slow cooking, prepare the Pickled Cucumber Salad. In a medium bowl, gently toss together the thinly sliced cucumber, diced red onion, rice wine vinegar, water, kosher salt, red pepper flakes, Chinese 5-Spice seasoning, and a pinch of fresh cracked pepper. Refrigerate the salad until you are ready to serve.
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When nearing serving time, spray the baguette slices well with olive oil cooking spray. Toast them to a golden crisp in a toaster, toaster oven, or under the oven broiler (watching carefully to prevent burning).
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Serve generous portions of the Hoisin Honey Pulled Pork on your perfectly toasted bread slices, then top each serving with a refreshing mound of the Pickled Cucumber Salad. Enjoy!
