Leftover roast pork

Leftover roast pork - sounds oxymoronic, right?
Well, it depends how huge a joint you start with. Much more than 7lbs between 4 people, especially if two are children, and you may have some surplus.

I find cold pork does not lend itself to many dishes - it gets a bit dry.

this works however:

Roast pork, pesto and melted cheese sandwich.

Take bread or a large bap - butter sparingly.

Slice the pork thinly then cut the slices into ribbons - you don't want to be tearing at chunks with your teeth.

Spread the lower half of the bap generously with pesto. I much prefer red pesto, but if you don't have any sundried tomatoes, green is fine. I also use walnuts instead of pine nuts because we have load and pine nuts are so expensive. I find it gives a nicer nuttier flavour but this is down to personal taste. At a push you could use shop-bought pesto, but proper stuff is so easy and so much nicer I can't understand who buys that stuff.

cover the pesto'd bap with strips of pork, then add another layer at 90 degrees to the first. Avoid chunks.

Shred some mozzarella and cover the pork. Place the whole in the microwave on high for about 1 minute - the mozzarella should become soft and gooey - then under a hot grill for 3 or 4 minutes until the mozz is properly melted and beginning to go golden.

Now add quite a lot of good quality grated hard cheese - cheddar or gruyere or emmental perhaps - enough to cover in a thick layer, and stick back under the grill until the cheese is bubbling ferociously.

Allow to cool slightly while you toast the top part of the bap/bread - which has been pre-buttered, remember.

Assemble and eat.

More than three is greedy.

Is it wrong for me to go and buy pork just so I can have leftovers and make this Billy?

Mrs C

Buying pork is never wrong, Mrs C

Oh I definitely know that. Already planned and bought all this week's food though so it may have to go on the list for next week. Feeling hungry just thinking about it!

Mrs C

Fry onions till golden, throw in shredded pork, heat till piping hot, throw in a good slosh of your fav. bar-b-cue sauce. Heat all the way and then heap onto a good bun.

Mmmmmmmmm

Another way I like but almost never manage is hot stuffing, warmed up pork slices and a glop of good apple sauce on a good bun.

Oh man oh man oh man thats gooooooood!

And cold with hot chips and gravy.

Chopped fine with diced spuds and onions as a hash or ground up with same and some egg to bind, shaped into patties and fried.

Or put in a pan with any leftover gravy (well, sometimes it happens ) and scraps and bones, simmered till really soft and the stock is strong. Pick meat from bones and use it and stock for soup or risotto. Lots of different kinds of soup are good but am going to try hot and sour soup again. Havnt quite gotten it right yet but love it so much its worth a try now and then.

Hmmmmm, cant think of any others that I use but as we eat LOTS of pork..................ah wait, another one and this one a quickie. Take a large jar of GOOD spag boll sauce (or if you have it made up, good for you) and shred pork into it. Throw in some sauteed onions and mushrooms and lots of cheese and serve over pasta. Nice variation on spag boll and yummy.

Right, thats your lot from me. Cant wait for some more ideas to use up my leftovers

My favorite use for roast pork (with drippings) is with collard greens and leeks. I cook them in my handy, dandy pressure cooker for about 10 minutes until the collards are just a step or two beyond al dente and the the leeks are all melty and delicious.

Eat them as is. Sprinkle them with a little Louisiana Hot Sauce or red chili flakes. Serve them with pork gravy. Or as a side for some really good, creamy mac and cheese. Or stir into a scrambled egg as it's cooking. Or all all of the above.

Frugal, tasty, and good for you, too.

Yum.