Besides the Cochinita Pibil Tacos (page 95), this is the purest, least messed-with application of leftover Yucatan-Style Slow-Roasted Pork (page 66). In a riff on the North Carolina tradition of pork with a tangy coleslaw, I’m using green mango, which sounds exotic until you realize that it’s just . . . green mango. Unripe, firm, not-yet-ready-for-prime-time mango. It’s super sour, which is one of the reasons I like it. The other is that, depending on your supermarket, it might be even easier to find unripe mango than ripe mango. Of course, one turns into the other if you wait long enough.
This recipe makes about 2 1⁄2 cups of slaw, more than you need for the sandwich, but it’s a great side dish for simple grilled meats, and the flavor improves with a couple of days in the fridge. Or you can add steamed shrimp and baby spinach leaves to the leftovers and eat it as a lunch or dinner salad.
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a medium bowl, stir together the lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
Step 2
Use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to peel the mango. Continue using the peeler to cut wide, very thin strips of flesh from the mango, working in as close to the pit as possible on all sides. Arrange the strips facing the same way and use a large knife to thinly slice them lengthwise. You should have about 2 cups of mango strips.
Step 3
Toss the mango in the bowl with the lime juice mixture and add the shallots, mint, basil, cilantro, and jalapeño, tossing to combine thoroughly. Let rest for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle.
Step 4
Warm the pork by combining it with 1 tablespoon of the extra sauce and microwaving on Medium for 30 to 60 seconds, until it is hot, or put in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes. If desired, add another tablespoon of sauce so that the pork is very juicy and will soak into the bun.
Step 5
To assemble the sandwich, place one of the bun halves on a plate. Pile on the pork, top with about 1/4 cup of green mango slaw and the other bun half, and eat.
