Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork Recipe and the History of the Dutch Oven

(A.K.A. Slow Cooker)

This past winter, I was standing at the check-out with my groceries, and, as usual, I had a few minutes to leaf through the magazines that were strategically placed there, seemingly just for me.  And, as usual, I don't do a very good job of talking myself out of buying ANOTHER cooking magazine.  I spotted a magazine with recipes exclusively for slow cookers.  What was unusual about this particular magazine, was that there were LOTS of delicious-sounding/looking recipes (rather than the usual few) that convinced me that I absolutely HAD to buy it.  So I did.  This magazine and its recipes inspired the topic and recipe for this posting.  

Below you will find a recipe for Slow-Cooked Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Pulled Pork.  It is a "tweeked" version of a recipe I found in the slow cooker magazine I bought last winter.  Since it made far more than I could ever eat by myself, I gave some to my friend and co-worker, David, and he LOVED it!  Sooooo, I gave him more the next day and the reaction was the same.  This told me that this dish will keep for a couple of days after making it and that you could probably freeze portions of it, too.  

Being the "Geek" that I am, I wondered where the term "Dutch Oven" came from and did a little research.  Hence, the article History of the Dutch Oven was born.  It follows the recipe, so be sure to read it. 

As always, thanks for checking out my latest post and let me know what you think.

Bon Appetite!!

Slow-Cooked Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Pulled Pork

2 1/2 to 3-lb. boneless pork roast          1 small onion - chopped (optional)          3/4 cup ketchup

3/4 cup red bell pepper - chopped        1/3 cup brown sugar - packed                 1/4 cup honey  

3/4 cup orange bell pepper - chopped  1 clove garlic - minced                             1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. dried thyme                                    1 tbsp. Dijon mustard                                

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary                           1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth - low-sodium       1 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Remove any excess fat from the pork roast and cut it in pieces if you need to so that it will fit in your slow cooker.  Mine is a medium-sized cooker, so I didn't need to cut it up very much.   Put the pork in the slow cooker and add the peppers and optional onion.  Sprinkle with the dried herbs.  Pour the chicken broth over the top.  Cover and cook on low-heat for 9 to 10 hours - or on the high-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.  I used the low-heat setting because I put it in one day before work so it could cook all day.

For the sauce, in a medium saucepan, combine the Balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, ketchup, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and sea salt.  (Yes, sea salt.  For the reason, refer to my posting Worth Its Salt)  Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat.  Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until sauce thickens.  Stir the mixture so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.

When the pork is done, you can either take it out of the slow cooker to pull the pork apart - or you can leave it in the slow cooker.  Use two forks to gently shred the pork.  Drain the liquid out of the cooker.  If you use a liner for your cooker, you can CAREFULLY pick up the edges of the liner and drain the liquid out.  The idea is to get the excess liquid out so that you don't dilute the sauce.  Cover and cook for an hour on the low-heat setting.  The low-setting will allow the sauce to blend nicely with the pork and veggies.

You can serve the pulled pork on any kind of bread or buns,  You could also serve it on mashed potatoes. YUM! This recipe makes enough pork for about 15 to 18 good--sized slider-sized sandwiches.

NOTE:  I always use the plastic liners they make for slow cookers and sell in the baggie section of the grocery store.  They make clean-up soooooooo much easier.

And now.......

What Did People Do Before Slow Cookers?

Long, long, long time ago, before the invention of the slow cooker lots of people now own, including me, food that was supposed to cook slowly for a long time was prepared in cast-iron pots called Dutch ovens.  The Dutch oven is a very distinctive piece of cookware, which is made from a single piece of cast iron.  This oven was used throughout the early history of the U.S.  So where did the "Dutch" part come from? Well, of course it comes from Holland.  You know, where Dutch people live?

Seriously, the Dutch ovens we know were made and patented by an English guy named Abraham Darby in 1708, who went to Holland to study how the Dutch made their ovens.  In the 1600s, the Dutch had a much greater system for molding iron than England.  They produced their molds through sand, which gave them a smoother surface area than English molds.  In the beginning, Abe sold his pots to British households.  As interest grew, he shipped them to the American colonies.  The oven was modified to suit the American market.  The shape changed a bit and was made more shallow than the original ovens.  Legs were also eventually added so that it could stand right over an open fire.  These modified ovens were a better fit for American households where it could be positioned over an open fire or over a fire in a fireplace.

The Dutch oven became very popular rather quickly as it was durable and great for traveling.  Lewis and Clarke even took one on the expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase.  It was an all-in-one-pot - you could use it for boiling, frying, stewing, roasting, and even baking.  It was easy to pack and unpack for the pioneers as they made their way West.  The pot eventually became associated with cowboys and wagon trains traveling over the prairie.

The Dutch oven became so important and valued that it was often bequeathed to a loved one in a will.  The Dutch oven inspired the development of cast-iron frying pans, bake ware, molds, and many other modern-day kitchen essentials.  The beauty of cooking with cast-iron products is that they evenly distribute heat as the slowly heat up.  It'll even keep your food warm after cooking. 

Many modern-day cast-iron products come pre-seasoned, layered with enamel, are mainly used indoors, and come with life-time warranties.  They are also a staple for many campers.  However, the traditional Dutch oven remains a symbol of the American West.  In fact, the Dutch oven has been named the "state cooking vessel" (I didn't know that states had such a thing) for Texas, Utah, and Arkansas.  There are Dutch oven associations and clubs across the U.S. that represent the heritage and traditions of the Dutch oven, including:  International Dutch Oven Society (IDOS), Northwest Dutch Oven Society, Columbia Basin Dutch Oven Society, Nevada Dutch Oven Society, Kast Iron Kookers, Heart;land of the Prairie Dutch Oven Society, and Flint River Dutch Oven Society.