Craving comfort food that’s both delicious and nutritious? Dive into our Whole30 Slow-Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork with Coleslaw—a guilt-free, flavor-packed meal that’s low in sugar, high in protein, and bursting with wholesome ingredients. Perfect for satisfying your BBQ cravings while staying on track with your health goals!
Image source: AI-generated
Ingredients
For the Pork Shoulder:
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons ground fennel
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lbs boneless pork shoulder
For the BBQ Sauce:
- 1¾ cups + 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- ¾ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 15 pitted Medjool dates, soaked in warm water for 10–15 minutes
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 4–6 dried arbol chiles, soaked in warm water for 10–15 minutes
- Kosher salt, to taste
For the Coleslaw:
- ½ head red cabbage, thinly shredded
- ½ head green cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1 small fennel bulb, cored and julienned
- 1 Fuji apple, cored and julienned
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup Whole30 mayonnaise (or homemade, see below)
- Kosher salt, to taste
For the Whole30 Mayo:
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¾ cup canola oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
Directions
1. Prepare the Pulled Pork:
- In a bowl, mix all the spices for the pork rub.
- Coat the pork shoulder evenly with the spice mixture. For best flavor, marinate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C).
- Line a baking sheet with overlapping foil sheets. Place the pork (fat side up) in the center, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap tightly in foil.
- Roast for 3 hours, then open the foil to expose the top while keeping the juices contained.
- Return to oven and roast for another 2½–3 hours, or until the pork shreds easily.
- Remove from oven and turn on the broiler.
2. Make the BBQ Sauce:
- Drain the soaked dates and chiles. Adjust chile quantity for desired heat.
- Blend all BBQ sauce ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and refrigerate until serving.
3. Prepare the Whole30 Mayo:
- Blend egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and garlic until smooth.
- Slowly stream in oil while blending until thick and emulsified. Season with salt.
- Refrigerate (best used the next day for deeper flavor).
4. Assemble the Coleslaw:
- In a large bowl, combine cabbages, fennel, apple, red onion, parsley, lemon juice, and vinegar.
- Fold in mayonnaise until creamy. Season with salt and chill until serving.
5. Serve:
- Brush pork with ½ cup BBQ sauce and broil for 4–5 minutes until caramelized.
- Shred the pork, toss with more sauce, and serve with coleslaw and extra sauce on the side.
Storage:
- Leftovers keep for 2 days (except BBQ sauce, which lasts 1 week refrigerated).
