Philly-Style Pulled Pork Cheese Steaks With Pork Au Jus

Linda Lou

My Philly-style pulled pork cheese steaks with pork au jus are so delicious that you'll want to make them for special occasions.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 4

Inactive Prep Time 12

Total Time 16 15

Course #dinner, #lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 8 sandwiches

Calories 1440 kcal

Equipment

1 rimmed baking sheet pan with rack 1/4 size sheet pan
1 chef's knife
1 juicer Hand-held
1 paring knife
1 cutting board Meat-safe
1 cutting board
1 slow cooker 7-quart
1 mixing bowl Large
1 mixing bowl Small
1 saute pan 12-inch with glass lid
1 rubber spatula
1 sauce pot 3-quart

Ingredients

Ingredients For The Pork Butt Dry Rub:

1 3 to 3 1/2 pound pork butt Bone-in
2 tbsps fresh rosemary Minced
1 orange Zest, reserve the approx. 1/4 cup of juice from the orange
2 lemons Zest
1/4 cup light brown sugar Packed
2 tbsps kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper Freshly ground
4 cloves fresh garlic Peeled and sliced in half longwise

Ingredients For The Slow Cooker:

1 prepared pork butt
3 ribs celery Cut into thirds
1/2 quartered onion Red or yellow
1/2 cup Coca-Cola
1/2 cup chicken broth Unsalted
1/4 cup fresh orange juice Use the juice from the zested orange

Ingredients For Caramelized Onions:

3 large sweet onions Vidalia, thinly sliced into half-moons
2 tbsps butter Unsalted
2 tbsos fresh thyme leaves Minced
1 tbso kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper Freshly ground
1 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsps chicken broth Unsalted (Use only if needed)
2-3 drops Kitchen Bouquet browning seasoning

Ingredients For Bok Choy And Broccoli Topping: Optional

1 large Bok Choy Chopped small (including stalks)
2 small heads broccoli Discard the stalks, small chop (break up any large florets), substitute broccolini
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 fresno chili Seeded and diced
2 cloves fresh garlic Seeded and diced
1 orange Juiced
2 tbsps honey
1 1/2 tbsps kosher salt

Ingredients For The Cheese Sauce:

6 tbsps butter Unsalted
6 tbsps all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
8 ounces Fontina cheese Freshly grated
7 ounces Gruyere cheese Freshly grated
4 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Freshly grated
1 tsp nutmeg Freshly grated
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper Freshly ground

Ingredients For The Pork Au jus:

1/2-1 cup cup cooked pork drippings Fat separated
1/2 cup chicken broth Unsalted
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper Freshly ground

Ingredients For The Bread:

8 tbsps butter Unsalted
8 hoagie rolls Toasted

Instructions

Day One:
1) Instructions for Marinating the Pork Butt:
Start by patting the entire pork butt dry using paper towels on a meat-safe cutting board. Score the fat cap using a paring knife. Place on a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Cut slits into the pork and push the halved garlic cloves into each slit. Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl until well combined. Rub this mixture all over the pork and transfer it to the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
Day Two:
1) Instructions For The Slow Cooker:
Place the celery and onion at the bottom of the slow cooker to act as a rack for the pork. Pour the liquids over the pork. Set the slow cooker to cook on high for 4 hours.
2) Instructions For The Caramelized Onions:
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and fresh thyme. Stir to combine. Place the lid on the pan and allow the onions to soften, cooking for 2-3 minutes. This helps the onions start to break down. After that amount of time, remove the lid.
Reduce the heat to medium-low (or low if your burner tends to cook too hot) and stir every couple of minutes for the first 30 minutes. If the onions stick or appear to be burning, add a few tablespoons of water or broth as needed to rehydrate them. Use a spatula to scrape the *fond (those lovely browned bits) off the bottom of the pan to combine with the onions.
If the onions start to dry out and stick to the pan, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or broth to deglaze the pan (give it a good scrape) and rehydrate the onions.
Repeat this cooking and scraping process for 45 minutes or until the onions are cooked to your desired tenderness. This is when I add a couple of drops of the Kitchen Bouquet for color. If you stir them every minute, they’ll be more uniform in color.
3) Instructions For The Bok Choy And Broccoli Topping: Optional
Start by cooking the two heads of broccoli in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. Remove from the water and let dry on a piece of paper towel. Chop the larger florets into smaller pieces, ensuring they are approximately the same size. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Slice the Bok Choy leaves and dice the stalks into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside. In a large sautè pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced Fresno chili and sliced garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the bok choy and broccoli florets to the pan and sauté until fork-tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove from the heat. In the same mixing bowl, add the fresh orange juice, honey, and Kosher salt, and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the Bok Choy and broccoli, and toss to combine. Transfer to another container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4) Instructions For The Cheese Sauce:
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until it forms a *roux.
Slowly add the milk to the roux. Add the milk in a slow, steady stream — while whisking constantly — this will prevent the sauce from clumping. Add the freshly grated nutmeg, Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Turn the heat down to low. Switch to a spatula and add the cheeses slowly. The gentle heat prevents the cheese from clumping or becoming grainy, allowing the sauce to become silky and smooth. Transfer to a container until ready to serve.
5) Instructions For The Pork Au Jus: Separate the drippings:
Once the pork butt is finished cooking, remove it from the slow cooker. Carefully pour the remaining liquid from the slow cooker into a fat separator.
Remove excess fat: Allow the drippings to sit for a few minutes, the fat to rise to the surface in a distinct layer. Use a spoon or a fat separator to skim off the excess grease.
Simmer and season: Transfer the flavorful drippings to a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Add the Worcestershire sauce and, if desired, some of the unsalted chicken broth.
Reduce to concentrate flavor: Continue to simmer the liquid until it has reduced by about a third. This will deepen the flavor and slightly thicken the consistency.
Serve as au jus: Once the liquid is reduced, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
6) Assembling The Hoagies: Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Cut a slit into each of the hoagie rolls. Brush a little melted butter inside each hoagie. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and toast the rolls for about 3 minutes or until warm and toasted.
Spoon on a helping of the pork, then caramelized onions, a ladle of cheese sauce, and finally the Bok Choy and broccoli topping. Serve with a side of hot pork Au jus for dipping.
There you have it, my Philly-Style Pulled Pork Cheese Steaks With Pork Au Jus.

Notes

1) During the four hours while the pork is cooking, take that time to make the other components for the sandwich.
2) Reserve the juice from the orange you zested.
3) While the pork is cooking, prepare the other components for the sandwich.
4) *Fond refers to the flavorful, caramelized bits of food that stick to the bottom of a pan during cooking, especially when meat or vegetables are seared. These bits are often scraped up with a liquid (like wine or broth) to create a base for sauces, stocks, or soups.
5) Use the caramelized onions in a variety of recipes or store them in the fridge for several days.
6) *Roux is a thickened mixture of equal parts fat and flour, cooked together over heat to be used as a base for sauces, gravies, and soups. By cooking the flour in fat, a roux creates a smooth texture that prevents lumps when liquid is added. The length of cooking time determines its color and flavor, ranging from white to dark brown.
7) The nutritional facts calorie count chart is per serving.
8) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

Keyword #braiseddishes, #slowcookerdishes