Last weekend, we cooked a whole pork picnic roast, which I insisted had to be the largest one I could find at the market. The resulting sixteen-pound roast, only being served to six guests, guaranteed there would be plenty of leftovers. The challenge for Monday was to do with the leftover pulled pork. My husband suggested we turn it into a layered eggplant casserole or, more specifically, a Moussaka. And this smokey barbecue pork moussaka is the result.
This barbecue pork moussaka recipe is inspired by Greek Moussaka, a savoury blend of layered roast eggplant, vegetables, and spiced ground meat capped off with an egg and cheese. The dish is baked until the top layer is browned, which resembles lasagna without the pasta. Moussaka is one of those magical dishes that are excellent when freshly prepared, yet somehow, the leftovers are even more savoury the next day. (It’s another age-old traditional dish easily linked to an ancestral diet.)
Smokey Barbecue Pork Moussaka Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground pork (minced pork)
- ½ cup BBQ sauce (barbecue sauce) - tomato-based
- 1 large eggplant (brinjal, aubergine, or guinea squash)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese - shredded
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 medium summer squash (yellow zucchini)
- 1 medium yellow onion - sliced
- 4 tablespoons cilantro (coriander) - chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - for sautéing
Instructions
- Slice eggplant into 1/4-inch slices.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly oil foil covered cookie sheet with olive oil. Arrange eggplant on a cookie sheet and brush with remaining olive oil.
- Place eggplant in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, turning once.
- While eggplant is cooking in a skillet, heat the pulled pork and toss it with your choice of barbecue sauce. Once warmed, leave on low to slowly keep warm, and set aside.
- Chop summer squash into bite-sized pieces and toss with cilantro and onion.
- Once the eggplant is ready, prepare a casserole dish by greasing it lightly with your choice of oil (coconut, olive, etc.); in my case, I used a bit of bacon grease.
- Place a single layer of eggplant slices on the bottom of the pan, reserving a little over half.
- Cover that layer with half of your pulled pork and summer squash.
- Place another layer of eggplant slices on top of the pork, reserving some.
- Cover that again with pulled pork and summer squash.
- Place remaining eggplant slices onto the top of your moussaka.
- Scramble egg with ricotta cheese and pour over the top.
- Sprinkle top with cheddar cheese.
- Bake in 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown colour.
- Allow to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing and serving (we were a bit too eager and did not, which makes it a bit less solid and messy looking).