Mediterranean Pulled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches on Bella Bruschetta Biscuits
Overview
The deep south of America meets the deep south of Italy in this carnival in your mouth! Biscuits! Long-slow cooked pulled pork! That should be enough, but no...wait! There are sun dried tomatoes to add an Italian touch and a certain richness. Garlic, onion and olives complete this Mediterranean flavor-texture journey and when you and your guests sit down to eat this, you'll be so proud...baker and chef all in one dish. Congratulazioni!
Ingredients
Pork Rub
- ⅓ cup water
- 2½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vinegar from Kalamata olive jar
- ½ teaspoon salt free Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
Mediterranean Pulled Pork Tenderloin
- 1 (one pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 2 inch chunks, or pork shoulder
- 1 (8½ ounce) jar Bella Sun Luci julienne cut sun dried tomatoes in olive oil with Italian herbs, drained with oil reserved
- 3 Tablespoons Bella sun Luci sun dried tomato pesto sauce with whole pine nuts
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
- 3 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 1 Tablespoon reserved oil from julienne cut sun dried tomatoes in olive oil with Italian herbs
Bella Bruschetta Biscuits
- ¾ cup plain unsweetened lowfat kefir, or Greek yogurt
- 5 Tablespoons Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomato Bruschetta with Italian Basil and Premium Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 2⅓ cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup ground Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 6⅔ Tablespoons cold cubed unsalted butter
- 1½ Tablespoons reserved oil from julienne cut sun dried tomatoes in olive oil with Italian herbs
For sandwich assembly
- 2¾ teaspoons balsamic glaze, divided
- 11 Tablespoons torn fresh basil, divided
- 16½ teaspoons crumbled feta cheese, divided
- 11 small fresh basil sprigs
Directions
- To make the pulled pork, combine dry rub ingredients, and generously rub pork.
- Place pork in large pan with tall sides, cook at 325 degrees for 4-6 hours. Towards the end of cooking, mix into the pan the Mediterranean Pulled Pork Tenderloin ingredients, return to oven and cook for about and hour, or until meat is very tender and can be easily pulled apart.
- Pull pork into shreds with two forks; stir meat into the sauce in the pan to keep warm.
- To make the biscuits, preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a measuring cup stir together the kefir or Greek yogurt, Bruschetta and water; set aside.
- In a large bowl stir together the flour, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- Add the cubed butter; cut it into flour mixture with a pastry cutter until butter is the size of small peas.
- Add the kefir mixture to the flour mixture, tossing all together with a fork until moist crumbs are formed.
- Turn mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds or until dough comes together.
- Roll dough into an approximately 12 inch by 8 inch rectangle about ¼ inch thick.
- Cut 11 (2¾ inch) rounds out of dough and place each about an inch apart on a large ungreased baking sheet, piecing together remaining dough scraps and rerolling as needed to get 11 biscuits.
- Bake on center rack for 12 minutes or until firm and cooked through.
- Brush tops of hot biscuits with equal amounts of reserved (1½ Tablespoons) sun dried tomato oil.
- Cool for 10 minutes.
- To assemble sandwiches, split biscuits in half.
- Top the cut side of each biscuit bottom with an equal amount of hot pulled pork mixture, 1/4 teaspoon balsamic glaze, 1 Tablespoon basil and 1 1/2 teaspoons feta.
- Place biscuit tops on sandwiches and serve immediately.
- Garnish with basil sprigs.
Makes 11 sandwiches.
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