Piquant Pulled Pork from The Sriracha Cookbook

Randy Clemens is the author of The Sriracha Cookbook (Ten Speed Press), and a graduate of the California School of Culinary Arts. He has written for numerous food publications including Gourmet, Saveur, Wine Enthusiast, Imbibe, Los Angeles, Draft, Edible Los Angeles, and BeerAdvocate.

It’s no secret that Sriracha is amazing on just about everything. But it turns out that it’s also amazing in just about everything, which is exactly what I set out to show in The Sriracha Cookbook. And beyond its addictively spicy twang, Sriracha is also incredibly versatile. Using it as an ingredient in some of your favorite dishes can lend all sorts of complementary flavors to your cuisine.

Proof and point? Piquant Pulled Pork. It’s my take on a quintessential barbecue favorite. As any North Carolina native can tell you, traditional pulled pork takes years to perfect out in the smoker…which is exactly why we’re bucking tradition and making ours in a crock pot. And while those Caroliners will no doubt call it blasphemy, it doesn’t make it any less delicious.

I like to let it slow cook for 8 to 10 hours while I’m at work. Then, when I get home, I can just give it a quick shred, stick it in a bun, slap on a pile of creamy Sriracha Slaw, an extra drizzle of Sriracha for good measure, and dive into a damn fine sandwich.

I like to pair it with a pint of craft beer, especially a rich smoked porter or a relatively hoppy pale ale. If vino is more your thing, you’ll find a friend in a full-bodied, jammy California Zinfandel. (No, NOT the white kind.) Either pairing is perfect for a game-day gathering. Super Bowl party, anyone?



Recipes from The Sriracha Cookbook by Randy Clemens