In what may go down as the second-least liked post of all time (aside from anything political), I have ventured a post about the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. Yes, I realize this makes me look like a rube. It may not be all that far from the truth. I keep a somewhat passing interest in the sport and I never really got back into it after The Intimidator passed away (long live #3). To wit, I'd probably go on record as saying that Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards are my favorite drivers, but I couldn't really tell you why. I guess I like the way they both turn left. That, and Tony's a great sales person (Old Spice, Burger King).
You probably don't need me to tell you that it would be easy to really take down the standards for food during this race. If I were able, I'd park my ass down on the couch and down some Hormel Chili with Liquid Biscuits and Gravy (recipe follows):
1. 1 can of Hormel Chili
2. 12 of these.
Lather, rinse, repeat. Alas, the world doesn't stop for me (though it's high time that it happens. I'm sick of adapting to everyone else).
I'd also venture a try and getting some BBQ Pork Nachos (I can't believe that tag has gotten 3 uses), but we're a looooong way from Oxford, MS. But, I would like to do something with pork, since it is a white meat and drinking nothing but Busch Diesel, Pabst, Bud Heavy, and Natty Ice would weigh on one's gut (and digestive tract) after a long while. It may be too late now to start, but I submit to y'all a simple recipe for pulled pork for sandwich use and a couple sauces to go with 'em.
A couple things to note:
1. This takes time. You'll need (at bare minimum) 3 hours for just the slow cooking itself. I would personally aim for somewhere around 5 hours, but I can understand being pressed for time.
2. The idea (in my opinion) of pulled pork is not to have it slow cooked in sauce, but to just be flavorful in and of itself. This means having just enough ingredients to make the pork fork-tender (essential for tearing the meat asunder or "pulling", if you will), but still stand well enough on its own to not require sauce.
3. You can have the pork cooked just enough to be safe to eat if you want, which is an internal temp of 165, I think. I'd personally go higher, to around 185-195, because it's easier to shred.
Simple Pulled Pork Recipe
1 TBSP butter
2 pounds boneless pork roast (this can be adjusted upwards. Try to get a whole shoulder, which includes the Boston butt and the picnic ham, but failing that, Boston butt works just fine, especially here.)
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 med. onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 cups water
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring (recommended brand: Figaro, but any will work)
- Melt the butter into a large skillet on medium-high heat. Season the pork with generous amounts of Cajun seasoning. Brown the pork on all sides--I'd recommend cutting into smaller pieces for that; you'll want some of the fat that cooks out.
- Once browned, transfer pork to slow cooker. Add onions and garlic to skillet and saute for about 5 minutes, or until onions because golden and slightly translucent.
- Dump the skillet mixture/onions/garlic into the slow cooker with the pork and stir in the liquid smoke.
- Let it ride for 3-6 hours (the longer the better). Once done, shred the shoulder by scraping it with a fork and serve.
This particular recipe will need sauce to make it work. I'm a big fan of pretty much all the sauces, so just to get you started, I've provided two of the more common sauces to use on pork, courtesy of other people (mustard sauce and vinegar sauce).
Mustard Sauce (credit to this guy)
Preparation time. 30 minutes.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules or 1 cube crushed with a mortar and pestle
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed with a mortar and pestle
2 teaspoons powdered mustard
1 teaspoon powdered onion
1 teaspoon powdered garlic
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper flakes for mild sauce, 1/2 teaspoon for medium, 1 teaspoon for hot
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups prepared yellow mustard
2/3 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
Do this
1) Dissolve the bouillon in an ounce of water. Set aside.
2) Crush the rosemary leaves in a mortar and pestle and add to a nonreactive one quart bowl. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix.
3) Add the bouillon and the rest of the ingredients and whisk until they are mixed together thoroughly. Let it sit for a an hour in the refrigerator for the flavors to meld. No cooking necessary.
Vinegar Sauce (credit to this guy, via some woman)
Since it came from a book and I haven't bothered to contact the guy, I do not intend to take credit for it. You'll have to go to the "some woman" link to read the sauce recipe at the bottom of the page. There's also a good amount of advice on that link, of which I borrowed one nugget for the page. Sorry for the inconvenience.
I would post the crowning jewel of a pulled pork sandwich, the coleslaw to add on top and/or the side, but I've yet to find a good recipe.
Enjoy your days, folks, and do try not to freeze.
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