A few months ago I had a memorable dinner at a local restaurant. It wasn’t really an entree that was on the menu, but a few separate menu items caught my eye and an incredible dinner was born. You’ve heard of Chicken & Waffles, but I am not a fan of chicken. I do, however, like the concept of a savory spin on one of my favorite breakfast dishes (I do love my waffles!). Combined with a pulled pork sandwich they had on special — we have the inspiration for this recipe.
I can’t believe it’s taken me months to recreate this dish, but its true. I need more hours in the day! When we were at Whole Foods on Friday, I finally remember to pick up a Pork Butt to test the recipe. On Sunday morning, I took 5 minutes to start the pork cooking in our slow cooker. On Sunday evening, I spent another 20 minutes assembling the pieces to create the dish I’ve been dreaming about. Other than my malfunctioning food scale, this was a simple process and a quick dinner that you are going to love!
- Pork {makes more than needed for this recipe)
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoons salt (preferably himalayan or french salt)
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fig balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
- 3 pounds pork butt
- Caramelized Nuts
- 2/3 cup walnuts & peanuts
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons earth balance buttery spread
- BBQ Sauce
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chile fudge sauce (or chocolate sauce + 1/4 teaspoon cayenne)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon fig balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Waffles
- 1 cup kodiak powercakes
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- Start this recipe in the morning, so it’s ready when you are. Combine all spices (paprika through thyme) in a small bowl. Add maple syrup through olive oil and stir with a fork until combined.
- Peel and cut the onion into 4-6 slices and use to line the bottom of slow cooker. Place pork on top of onions and pour spice sauce over the top. Cook on low for 8 hours.
- When it’s time for dinner (and pork is cooked), place all ingredients for caramilzed nuts in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until thickened and heated through.
- While preparing nuts, combine BBQ ingredients in a small prep bowl, stir to combine.
- When all ingredients are prepped, transfer pork to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Combine 12 ounces of shredded pork with prepared BBQ sauce and set aside.
- Combine waffle mix & water and cook in waffle iron until done. Top each waffle with 3 ounces of bbq pork and 1/4 of caramelized nuts. Drizzle each with 1 tablespoon maple syrup and enjoy hot.
Not only is this a delicious meal, but it’s also the first meat recipe here on FITaspire. I’ve been thinking about this for a while and as meat has become a part of my diet, recipes are a natural extension of where that is.
[Tweet “Waffles for dinner? YES! You need to try this #healthier Pulled Pork & Waffles #recipe from @FITaspire.”]
I hope that you enjoy this new type of recipe on the blog, but I understand if this is one that doesn’t apply to you either. I hope to continue to share a mix of vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore recipes in this space. This blog is an extension of how I eat and I appreciate the chance to share that with all of you!
*******************
Questions for you:
- Do you have a favorite savory waffle recipe?
- Are you a fan of the slow cooker?