Happy Holidays, with a side of Pulled Pork

Good Morning folks,

I just figured I would drop by and say happy holidays to you all, whether you are currently celebrating anything or not.

For nearly the last three years (has it really been that long already?) I have been posting things here. When I started it seemed like I was sitting at the keyboard talking to myself, but I soon realised that was not the case. People stop by, they may comment, they may not, but they stop in and hear what I have to say.

I was not talking to myself after all.

Anyhow, as much as I would love to get each and every one of my readers something for the holidays it’s a bit beyond my ability to do so. At least I can’t get you anything in a material sense.

All I can offer is a thank you for stopping by, you folks make all the writing worthwhile.

Actually there is one more thing I can offer.

I can give you a recipe for some seriously yummy sammiches.

I hope you like it as much as I do.

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Dech’s Crock Pot Pulled Pork Sammiches

Man, I love me some pulled pork sammiches. Just typing this up is going to make me want to go home and cook a batch. As a matter of fact, since I needed pictures for the post I decided to make up a batch and take it to work for everyone to enjoy.

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The Meat

4 pound pork roast (I like a shoulder roast for this one)

Buy it, put it in the fridge, and get cracking on the other stuff. Don’t’ worry, we’ll get back to it. Whatever you do don’t trim the fat off of it, we need it for flavor. The trimming will come later.

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The Rub

1          tablespoon mild paprika (smoked paprika works as well)
1 1/2  teaspoons of hot paprika. (smoked works ok here too)
2          teaspoons light brown sugar
1/2     teaspoon celery salt
1/2     teaspoon garlic salt
1/2     teaspoon dry mustard
1/2     teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2     teaspoon onion powder
1/4     teaspoon salt (I like sea or kosher for this. Table salt will work in a pinch)

Mix the rub ingredients in a small bowl until blended.

If you like you can scale up the recipe and make a good-sized batch of this, simply store in a mason jar with “Dechs BBQ Rub” written on it with a magic marker.

Actually if you are going to go with the Mason jar idea, make enough to fill it about half way up and then just shake the heck out of it. No need to dirty a bowl. Also, a second lid with holes popped into it makes an excellent shaker for the rub; just remember to put the sealed cap back on for storage.

Now we are going to grab the pork roast out of the fridge, rub this generously on all sides, wrap in aluminum foil (shiny side in) and put it back in the fridge. Leave it at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. I rubbed this one down on a Sunday evening for cooking Tuesday.

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The Sauce

We simply have to  have sauce, what’s BBQ without sauce? Overcooked meat?

1            cups apple cider vinegar
2/3       cups water
1/3       cup ketchup (I prefer store brand for this)
1/4       cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 1/2    teaspoons salt (once again, I prefer sea salt or kosher salt here)
2            teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 /2       teaspoon ground black pepper
1 /2       teaspoon ground white pepper (if you don’t have it just sub in more black pepper instead)
1             tablespoon liquid smoke

Making the sauce is simple. Put it all in a pan on the stove under low heat and whisk till the brown sugar and salt have dissolved.

Once again making extra is easy; just make sure you store it in a proper container. Once again, a mason jar with “Dechs BBQ Sauce, Use with caution, Shake before use” written on it with a marker is a good choice. In my case I make a batch four times larger and store it in a half-gallon jug I once bought beer in. It just fits if I let it cool off first.

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The Slaw

Now this pulled pork is designed t be served with slaw. Like peanut butter and jelly both the pulled pork and the slaw can stand on their own, but they are much better together.

We want slaw, we need veggies. Go ahead and round up:

1  big head of cabbage, finely chopped.
1  medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1  medium bell pepper, finely chopped
2  carrots, grated

Take the chopped veggies and pot them in a mixing bowl, we will get back to them in a minute.

Grab a pan and combine:
1       cup apple cider vinegar
2/3  cup olive oil (I suppose you could use regular oil, but I like the olive for this one)
1       cup sugar
1       teaspoon celery seed
1       teaspoon dry mustard
1       teaspoon salt (same as before for what I prefer)

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until everything is good and dissolved. Pour over the veggies and toss. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, preferably overnight.

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The Cookin’

Now we have made are slaw and our sauce. The butt has been sitting at least over night in its rub wrap. It’s time to get busy.

If you are using the oven or you have one of those fancy roaster oven type slow cookers, like a Nesco cooker, that have an actual temperature gauge set it for 325 for about 6 hours. Using a meat thermometer in the center (away from any bones) monitor the temp as it runs up to about 185-190. Once it’s there lower your cooking temp to maintain 170-180 for about three hours.

 If you are like me and all you have to work with is a crock pot with high and low settings go with High while using a meat thermometer to let you know when it makes it to 185-190. Once it does, drop it to low and cook for an additional three hours at an internal temp of 170-180. Probably about 6 hours total, but your mileage may vary on that one depending on your crock pot.

Once it has had a few minutes to rest up grab a pair of forks and shred the roast with them. Take any bones or bits of fat you see and give them to the dog, put all the meat into (or back into) your crock pot or Nesco cooker. Add the sauce we made yesterday. This takes patience to do right, but it’s worth it.

Good, just checking.

Anyhow, put the shredded meat into the slow cooker, stir in the sauce, and heat on low for anywhere from an hour or so to overnight, stirring occasionally.

The Servin’

Take a nice big roll and pile some BBQ on it, add some slaw on top and cover it up. Toss a pickle spear and some chips or fries on the side for an awesome meal.

 

Happy Holidays, Enjoy =)

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