How To Repurpose Leftover BBQ Pulled Pork Into Another Satisfying Meal

There's nothing like a smoker or slow cooker full of pork shoulder destined to become pulled pork. The succulent barbecue meat falls apart with the merest pull of a fork, melts in your mouth, and only gets richer and sweeter when using the best barbecue sauce. This Southern comfort food classic can't be beat when it's piled onto a fresh bun and paired with crispy coleslaw. The challenge comes when you end up with a heap of leftovers from a large batch. Sure, you could make more sandwiches the next day, but even something that delectable can get old on repeat. Instead, consider adding your leftover pulled pork to something completely different: spaghetti sauce.

At first glance, it might seem strange to toss Southern barbecued pulled pork into a tomato-based spaghetti sauce, but, based on the number of versions online, it's clear the culinary marriage works well. In fact, in Memphis, Tennessee, barbecue spaghetti is a mainstay and a great excuse to make extra pulled pork. Whether you're heating up marinara from a jar, or making your own pasta sauce from scratch, adding in leftover pulled pork and a little barbecue sauce elevates a simple red sauce or ragu, introducing an entirely new flavor profile for spaghetti night. It's an exciting method for using up leftovers.

Upgrading pasta with BBQ pulled pork

Getting creative with leftovers is fun; it's no wonder there are so many different ways to use leftover rotisserie chicken. Leftover pulled pork is a fairly rare phenomenon, since the dish is so craveable. But when it happens, adding some to pasta sauce is a great smoky-sweet alternative to ground beef or chicken breast. In some ways, it's closer to the bacon, pancetta, or guanciale used in carbonara, amatriciana, and other sauces. To wit: Leftover pulled pork also shines in bolognese.

With even just a couple of servings of leftovers, you're ready to make pasta sauce. It can help to add a little more brown sugar and a splash of Worcestershire sauce to enhance the flavors of the meat. Some people even add more barbecue sauce into the pasta sauce to emphasize the sweet and smoky notes. For a classic Memphis version, use pork from a smoker (rather than a slow cooker), add half the pulled pork while cooking your sauce, and another half on top of the finished sauced spaghetti.

While this hack should work with any sort of shredded meat it works particularly well with shredded pork shoulder, whether it's a plain smoked pork butt or well-seasoned meat for pork carnitas. Some pre-seasoned pork will work better in a classic tomato sauce than others, so consider experimenting. Pulled pork seasoned with soy sauce might work best in a creamy pasta dish, while spicy pulled pork might best enhance a spicy fra diavolo. Or, you could use the tender shreds of pork in place of traditional meat sauce in a hearty lasagna.

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