It’s a party in the USA with these classic recipes inspired by American cuisine

 

Pulled pork sliders

MAKES 16 sliders • TOTAL TIME 3 HRS 25 MIN

FOR THE PULLED PORK 

Boneless pork shoulder 1.8 kg

Brown sugar 3 tbsp

Salt ½ tsp

Smoked paprika 1 tbsp

Dried oregano 2 tsp

Garlic powder 1 tsp 

Onion powder 1 tsp

Ground cumin 1 tsp

Freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil 2 tbsp

Beer 1 cup

Chicken stock 1 ⅓ cup

Tomato sauce  ⅓ cup

Bay leaves 2 

Barbecue sauce  2 ½ cups 

FOR THE COLESLAW

Coleslaw mix 4 cups

Apple, cut into matchsticks 1

Mayonnaise 2 cup 

Lemon juice 1 tbsp 

Salt and pepper

TO SERVE

Slider buns, lightly toasted 8–10 

PULLED PORK

1. Preheat the oven to 250°C. Trim excess fat from pork and cut into large pieces to fit in a large Dutch oven.

2. Combine brown sugar, salt and all the herbs and spices, then season with black pepper. Rub all over the pork.

3. Heat the oil in an oven over a medium high heat. Add the pork and sear on all sides. Pour the beer, chicken stock and tomato sauce in and around the pork and mix. Add the bay leaves and cover with a lid. 

4. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2–3 hours until tender enough to pull apart with a fork. Remove the pork from oven and let rest.

5. Shred the pork using two forks. Toss the shredded meat with the barbecue sauce and set aside. 

COLESLAW

1. Stir all the ingredients together and season to taste.

To serve

1. Top your lightly toasted buns with pulled pork and coleslaw. Serve warm.

 

Fried chicken and waffles

SERVES 4 • TOTAL TIME 1 HR 15 MIN 

FOR THE SPICY FRIED CHICKEN

Skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thick strips 4

Salt 2 tsp

Freshly ground pepper

Buttermilk 1 cup

Egg 1

Flour 3 cups

Cayenne pepper 1 ½ tbsp

Dried oregano 1 tbsp

Salt 2 tsp 

TO SERVE

Golden syrup or maple-flavoured syrup

Store-bought waffles 4

FRIED CHICKEN

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

2. Whisk together the buttermilk and eggs in a bowl and set aside.

3. Combine the flour, cayenne pepper and oregano in a bowl and set aside.

4. Heat some oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

5. Dip the chicken into the flour, shaking off the excess flour and then dip into the buttermilk mixture. Lay into the flour mixture again and fry in batches. Repeat until all the chicken is coated and cooked until golden brown and crispy. 

6. To serve, place a waffle on a serving plate and top with chicken strips. Drizzle with syrup and serve.

 

Deep dish pizza

SERVES 6–8 • TOTAL TIME 1 HR 10 MIN

For the TOMATO SAUCE

Butter 1 tbsp

Red onion, finely chopped ½ 

Tomato paste 1 tbsp

Chopped tomatoes 1 can

Sugar 1 tbsp

Dried oregano 1 tsp

Dried basil 1 tsp

FOR THE PIZZA

Store bought pizza dough 700 g

Grated mozzarella 2 cups

Italian sausages 4 

Grated Parmesan  to taste 

For the TOMATO SAUCE

1. Heat the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until soft. Add in tomato paste and fry for 1 minute. Add in the chopped tomatoes, sugar and herbs, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer on low for 15–20 min. 

FOR THE PIZZA

1. Preheat oven to 230ºC and coat the bottoms and side of a large springform cake tin with cooking spray.

2. Roll out your pizza dough on a lightly floured surface until 1 cm thick. Line your cake tin with the dough.

3. Sprinkle over 1 cup mozzarella cheese and top with the Italian sausage. 

4. Pour over the tomato sauce and top with the Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Bake for 25–30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5–10 minutes.

 

Apple Pie

SERVES 6–8 • TOTAL TIME 1 HR 40 MIN

Butter 3 tbsp

Apples, cored and cut into 8 wedges 12

Cinnamon ½ tsp

Nutmeg ¼ tsp

Salt ¼ tsp

Brown sugar 120 g + 2 tsp 

White sugar 1 tbsp

Water ⅓ cup+ 2 tbsp

Corn flour 2 tbsp

Lemon juice 1 tbsp

Shortcrust pastry rolls, thawed 2–3

Eggs, whisked 1 

1. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium-high heat and add the apples. Stir to coat the fruit with butter and cook, stirring occasionally.

2. Whisk together the spices, salt and sugars in a bowl and sprinkle over the apples. Cook for 2–3 minutes. Add  cup water, stirring to combine. Lower the heat and cook for 5–7 minutes, until the apples have started to soften. 

3. Combine the corn flour and leftover water in a bowl and mix to form a paste. Add the apple mixture and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, another 3–5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice. Mix well to combine. Transfer the apple filling to a bowl and let it cool.

TO ASSEMBLE

1. Grease a pie dish with oil or softened butter, working it into any grooves. Line the pie dish with 1 roll of pastry, leaving 1–2cm hanging over the edges. Use a little water to patch pieces together if necessary.

2. Scrunch up a piece of baking paper, flatten out and line the pie crust. Fill with baking beans and blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and bake the pastry for a further 15 minutes until it is set but not browned. Trim off overhanging pastry with a serrated knife and set aside until cooled.

3. Add the apple filling into the pie shell and flatten until even in the tin, spreading it flat with the back of a spoon. Cut the second roll of pastry into a 1.5 cm thick strip and place on top of the pie in a lattice pattern (see tip below). Brush the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle over with some brown sugar. 

4. Bake until the pastry is golden and crisp, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. 

5. Slice and enjoy with ice cream, flaked almonds and caramel sauce if desired.

 

Styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen
Stylist’s assistants: Sjaan van der Poleg & Kirsty Buchanan
Photography: Chanelle Naudt/hmimages.co.za

 

These 2 meat-free magic dishes are perfect for those cold winter evenings, and if you’re not a vegetable lover, it will make eating them so much easier.