Pulled pork is one of the favorite entrees for many. Whether it's slow cooked in a barbeque pit, or in a low temp Dutch oven, and depending on how you spice it, pulled pork can be served hundreds of different ways. You'll want to use a pork shoulder or Boston butt, and although the process is practically foolproof, you can't rush it. What to serve with pulled pork is almost unlimited. However, here we put together some of the best for you to enjoy.

What to Serve with Pulled Pork

1. Appetizers

Devilled eggsare a time honored tradition as an appetizer for any meal. However, toppedwith a dollop of slow roasted pulled porkand this tradition will quickly become barbeque devilled eggs. Because this appetizer can be prepared ahead of time, it saves you a lot of time when serving the main course. You will want to pipe in your favorite yolk recipe and refrigerate them at least an hour before serving.

Hush puppies too, those golden-fried fritters that are often served with pulled pork are a must have. North and South Carolinians consider them an absolute necessity for any plate of pulled pork. Made from self-rising cornmeal and flour, you can variate them by adding chopped parsley or jalapeno for a nice little kick.

2. Salads

When you are making decisions about what to serve with pulled pork, you have got to have cole slaw. However, you can break with tradition, and add an Asian twist to it by dressing up your favorite cole slaw recipe with Wasabi paste and fresh grated ginger, add some chopped salted peanuts and you will create a pea-nutty cole slaw that people will remember and ask for time and again. Remember to add some red cabbage and grated carrot to your slaw to give it some color and don't worry about any leftovers, it will soon disappear. Another wonderful salad to serve with pulled pork is Waldorf salad. This colorful salad is simple to make using red apples, celery, and walnuts, and if you are calorie conscience, try substituting the mayonnaise with yogurt.

3. Fruits

Pulled pork entrees almost demand fruit as an accompaniment. Aside from the standard watermelon slices, you can create a conversation by serving melon balls. All you need is a standard melon ball scoop available at most grocery stores to create a colorful side bowl arrangement of watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe balls. Improvements include adding blueberries or grapes to give it more color and campaign or sparkling grape water to soak with the melons. Slightly more complicated yet simple to prepare is Ambrosia. Ambrosia is peeled orange slices (you can use canned mandarins), shaved coconut, and bananas. Spruce it up by toasting to golden brown; some shaved coconut to add as colorful topping.

4. Potatoes

When you are wondering what to serve with pulled pork, sometimes the simplest foods are the perfect choice, and this is true with the classic baked potato served. Just make sure you have the proper toppings such as sour cream (regular or light), cheddar cheese, bacon, butter, and chopped chives or scallions. You can also substitute yogurt for the sour cream, and butter substitutes as healthier choices. Another great potato dish is garlic roasted potatoes. Garlic and herbs, such as rosemary or dill weed, combine nicely with red bliss potatoes coated with olive oil to produce a side dish with a zip to it. If you prefer a casserole dish, try preparing escalloped potatoes with some added Parmesan cheese and sprinkle it with parsley flakes for color.

5. Beans and Corns

Seasoned green beans are a natural vegetable to serve with pulled pork and Southern style green beans are simple to prepare. Fresh green beans are best and when cooked slowly (1 hour) over a low heat and seasoned with bacon salt and pepper to taste you'll have them asking for seconds.

Oven roasted corn is another favorite. When cooking oven roasted corn, just remember to leave the husk on and wrap them with foil to help let the natural moisture tenderize the corn. Another vegetable favored by the deep south of America is succotash. This vegetable is prepared by cooking seasoned corn and lima beans together.

5. Desserts

To finish off the wonderful pulled pork dinner, you've got to serve dessert. I can think of no other dessert better suited than old fashioned apple pie. This deep dish apple pie can be prepared ahead of time (even the day before) and served with a side of good quality vanilla ice cream. For those that do not like apple pie, cherry or blueberry pies are nice standbys. A little more effort and you could also serve a hot tin roof Sunday. This is prepared with a scoop of ice cream topped with warm chocolate syrup and topped with salted peanuts. Finish it off with a Maraschino cherry and you have the perfect and elegant ice cream dessert.

6. Beverages

Pulled pork is best served with an American pale lager. Beer lovers often refer to it as "all malt" and it refers to lagers brewed without rice or corn. The beer is still yellow in color, fizzy, and has a broader depth of malt flavor. They also tend to be bitterer than their counterparts.

Another beer that pairs nicely with pork is brown ale. Brown ales are sweeter and are full bodied. The color ranges from reddish brown to dark brown. Variations include fruity esters with some, while others tend to be drier with a nutty taste. For the wine drinkers, a good Chardonnay or sweet Zinfandel goes well with pulled pork. Last but not least, for the children make sure you have a good root-beer.

Note

Life shouldn't be a struggle, and neither should dinner. Whether you're preparing for the family, or preparing for a crowd, you just can't go wrong with pulled pork. Most everything can be prepared ahead of time, leaving you time to enjoy family or friends.