Transform Leftover Pulled Pork Into The Best Breakfast Bowl Of Your Life

When one imagines what they might want to do with leftover pulled pork, thoughts of sandwiches, tacos, and nachos are probably among the first possibilities that come to mind. Those, and even somewhat less expected uses like repurposed pulled pork pasta sauce all typically skew pretty dinner-adjacent. But you also shouldn't sleep on that shredded swine's morning meal potential, either. And breakfast bowls are the incredibly versatile a.m. dish that your pulled pork will seem made for, once you start tinkering with the possibilities.

Much like the age old debate over whether cereal is actually soup, some say that anything served in a bowl for breakfast is a breakfast bowl. Most, however, would probably expect it to include a foundation of things like eggs, grits, and/or potatoes, plus some portion of meat, veggies, and the appropriate flavor enhancers. As luck would have it, pulled pork goes terrifically with all of those expected elements, and plenty more where those came from. You can keep it simple with a pulled pork, onion, and garlic scramble with a dash of hot sauce on top, introduce your comforting grains to the protein and a handful of sauteed greens, or get a little decadent by marrying the meat with hash browns, chives, plenty of melted cheese, and sour cream. You can also mix and match any of those elements, or use whatever other leftovers you have kicking around your refrigerator, for a particularly satisfying way to start the day. Maybe just skip the Trix.

Being that pulled pork breakfast bowls can take so many different forms, your biggest hurdle might be getting the pork itself to your preferred temperature. You probably aren't going to want to plop a scoop of refrigerator-chilled protein right on those warm, fluffy scrambled eggs, soothing, steamy grits, or crispy, fried potatoes, for example. The best way to reheat pulled pork to prevent drying requires a little foresight and a bit of equipment. You'll ideally vacuum-pack your pulled pork portions to eventually revive with an immersion circulator later.

Vacuum sealing to sous vide needn't be as intimidating as it might at first sound. If you're new to the practice, some small appliance makers even bundle the two required components together for less than you might spend on a family brunch outing. Vacuum packing only takes a moment, and, while the sous vide process can take an hour, it's passive time in a water bath that you can use to make coffee, chop your pulled pork breakfast bowl toppings, and prepare whatever base you plan to build upon.

Folks have also been known to eschew the special equipment and simmer more standard resealable plastic bags, but you might want to keep a closer eye out for leaks in that case. Those less obsessed with leftover pulled pork optimization can also toss it into a skillet with a minimal liquid to warm. It will probably get a little crispy around the edges that way, but that texture can be plenty tasty, too.