What's For Dinner: Maple-Bourbon Pulled Pork

Although as I type this I can see snowflakes flitting about outside, this weekend we're supposed to reach 45 degrees. (Heat wave!) Which can only mean one thing –  spring must be right around the corner. With the big caveat being that up here in the Northwoods, a big dump of snow in late April is not unusual.

All that to say that we have started looking into finding our next batch of pigs to join the farm this summer. (Is it weird to talk about raising pigs on a post about pulled pork? Not if you're into hyper-local food, I suppose.) Last year we raised three Tamworths, and this year I think we'd like to find the same breed. Let's just say they are just as tasty as they were friendly. (OK, now that's a weird sentence.) If we can find the customers (which proved to be quite easy last year), we may in the very least double our number to six pigs, although we are considering getting a full litter (8-10 pigs). I really enjoyed having the pigs around last year, and I definitely shed a tear or two when D drove off with them in the back of the trailer last October. But it was a bittersweet moment, as it's also super important to me to know exactly where the meat I'm eating came from, and you can't get any more local than your own backyard.

Pork shoulder (also called pork butt or Boston butt) is my favorite cut of pork, I think, solely because I love pulled pork so much. And it's just so dang easy to make! This recipe features a smoky-sweet flavor with the addition of maple syrup and Bourbon. Once pulled apart, you can eat the pulled pork as-is, or stir in some of your favorite barbecue sauce before serving.

Maple-Bourbon Pulled Pork (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

1 red onion, cut in half and sliced (half-moons)
1 3-4 pound pork shoulder
salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup Bourbon (mid-range is fine)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses (unsulphured)
bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce, if desired

1. Add the sliced onion to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Pat the pork shoulder dry and season all sides liberally with salt and pepper, then set atop the onion layer.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Bourbon, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and molasses. Pour over top the pork.
4. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until the pork is tender and shreds easily.
5. Use two forks to shred the pork into bite-size pieces. You can then serve as-is, or stir in barbecue sauce as desired. (I stirred in about 1/3 cup of barbecue sauce, but we like our pulled pork lightly sauced; you may opt to add in more.) Serve on toasted buns (I highly recommend pretzel buns) with coleslaw.

What's For Dinner: BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Memorial Day signifies the beginning of the summer season. Though I don't particularly associate summer with my slow cooker, I had the urge to make pulled pork sandwiches for my parents while they were in town, so out it came.

After brunch on Sunday we headed to Whole Foods, where I picked up some pork shoulder (aka pork butt), a can of Whole Foods root beer, and a few other items to go along with our sandwiches, including a tasty cucumber-tomato-onion dill salad and cole slaw.

Apparently Food & Wine magazine was reading my mind, as Sunday morning's F&W Daily email featured a recipe for slow cooker barbecued pulled pork. I was intrigued by the recipe's addition of onions to the slow cooker at the beginning of the cooking period. I opted to caramelize the onions before adding them on top of the pork in the slow cooker. And, since I had a head of roasted garlic in the fridge, I decided to add those roasted cloves to the slow cooker as well.

The resulting pulled pork was quite savory and was a hit with my parents. I think this may just be my go-to pulled pork recipe from now on.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (printer-friendly version)
makes enough for 8+ sandwiches

2-3 lbs pork shoulder
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 can of root beer
1 onion, chopped
8-10 roasted garlic cloves

1. Place the pork shoulder in the bowl of a slow cooker. (I used the 4-quart bowl.)
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour a can of root beer over the pork.
4. Add in the roasted garlic cloves and caramelized onions.
5. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 6-7 hours.
6. Use a knife and fork to shred the pork. Drain off the liquid.
7. Stir in about 1-2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce. (I like to make mine from scratch.)
8. Serve immediately with buns and a selection of sides.

What's For Dinner: Dr. Snap Pulled Pork Sandwiches

As I mentioned the other day, I (kind of randomly) decided to make pulled pork sandwiches for dinner on Sunday night. Inspired by a Pioneer Woman recipe that used Dr. Pepper, I picked up a can of Whole Foods' version of the drink (Dr. Snap, though I think it would be funnier if it were named 'Snap, PhD') to make up a batch of pulled pork. Though I had a bottle of BBQ sauce in the cupboard, I decided to make up a batch of my own anyway -- the stuff that's made from scratch just tastes so much better. I picked up a variety of rolls for our sandwiches; pictured above is a yummy pretzel roll.

Dr. Snap Pulled Pork (printer-friendly version)
makes enough for 8+ sandwiches

2 lbs pork shoulder (our pork shoulder came from Simply Grazin', a farm located in NJ, and had a Whole Foods animal welfare rating of 4 (pasture centered)
freshly ground black pepper
fine sea salt
1 12-oz can of Dr. Snap

1. Place the pork shoulder in a slow cooker. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper.
2. Pour a can of Dr. Snap over the pork. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 6-7 hours.
3. Before you shred the meat, use a spoon to ladle off some of the fat. You can also remove any residual fat on the meat as well.
4. Use a knife and fork to shred the pork. Drain off the liquid.
5. Stir in about 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce.

What's For Dinner: Pulled Pork Sandwiches

For the finale of Meat Week, I opted to make pulled pork after being inspired by a feature on the dish in a recent issue of Food and Wine magazine. Instead of using the recipe in the magazine, however, I opted to use a different one I found on the Internet -- there's no way I could pass by a recipe that involves root beer! I purchased a couple of pounds of pork shoulder at Whole Foods in Fort Collins and I sourced a bottle of root beer made with natural ingredients at Big Hollow Co-op here in town. Though I was considering just buying a bottle of barbecue sauce to finish off the pulled pork, I decided that would be a bit of a travesty given the provenance of the meat, so I took advantage of an afternoon teleconference and made a batch from scratch. It took a lot of ingredients, but not too much time, and I think the results definitely rival what can be found bottled in a grocery store.

Pulled Pork

makes enough for 8+ sandwiches

2-3 lbs pork shoulder

1 12 oz bottle Virgil's root beer

1. Place the pork shoulder in a slow cooker.

2. Pour a bottle of root beer over the pork. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 6-7 hours.

3. Use a knife and fork to shred the pork. Drain off the liquid.

4. Stir in about 1-2 cups of barbecue sauce.

5. Serve immediately. I served the pulled pork along with hamburger buns, potato chips, and vegetarian baked beans.

Barbecue Sauce (adapted from this Food and Wine recipe)

makes about 3 cups

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

fine sea salt

1/4 cup Maker's Mark whisky

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 cup water

1 cup Simply Heinz ketchup

1/4 cup organic molasses

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add in the chopped onion and garlic along with a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

2. Pour in the whiskey, and simmer for two minutes.

3. Add in the chili pepper, black pepper, allspice, and cloves. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the spices become fragrant.

4. Stir in the brown sugar, water, ketchup, molasses, mustard, cider vinegar, and hot sauce. Reduce the heat to low/medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

5. After the sauce has thickened, use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. (Alternately, use a blender, but allow the sauce to cool a bit first before pureeing.)

6. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to two weeks.

{bbq sauce ingredients -- chili pepper and allspice partially hidden, water and veggie oil MIA}