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South Philadelphia slow-pitched Italian shredded pork recipe is juicy, super tasty (thanks to a quick and delicious spice massage), and very versatile. Best of all, all you need to do is set it up and forget it in your cooking pot! This slow-roasted Italian shredded pork recipe (in the slow cooker) is sure to be in heavy rotation for football parties and more! This Italian roast pork sandwich is a must from Philadelphia!
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What makes a great Philadelphia Italian pork sandwich?
Ok, first of all, I know that Philadelphia is well known for its cheesesteaks. But have you ever sunk your teeth into our quintessential South Philadelphia pig? If you haven’t, you’re missing it and need to keep reading. If you’ve already, read on for an amazing, super simple South Philadelphia-style pork sandwich recipe.
Any great and authentic South Philadelphia Italian shredded pork sandwich recipe (like John’s Roast Pork) starts with a tasty, meaty pork shoulder (in this case, slow-cooking pork shoulder and lots of Italian seasonings). Building the perfect roast pork sandwich also requires a few key components:
A
- large long roll (preferably seedless). Lots
- sticky provolone cheese
- A healthy serving of spinach sautéed with garlic or broccoli rabe, depending on your preference.
- A long heat, if you feel adventurous. A long spicy is exactly what it sounds like: a long, spicy pepper. It’s a pickled, spicy treat that you put in your entire sandwich, and it’s not for the faint of heart (or sensitive).
of
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The Italian Pork Sandwich: A Philadelphia Recipe You Can Make at Home
I’m trying to find the words to describe this pork without being disrespectful. Joking aside, this slow cooker pork shoulder is one of my favorite and easy-to-use recipes.
This South Philadelphia-style Italian shredded pork sandwich recipe is the dream meal. Most of the credit can be taken for the magical cut of pork known as shoulder to bone.
This is a bad and self-sufficient cut of meat. Full of marbled fat and flavor, bone-in pork shoulder is perfect for slow cooking. Go ahead and try to make a dry pork shoulder, I challenge you. For this recipe, we only hope to highlight the natural flavor of pork. To do this, you won’t need much.
5 Easy Steps to a Perfect and Crumbled Slow Cooker Italian Shredded Pork
1. I’m sure you get a cut of pork with bone and shoulder. Bone = much more flavor. Do not try to go the lean route here with a pork loin, it will be dry and lack flavor. Let’s eat all the fat for this recipe. Trust me, it’s worth it.
2. This is a BIG cut of meat, so cut it if necessary to fit in your cooking pot. You want all the pork nested inside so that it cooks evenly. Large, random chunks are fine, we just want to make sure everyone is in the pool. Place the pork with the fat tops on top so that the fat drizzles the meat while cooking.
3. Rub the meat, every inch of it. Be sure to completely cover each edge of the meat with your spice massage to get the maximum favor.
4. Place your wine, onion, garlic and bay leaves under the pork. This will ensure that the taste is well mixed, as the pork spreads itself.
5. Wait (patiently?) until the pork melts tenderly. After 8 hours high (that’s 1 hour per pound) Pork is falling apart when you grab it with your tweezers. It is a glorious sight.
Make Italian shredded pork roasted over low heat in the clay pot Ready to make the best
slow-roasted Italian shredded
pork
of your life? Here’s what you need:
- A great slow cooker. I recommend a quart so that the meat can fit well. If you are using a smaller small cooking pot, but the meat down, or reduce the recipe.
- A great spice massage. You’re going to cover every nook and cranny of your big, beautiful pork shoulder with my quick and easy spice massage. The cast of characters? All the basic pantry spices you probably have on hand right now.
- A large pig’s shoulder, preferably with bone. The bone will add even more flavor as the pork is cooked. If you can’t find one, don’t worry, a boneless pig butt will work just as well.
- Lots of onions and garlic. You’ll put them under the pork, and they’ll disintegrate as they’re cooked and become part of the delicious juices.
- A little white or red wine. Stay away from anything too sweet, but use something you would drink. My go-tos are a solid red mix or a Pinot Grigio.
How to serve Slow Cooker
Pork
Shoulder Classic Roast Pork Sandwich
The Italian pork sandwich is the recipe of THEE Philadelphia. Serve stacked on hoagie/sub rolls with lots of provolone (or strong provolone) and sautéed fresh spinach leaves or broccoli rabe. I love serving it like this for parties, as guests can easily pour themselves a great pork sandwich, straight from the cooking pot.
Luxury Open-Face Roast Pork Sandwich
Serve as an open sandwich, in toasted baguette or Italian bread that has been slathered with fresh pesto or jar. Top the toast loaded with pesto with pork and a generous pinch of Parmesan cheese. Welcome to Flavor Town (if you see Guy Fieri, tell him I said hello).
Over rice,
or cauliflower “rice”
Serve over rice (or cauliflower rice) and topped with parmesan. Maybe throw some sautéed spinach into that rice?
Pork flatbreads
This Italian recipe for shredded pork lends itself easily to being served as flatbread. Stack the pork on a large piece of fresh or frozen naan bread with lots of mozzarella, parmesan and a little pesto.
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If you make my South Philly-style Italian shredded pork sandwich recipe, be sure to leave me a comment! I’d love to hear from you and I value your feedback! Finally, if you make the recipe and you love it, tag me on Instagram! I love seeing your photos!
*Notes/Substitutions:
If you use less than 8 pounds of pork shoulder, adjust the cooking time accordingly. This recipe requires 1 hour high per pound of meat. Spice massage is also intended for 8 pounds of meat, so combine it too if you make less meat.
Hate peeling garlic? Separate the garlic-filled bulb into individual cloves and microwave in 10 seconds! After the quick trip in the microwave, the skins will peel immediately!
If you don’t have Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute, you could skip it and this recipe would still be delicious!
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