# Need recipes for leftover pork

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 9, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841 "2010-05-09T22:33:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/1 "2010-05-09T22:33:59Z")

</div>

One of the great things about leftover beef steak cooked on the grill is that I get to make awesome Thai beef salad. But what can I do with leftover grilled pork steak? I don’t think it would work in that application, and the only other thing I can think of is fried rice.

Ideas?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/2 "2010-05-09T22:41:07Z")

</div>

Feral cat bait. You might get a few homeless people though.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/3 "2010-05-09T22:47:55Z")

</div>

If you can make chicken’n’dumplings, try pork’n’dumplings. There’s also pork tacos, and pork sandwiches (mustard on white or rye, but leave off the mayo).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/4 "2010-05-09T22:48:30Z")

</div>

Pork tacos. Pork stir fry. Pork hash.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/5 "2010-05-10T03:22:31Z")

</div>

BBQ spaghetti–google it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/6 "2010-05-10T03:58:36Z")

</div>

> [@hellpaso](#):
>
> BBQ spaghetti–google it.

There ya go. Shred it up some and warm it with BBQ sauce while the pasta is cooking. Couldn’t be easier.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Seamack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@Seamack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seamack)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/7 "2010-05-10T09:05:41Z")

</div>

Makes lovely chilli. I had an amazing pulled pork Calzone at the weekend, probably too much time and effort required to reproduce at home - but OMG it was delicious.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/8 "2010-05-10T11:35:47Z")

</div>

For a quick fix, I like to grab some Zatarains Red Beans and Rice and throw in the pork towards the end (so it doesn’t get too overcooked).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/9 "2010-05-10T11:55:47Z")

</div>

Pork lo mein. Mmmm.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/10 "2010-05-10T13:05:57Z")

</div>

Slice it thin, get some ham, pickles, swiss cheese, and mustard, and make yourself some Cuban sandwiches!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/11 "2010-05-10T13:33:41Z")

</div>

Chili verde.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/12 "2010-05-10T17:48:48Z")

</div>

Curry.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/13 "2010-05-10T18:03:08Z")

</div>

IME, any chicken recipe is interchangeable with any pork recipe. Therefore, think of your favorite things to do with leftover cooked chicken, and give the pork the same treatment.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/14 "2010-05-10T18:31:21Z")

</div>

One of our new faves is one my SO made up. It’s basically a mexican-type stew-kinda thing.  
Basically, you slice up a bunch of onions and peppers\* and start sauteeing some in a skillet. Once they’ve released all the moisture and cooked back to fairly dry, add some drained canned tomatoes (diced or cut-up whole) and some more onions & peppers. Cook that down until it’s thick again, then add your meat and some more onions & peppers. Cook that until the last set of onions & peppers have gone very soft. Anytime you need a little liquid, use some of the juice from the tomatoes - but you really want this thick & gloopy, so add liquid sparingly and cook it down good.

Somewhere back there you should also have added a bunch of garlic, plus whatever herbs appeal (we’ve been using cilantro and oregano and a little chili powder).

\*Peppers = some mix of bells, jalepenos, serranos, anaheim/green chiles, poblanos, habaneros, etc. Depends on what you have/can get, what pepper flavor you want to have, and how hot you like it.

Fry or bake corn tortillas (or buy the ones sold for tostados). You want flat, crispy corn tortillas. You could probably also use tortilla chips, but it won’t be as pretty.

Towards the end, heat up a can of black beans or refries, and heat up a can of Mexican or Southwest corn. Shred some lettuce, grate some cheese, chop some onions, slice some avocado, maybe some olives - whatever sounds good as garnish/toppers. Make or open some salsa.

When everything is ready, build up the layers. A tortilla, some beans, some stew, some corn, maybe some cheese or sour cream, then repeat. Do two or three layers. When you get to the top, add your toppings.

Yes, this does take a while, but it’s worth it. You can speed up the process by just doing one set of onions/peppers, but it’s not as good.

We’ve made this with pork, beef, and chicken (leftover and canned), and it’s always terrific. It’s a good way to stretch a little bit of leftover meat into a full meal.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![boozilu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@boozilu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozilu)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/15 "2010-05-10T22:22:42Z")

</div>

Bean soup. If it’s too complicated, I buy a bag of beans labeled “15 bean soup” and the recipe is on the back. Add some onion, carrot, whatever leftover veg you have around, and it’s a one-pot meal.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-recipes-for-leftover-pork/538841/16 "2010-05-11T00:11:30Z")

</div>

> [@boozilu](#):
>
> Bean soup. If it’s too complicated, I buy a bag of beans labeled “15 bean soup” and the recipe is on the back. Add some onion, carrot, whatever leftover veg you have around, and it’s a one-pot meal.

And lots of fresh-ground black pepper! 🙂
