Braaibroodjies
Butter the slices of bread on one side and smear half of the slices with mustard on the opposite side where it was buttered.
Position the slices in pairs of two, with the buttered sides to the outside.
Divide the pulled pork between all the pairs of bread slices, top with grated cheese and close the sandwiches. Secure with toothpicks or string, if necessary.
Grill or “braai” the sandwiches over medium to hot coals and turn them frequently enough to get them golden brown and crispy on both sides.
You can also toast them in a sandwich toaster if preferred.
Serve hot with chutney or coleslaw made with chunks of chopped green apple.
Pulled Pork
This can be made 1 – 2 days before you want to use it and kept in the fridge until you make the braaibroodjies.
Preheat oven to 180C.
Trim excess fat off the pork, but keep the skin on if it has any skin on it.
Mix together the paprika, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Rub this dry mixture well into the meaty side of the pork. Rub extra salt into the skin.
Place the pork into the oven roasting bag in a big casserole dish, skin side up.
Mix the cider and barbeque sauce and pour it into the oven roasting bag so that the piece of pork sits in the liquid. Secure the bag with a wire or string tie and pierce a few tiny holes in the bag near the top.
Bake 1 hour at 180C and check to see if there is still enough liquid in the cooking bag. Add a bit of hot water if necessary.
Lower the heat to 160C and bake for another 2 – 2½ hours, or until the pork is very tender and falling apart. Keep checking to see if there is enough liquid in the bag.
Remove from oven, open the bag and pour the sauce into a saucepan. Cook without a lid until the sauce becomes slightly thick and syrupy, but take care not to let it burn.
Meanwhile, remove any bones, sinewy bits and unwanted pieces of fat from the pork when it has cooled somewhat. Do not remove all the fat and the soft skin. Pull the meat apart with two forks. Cut the very soft skin also into tiny strips and mix it into the shredded meat.
Add just enough of the thickened sauce to moisten the meat into a pleasant mouthfeel.
Taste and add some salt, pepper and a few drops of balsamic vinegar if necessary to balance the taste.
Keep in the fridge until you want to use it as a filling for braaibroodjies, wraps, pancakes or pita breads. It also makes a delicious pie filling.
Note: the pulled pork can also be baked in the oven in a casserole without an oven roasting bag. Just cover the pork and the sauce with a double layer of thick tin foil and keep checking to see if there is still enough sauce in the bottom of the casserole while the meat is braising in the oven.
