There used to be this amazing German restaurant in center city Philadelphia called Ludwig’s. It had amazing food, beer, and character, that is until it closed down for no apparent reason. At any rate, my favorite dish on their menu was this pulled pork spaetzle, and below is my attempt at recreating such a masterpiece. It takes a long time to cook, but it’s worth it in the end. I made this for dinner last night, and it may have to become a New Years’ tradition!
Pulled Pork
I snagged this recipe off my father, thanks dad!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- About a 4-5 lb piece of boneless pork roast
- 2 bottles of your favorite barbecue sauce (I like Cattleman’s)
- 2 Onions sliced
- 4 toes of garlic chopped
- Water or beer (guess which I prefer)
- 1 C vinegar
- salt and pepper
Place one of the sliced onions and garlic at the bottom of the crock pot, and set the pork roast on top of it. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Place the second sliced onion on top and fill the crock pot with equal parts water (or beer) and vinegar until the pot’s about 2/3 full. Cover and cook on low for about 8 to 12 hours.
Remove the pork from the crock pot and discard the remaining liquid. Pull the pork apart with either your fingers or a fork and place back into the crock pot. Add the barbecue sauce and cook on high for about one to three hours.
Spaetlze
I borrowed this recipe from the food network: Tyler Florence’s Mother in-law dumplings episode.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 Cup all purpose flour
- 1 Tsp salt
- 1/2 Tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 Tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 Cup milk
In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and make a large well in the center. Whisk the eggs and milk together in another bowl and add to the dry ingredients. Slowly fold in the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until a smooth and thick batter forms. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. As the water’s heating up, evenly spread the batter onto the back of a cookie sheet. Once the water is boiling, slowly scrape 1/4 to 1/2 inch segments of batter into the water (be careful to not overcrowd the pot) and boil until the noodles float to the surface. Remove the finished spaetzle with a slotted spoon, place in a colander, run cool water over them to keep them from cooking any further, and place in a bowl for later.
Pulled Pork Spaetzle
Now it’s time for assembly! Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a casserole dish with cooking spray or Crisco. Place the spaetzle in the bottom of the casserole dish, until it’s about 1/2 full. Fill the dish the rest of the way with the pulled pork and if you like, cut thin strips of a smoked Gouda cheese and place over top of the pork. Cover and set in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
