I’ve been attending the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World for a few years now, and this was Curtis’ first time. I have so much to share, including a recipe for Kalua Pulled Pork Sliders made in a slow cooker, which I’ll be featuring in another post about my overall festival favorites.
We visited during the opening weekend, thanks to Disney’s invitation to their press event. Before we left, Curtis asked me to make the pulled pork sliders. I had my eye on the festival cookbook, which is a hardcover edition this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary. I can’t believe it’s been happening for 20 years!
Let’s talk about the festival. There are so many marketplaces offering delicious food inspired by different countries. When you enter Epcot, the first thing you should do is grab a festival passport and a gift card. Load your gift card to make payments easy and use the passport as a guide, as it lists all the marketplaces along with their food and drink offerings.
The festival cookbook was upgraded to a hardcover edition for the 20th anniversary, and it’s full of recipes I’m eager to try. I’m glad I picked it up during my last visit.
As for the pulled pork sliders, you can find them at the Hawaii marketplace. I also tried the poke tuna and Curtis enjoyed a Kona Brewing beer.
The weekend was beautiful, with lovely clouds in the sky. All the marketplaces are beautifully decorated to reflect the themes of the countries or regions they represent, and much of the greenery used is related to the produce featured in the dishes.
We stayed at the Boardwalk Inn, which is within walking distance of Epcot. I love the hotel’s decor, and after a day filled with fun and food, the walk back to the Boardwalk is delightful. I also appreciate the turn-down service with taffy left on your pillow at night.
Now, back to the pulled pork sliders. I’m so glad Curtis suggested making them at home. They turned out wonderfully, and we even froze half for a future dinner since it made so much! Curtis bought a bone-in pork shoulder, so I removed the bone. We simply added salt and pepper and put it in the slow cooker. We couldn’t find banana leaves, but it was still so easy.
For the chutney, cut the red pepper into thin strips and then dice. Add the chutney ingredients to a pot, bring to a boil, and cook down. For the spicy mayo, mix all the ingredients together (I love sriracha!) and whisk.
It’s a beautiful thing! Make these sliders and visit the Epcot Food & Wine Festival—you’ll thank me later. 🙂
Disclosure: I was hosted by Walt Disney World as a media guest for the festival’s opening weekend. The opinions I share are always my own, and I always share what I love with you.
