Something about the holidays just sets my creative juices on fire! I love creating in the kitchen and, though I grew up eating super bland food and had to teach myself to use more than just salt and pepper, I’ve come to enjoy coming up with fun and interesting flavor combos. These pulled pork and cranberry hand pies are no exception.
I’m a sucker for a recipe contest, so when I heard that Cape Cod Select was hosting a holiday recipe contest, I knew I had to jump in. Cranberries are such a fun addition to holiday dishes, and they’re not something I use on a regular basis, so I really got to thinking outside the box.
For these pulled pork and cranberry hand pies, I wanted to incorporate the flavors of traditional barbecue, so I created a sweet cornbread crust to wrap them up in. If you don’t tolerate corn, just use your favorite pie crust recipe.
I find that this galette-style of pie is pretty forgiving to a variety of crust recipes because they’re meant to be a little rustic and messy (perfect for my messy life!). Galettes are really one of my absolute favorite things to make because they don’t have to be perfect, they’re easy to fill with just about anything, and they send my kids over the moon no matter what I fill them with. Traditional galettes are typically filled with fruit of some kind, which lends itself perfectly to this pulled pork and cranberry recipe, in a new and fun way.
If you’re worried that these hand pies will be tricky to make, don’t! They’re a simple style of pastry, I promise. And I’ve given detailed instructions on how to best handle them so they turn out nicely.
I used Cape Cod Select Premium Frozen Cranberries for this recipe, and they worked exceptionally well. They were fresh, vibrant, and plump, with just the right amount of tartness to offset the sweet barbecue flavors.
If you want to learn more about Cape Cod Select Premium Frozen Cranberries, you can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. Curious where to find these cranberries near you? Check here.
Pulled Pork and Cranberry Hand Pies in Sweet Cornbread Crust
Ingredients
- Pulled Pork and Cranberry Filling
- 3 lb pork roast
- 2 cups Cape Cod Select premium frozen cranberries
- 2 cups organic or homemade barbecue sauce
- 1 cup diced onion
- Sweet Cornbread Crust
- 3/4 cup cassava flour
- 1/2 cup organic corn meal
- 1/2 cup grassfed butter cold and chopped
- 2 tbsp maple sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp real salt
Instructions
Make the filling:
- Combine ingredients in a crock pot and cook for 8-10 hours, until pork is tender and cooked thoroughly.
- Shred the pork using two forks, mashing and combining the cranberries and onion as you go.
- Strain the pulled pork and cranberry mixture, reserving the juice to use in soup or sauce if you'd like.
Make the crust:
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk.
- Use a pastry tool to cut in the chopped butter.
- Add the egg and use a wooden spoon to mix until smooth and sticky.
Prepare the handpies:
- Preheat the oven to 350* and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into halves, then divide each half into halves once more, then divide those halves into thirds, so you end up with 12 small balls of dough.
- Place each ball of dough, one at a time, in between two pieces of parchment paper, and gently roll out to about 1/8" thickness with a rolling pin.
- Gently lift the dough round with a large, flat spatula and transfer it to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Fill each round with about 1/4 cup of the pulled pork and cranberry filling, then carefully fold up the edges so that a little pocket is made around the filling. (You may have some filling left at the end.)
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until crust is lightly golden. (You will likely need to bake in two batches, as my largest baking sheet was only big enough for 6 at a time.)
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving hot.
Do you think you could substitute something for the cornmeal?
You may be able to try almond flour, however, you may be better off substituting another grain-free pie crust recipe you like. 🙂