Served at parties and BBQs, this pulled pork recipe is a favorite with large crowds. The tender, moist, succulent pork can easily be kept warm in crock-pots or with Sterno burners.
Serve on fresh baked rolls and there won’t be any leftovers. This recipe uses your favorite already-made BBQ sauce, finely chopped peppers, and onions. It’s also a great “make a day ahead” recipe.
Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients:
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
4 quarts water
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2-1/2 cups barbecue sauce
Directions:
1. Bring water to boil in a large stockpot over high heat, add pork, return to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 2 1/2 hours or until tender.
2. Remove from water and cool slightly. Using a fork, pull meat away from bones and shred.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and peppers until tender, stirring frequently. Add barbecue sauce and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Add pork to barbecue mixture, cook 5 minutes to heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns.
Health Benefits of Bell Peppers
Sure, pulled pork might not be the healthiest thing in the world, but the use of red and green bell peppers in this recipe actually gives it some benefits. Getting all the nutrients your body needs in a day can be difficult, so this pulled pork can help. Let's check out some of the health benefits that bell peppers provide.
Bell peppers are one of the best sources of vitamin C; a single bell pepper provides almost double your daily need of this nutrient. Vitamin C is famous for its role in boosting the immune system, but it also has additional benefits. Vitamin C can help keep your skin healthy. As an antioxidant, it also may have anticancer effects.
Vitamins B6 and K are also found in good quantities in bell peppers. Vitamin B6 plays a crucial role in the formation of red blood cells, while vitamin K is used by the body for blood clotting. Vitamin K also plays a role in keeping your bones strong and healthy.
Bell peppers are also rich in other antioxidants besides vitamin C. Antioxidants of all kinds are thought to protect your body from various diseases, including cancer and heart disease. Given that heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans, doing what you can to prevent it is important.
Lutein is also found in bell peppers. This compound is beneficial to your eyes. Studies have shown that lutein may actually reduce your risk for age-related eye problems, such as macular degeneration. Finally, the iron in bell peppers can help you avoid anemia.
As you can see, the bell peppers included in this recipe offer a host of health benefits. They can help you feel better about eating pulled pork, since you know that you're giving your family a lot of the nutrients they need every day. If you enjoyed this recipe, feel free to check out some of the hundreds of other recipes that we have available on our site!
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Arina P Habich/Shutterstock.com.