BBQ Pulled Pork Pineapple & Banana Pepper Pizza

This post is sponsored by Smithfield.  As a pork lover {hello, I live in Iowa!} 

this dish screams the simplicity of pork, yet delights in a spunky, delicious taste.

Pork and I get along well.  I live in Iowa and we house close to 20 million pigs a year.  That is 6.5 times more pigs than we have people!  Needless to say we know our pork - whether it be bacon, chops, sausage, brats or roasts, we've cooked and eaten them all.

And we love it all!

Ever heard of "Porkifying"?

When Smithfield contacted me and this term was brought up, it made total sense. Porkifying is the art of propelling average recipes to maximum deliciousness by adding or substituting juicy, mouthwatering pork.

Of course!  I like to think I do this with all my pork recipes.  I mean, heck, I'm a food blogger!  I get much more excited about my homemade pork egg rolls or my ham and swiss baked penne than a regular old chop, but honestly those are good too.  In fact, it is my soon-to-be 95 year old grandmother's favorite meal {bone-in, of course}.

Just in time for tailgating season, Smithfield is helping American's "porkify" their game day with their "Most Valuable Pork" sweepstakes.

To enter the contest, simply snap a picture of a delicious dish that has been "porkified" and share on Instagram or Twitter using the hastags #porkify and #contest.  All eligible entries will automatically be entered into Porkify.com where friends can vote for your entry for a chance to win.

One lucky pork enthusiast will win the Ultimate Game Day Prize Package including a Weber smoker, BBQ tool set, meat thermometer, Smithfield apron, meat timer, box of BBQ seasonings and grilling accessories and a Weber cookbook.  For full sweepstakes details, visit here.

Geesh!  Great prizes!

I received a Smithfield Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast to cook and experiment with for this post.  I knew immediately I would cook it slow in the crock pot all day, low and slow, with minimal seasonings.  I just wanted the pork to excel on it's own.

This boneless pork should roast is hand-trimmed and easy to prepare in the slow cooker {like I did}, but also on a smoker or in the oven.  Don't you feel like pulled pork is the new "bacon"?  From sandwiches, to nachos, to having it just on its own, pulled pork is the perfect option for tailgating and game-day entertainment recipes.

After I decided on the slow cooker I started brainstorming.  Sandwiches?  A baked pasta? Pizza?  Yes, pizza.  I wanted pizza. Full of pork goodness pizza.

My family loves pizza and in my head I knew instantly it would be a hit.  Somehow my thought of "porkifying" it centered around pickled banana peppers, a smoky/sweet/spicy barbecue sauce and sweet pineapple.  To the average Joe that all might sound a bit weird, but I just knew in my heart of hearts the tangy, salty, smoky, sweet tastes would merry well.

I mean who doesn't love eating pizza while watching the game?  It is pretty much a food staple for game watchers.  It might be a bit easier to eat at home while watching the game on T.V. but for all of you die-hards out there {you know - campers, generators, tents, smokers, etc.} don't tell me you can't cook a pizza on a grill or in a traveling toaster oven.

I've seen it done.

I've actually done it.

Don't be intimidated by pizza on the road!

Like I said, I cooked my roast all day, around 8 hours on LOW.  I seasoned it simply with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  That was it.  I poured a bit of water in the bottom of the slow cooker to keep it moist, about 2 cups, and then let the crock pot do the magic.

After about hour 6 I flipped the roast for good measure and then an hour later shredded the meat with a fork.  It fell apart easily.  That last hour I simply let the meat take a bath in the juices and hang out.

Now, this was a BIG roast.  I certainly didn't use it all for this one pizza.  I took out what I needed {2 cups} and saved the rest for future meals.  One being a killer enchilada recipe {stay tuned!}.

Golly, look at that cheese!

This pizza was gosh darn incredible.  Even the husband who is trying to stay on a strict clean eating meal plan, stole a piece and would barely make eye contact with me while eating.

All he could muster was "this is really good".  He had fear if he talked about it more, he'd eat the whole darn thing.

I don't blame him!

BBQ Pulled Pork Pineapple & Banana Pepper Pizza

Print this Recipe!

homemade or store bough pizza dough {my version is stellar!}

2 c. shredded Smithfield pork {after slow cooking the roast all day}

1 c. chopped sweet banana peppers

1 c. chopped pineapple

1 c. barbecue sauce

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1.  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and place a pizza cooking stone in the oven while preheating.

2.  With floured fingers stretch and roll out the pizza dough to desired size.  Remove the hot pizza stone from the oven and carefully lay the rolled out dough on the stone.

3.  Working quickly, spread on a bit of barbecue sauce on the crust.

4.  In a bowl combine the remaining barbecue sauce, pork, banana peppers and pineapple and spread over the crust.

5.  Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese and any remaining peppers or pineapple.

6.  Bake at 500 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

7.  Serve hot, cut into slices.

Not that I would know.....ahem, but this pizza is really, really good reheated in the oven for a few minutes till warm.  The crust crisps right back up and tastes completely fresh again.

Just saying.

I've heard.

Inspired to "porkify" your own dish?  Then get to work!  Remember to snap a photo, share on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtags #porkify and #contest and then let your friends vote.  All eligible entries will be automatically uploaded to porkify.com.    Full details can be found HERE.

Until then, you need to make this pizza!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield.