Pulling Pork for Breaking Bad

Last Sunday I lost something very dear to me. It was the end of an era, and myself and 10.3 million other people around the world mourned the end of the greatest television show in history: Breaking Bad. Throughout this final season I watched with a group of friends every Sunday night, sharing a delicious meal that got better and better as each week passed, preparing us for the finale with the greatest meal of all. There was gruyere bacon mac-n-cheese, mixed greens with pears and figs, crunchy southwestern coleslaw, roasted potatoes and shallots, grilled sweet corn, four different varieties of cookies, and about eight bottles of wine. And there was my contribution: slow-cooked pulled pork. Walter White would have been proud of the cooks.

Slow Cooked Pulled Pork (serves 10)

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 2 TB worcestershire sauce
• 2 TB cajun seasoning
• 2 TB Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup dark beer
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 lbs pork shoulder (butt)

Add the first six ingredients into a crock pot and stir to combine into a smooth liquid. Add the pork and onions and toss to coat. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Serve with toasted buns and your favorite coleslaw (I prefer crunchy over creamy, such as spicy southwestern slaw).

We had a selection of Sonoma Pinot Noir, Paso Robles Cabernet, and Rose of Sangiovese – all good pairs to the pulled pork, but I preferred the Rose, naturally. The next day I made tacos out of leftovers and put the pork and slaw into a corn tortilla with avocado and sour cream – yum!

Excuse the lack of photos; we liked to watch Breaking Bad in the dark.