Cut barbecue pork pizza on a cutting board on a table with a pizza cutter and two glasses of water beside. — Photo:
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell

Active Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs

Servings:

4 dinners (plus leftovers)

Barbecue on a pizza? No, we haven’t lost our minds! This super-Southern riff on pizza leverages leftovers to make weeknight dinners a breeze.

Start by braising a pork shoulder with a simple, versatile combination of onion, garlic, and salt—this is great to do on a Sunday afternoon to simplify the week ahead.

Then, the tender pulled pork is ready to toss on top of store-bought pizza dough with some red onion and pepperoncini peppers for a zippy, satisfying supper.

But the best part is there’s plenty of leftover pork for round two—and it’s completely different! A quick stovetop tomato sauce transforms the pork into a rich Italian ragu that’s perfect over a bowl of your favorite pasta. (Recipe is below.)

Ingredients

3 1/2 lb. boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 6 cubes
1 medium-size yellow onion, trimmed, peeled, and quartered
6 large garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 cup barbecue sauce, divided
1 Tbsp. olive oil
16 oz. fresh pizza dough, at room temperature
8 oz. shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (from 1 small onion)
1/3 cup drained, sliced pepperoncini peppers
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Combine pork shoulder, yellow onion, garlic, and salt in a large Dutch oven with water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high; reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low, turning occasionally, until meat pulls apart easily with a fork, about 2 hours.
Remove pork from Dutch oven. Place on a cutting board; shred using 2 forks. Discard fat. For leftovers, transfer 3 cups shredded pork to a medium bowl and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store, covered, in refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Transfer remaining 2 cups shredded pork to a separate medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce, and toss to coat.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a (15- x 10-inch) rimmed baking sheet with oil. Gently stretch or roll pizza dough to cover bottom of pan. Spread remaining 3/4 cup barbecue sauce over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle evenly with 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella. Top evenly with shredded pork, red onion, and pepperoncini peppers. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella.
Bake in preheated oven until crust is golden brown and mozzarella is bubbly, 18 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes; cut into slices, and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Quick Pork Ragù

Quick Pork Ragu on top of noodles on a plate. — Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Add 2 cups chopped yellow onion and 1 cup chopped carrots; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp. minced garlic and 1 Tbsp. tomato paste; cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup dry red wine to pan, stirring to release any browned bits. Cook until liquid is almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper, and 1 (28-oz.) can crushed San Marzano plum tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Stir in 3 cups leftover shredded pork; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Divide 1 lb. cooked pappardelle pasta among 4 bowls; top with pork mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.