Making magic in the kitchen with Waleed Alexander

We join Home Cook Hero Waleed in his kitchen as he shares his flavourful pot roast pulled pork recipe

There’s a reason the kitchen is considered the heart of the home. From the warmth and inviting scents to it serving as the space where families come together to reconnect over a shared favourite homemade dish – the kitchen is crafted for sweet memories you can savour for a lifetime. And, in every home, there’s a person who ensures that the house’s heart never misses a beat by preparing meals with love and care – our home cook heroes.
Home Cook Hero Waleed Alexander invites us into his kitchen to give us an exclusive look at his popular pulled pork shoulder recipe that he pairs with salads, sour cream, and some pitas, wraps, or rotis.

Waleed's earliest memories in the kitchen are of his mom and aunt. His mother ran a catering business and young Waleed would help her prepare dishes and discovered a love and passion for cooking. He also learnt the importance of food preparation and the power good food holds to bring families together. Following retrenchment due to the pandemic, Waleed rediscovered this love for cooking. This led him to start up his own food business, much like his mother, where he offers customers take-away and catering food options. He has quickly earned a positive reputation for his wedding catering but holds a dear spot for cooking to feed his loved ones.

It’s the ease with which Waleed makes his decadent and tasty dishes that has earned him the title of Home Cook Hero.

A 'Home Cook Hero' means to me someone that gives back to the community, cooks for the community, and does whatever they can to help where help is needed. And, to me, my aunty and my mom - they were those kinds of people who helped the community and gave back where it was needed. So, that, to me, makes them 'Home Cook Heroes'. I feel honoured to walk into the big shoes of my aunty and my mom as a 'Home Cook Hero' as they are my 'Home Cook Heroes'. I want to continue bringing friends and family together around the table with lots of food. I want to grow my small business into a phenomenal small home-cooked restaurant and continue seeing the smiles on all the people's faces eating my delicious food - as it makes my heart melt.
- Waleed Alexander

Watch below as Waleed takes us through the process of preparing his special pork dish and shares a bit about his journey to creating his own small food business:

Why the pot roast pulled pork dish?

While Waleed was introduced to cooking and working with pork later in his life, he quickly familiarised himself with the flavourful versatility of the meat.

Pork has since become a staple on his menu and is one of his tastiest dishes – specifically the pot roast pulled pork shoulder dish he serves up in a variety of ways.

He takes his time preparing this dish by carefully seasoning the pork shoulder with a selection of spices and sauces that enhance the flavour. He then lets it cook tenderly before shredding the juicy meat off to serve with a range of sides that include bread, pitas, rotis, and salads.


Join us as we get a taste for more nostalgic Saffa dishes and food stories. Dig in and find out the origin stories of your favourite dishes and share your Home Cook Hero with us.