sustaining sloan

When you think about making batch meals, sometimes the prospect of meal prepping can be daunting. It’s not always easy to feel creative when it comes to bulk-making, but I’m here today to share with you my FAVORITE way to keep it spicy while using one item a few different ways. SLOW COOKED PORK: all you need to create your base is a large portion of pork butt/shoulder and a Dutch oven or other oven-safe dish (I usually buy the huge pack of pork butt at Costco and cook 1/2 the total amount and freeze the other half). Here’s how you get your pork ready to shred:
-Preheat your oven to 290F
-Cut your pork into large chunks, so you can ensure that you’re able to brown
-Season generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder — you can get creative here but keep a neutral base!
-Add oil (I recommend avocado oil) to the bottom of your Dutch oven and bring stovetop burner to high/medium high heat
-Once your oil is HOT, put the pork in to brown, about 2-3 minutes per side for a nice crisp outer layer
-Add a dash of apple cider vinegar to the pan, about 1-2 tbsp for some extra acidity
-Place dutch oven into the oven and cook for 4-6 hours (perfect for a day you can set the oven and forget it!)
-Once the pork is cooked, shred and enjoy! You can also portion the pork and freeze it to make it last even longer!
*You can also use a slow cooker for this. I’d recommend following all steps above (including the searing of the meat), but once your sear is done transfer to slow cooker on low for 8 hours to achieve the perfect pull.

Once you have your pork, it’s endless possibilities for creations. Today, I’m going to share with you how to do this pork 3-ways: the true jack of all trades in many different mediums. BBQ pork tacos, air fryer egg rolls, and Cubano tortilla wraps are highlighted below!

BBQ PORK TACOS
First up, what better than a taco?! I love to get creative with tacos, and there are SO many ways to use pork to make a delicious taco.

What you need:
– Corn tortillas (the street taco size is so fun!) — I love to crisp the edges on top of my gas stove
– Sour cream
– BBQ sauce
– Coleslaw — a fun way to jazz it up is to make your own! I do this by slicing up some purple cabbage and matchstick carrots and mixing them with a sugar/vinegar/mayo mixture

To make, just assemble and enjoy!

AIR FRYER PORK EGG-ROLLS

What you need:
– Cabbage mix — green and purple with matchstick carrots
– Thinly sliced celery (1 stalk should be plenty)
– Thinly sliced mushrooms
– Green onion (1)
– Soy sauce/coconut aminos/tamari (2-3 tbsp, or to taste)
– Egg roll wrappers

How to make:
– Add pork + all your veggies to a pan at medium high heat
– Let your veggies wilt and then add soy sauce (can also add some hot sauce for heat— sriracha is my favorite heat)
– Take off heat and let cool slightly
– Arrange filling of the egg rolls according to photo, with an edge facing you. Fold according to package direction, like you are closing an envelope. Remember to wet the edge of the egg roll you will be using as the “sealing” edge with a little bit of water on your index finger.
-Arrange and lightly spray wantons with cooking oil in the air fryer (I use the Chosen Foods avocado oil spray, it’s a game changer)
– Cook in the air fryer at 375F for 15 minutes
-Remove from air fryer and let cool
– Serve with any dipping sauce you desire — my favorites are a Thai peanut and sriracha mayo!

TIKTOK FAMOUS: CUBANO TORTILLA WRAP

What you need:
– Tortilla (I LOVE Siete tortillas, but literally any kind will work for this recipe, you just need a little bit of space — I suggest burrito sized)
– Thinly sliced deli ham
– MUSTARD — stone ground + yellow is a great combo, or the spicy mustard from Trader Joe’s
– Pickles — lots of pickles
– Pork (I used sliced in this example, but throw in the shredded pork you already prepped for an easy alternative)
– Cheese of choice

How you’ll make it:
– Arrange your tortilla in front of you and make a cut from the center of the tortilla straight down to the edge. It will make one big flap.
– Organizing your tortilla in quadrants, with the middle section where the “cut” starts as your guide, arrange your tortilla with all the toppings.
– (Moving clockwise starting with the bottom left quadrant) Q1: shredded pork, Q2: smeared mustard with pickles on top, Q3: cheese, Q4: thinly sliced ham
– FOLD TORTILLA starting at Q1– you’ll want to fold UP from Q1, RIGHT from Q2, and DOWN from Q3 — in that order
– Once your tortilla is folded, add a little oil to a pan at medium/high heat and crisp each side for 2-3 minutes each
– Let cool, and voila!

Try one, try them all! All you need is the base of shredded pork to make some really fun, creative meals! It’s not scary, and it’s actually SO easy to find different options with shredded pork. Let me know if you make any of these! ENJOY! xo.