Barbecued Pulled Pork

This recipe comes from a family friend who's an excellent cook...and at one time owned a deli.
Now that summer is approaching, you might like to try this for company or a summer picnic.
We love it!

Barbecued Pulled Pork

Select a pork shoulder roast with bone that will fit into your Crock Pot.

The roast will need to be trimmed of fat and skin; it takes time to do this but the effort really pays off in the end. This is the best cut of pork for this recipe, according to our friend.  I do not doubt him and have never tried any other cut of pork.

Place trimmed roast into your crock pot.

Combine the following ingredients in a bowl:

2 packages McCormick's Slow Cooker Mix for Pulled Pork

4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 small cans tomato paste

4 T. Liquid Smoke (mesquite or hickory)

2/3 c. dark brown sugar, compacted

2/3 c. cider vinegar

Mix together; pour into crock pot.

Cover pot with its lid set to high for about 8 hours.  Cooking time varies with different crock pots, so check after 7 hours to see if meat falls apart easily.  Once shredding is possible, remove the meat from the pot and shred it with two forks. Remove connective tissue, cartilage, etc. from meat as you shred and discard it. 

Strain the sauce,  taking care to remove fat, bones cartilage from it  Mix strained sauce with shredded meat and mix together. 

If extra sauce is needed, Jack Daniels #9 is a good choice; however, you can really use any barbecue sauce that you like.

Note: Tartness/sweetness can be adjusted by increasing/decreasing the vinegar and/or sugar.

A Vintage Recipe: Confetti Bread

I'm posting this recipe in honor of my mother, who passed away in 2001.  I don't really remember
this bread at all. A few years ago a received this in a Christmas card from mom's lifelong friend Mae.
It must have been pretty good...after all, the local paper thought enough to name her a winner in their recipe contest and publish it.

I miss you, Mom. You might be gone from this life, but you certainly aren't forgotten!

Pork & Provolone Burgers with Rapini

  Now that summer is almost here, it's time to think of summer fare.  For a change up from the usual burgers and franks, try these pork and provolone burgers!

 

 Pork and Provolone Burgers with Rapini

serves 6

1 bunch uncooked broccoli rabe, blanched and chopped  
1 tsp sea salt  
1 tsp black pepper  
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste  
1 1/2 tsp fennel seed  
3 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), 3 to 4 cloves, grated or pasted  
1 small uncooked onion(s), 2-3 tablespoonfuls finely grated, with juice  
1 Tbsp paprika  
2 oz romano cheese, a rounded handful of grated cheese  
6 slices sargento ultra thin provolone cheese      
1 tsp Olive Oil, for drizzling  
24 oz  ground pork

Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it. Blanch the broccoli rabe for 5 minutes, drain and cool. Finely chop about 1 cup  and reserve. Place ground meat in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, fennel, chili, garlic, onion and juice, paprika, Romano, chopped rabe and a healthy drizzle of EVOO, twice around the bowl. Mix and form 6 large, thin patties about a half-inch thick. Heat a griddle or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Cook patties 3-4 minutes on each side. Melt one slice of cheese atop each burger. Remove to plate. Wipe skillet clean.

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining broccoli rabe to pan and sauté and for a few minutes as described in my April 11th post, "Please Pass The Rapini!" 

Serve the burgers on a bun if you like, with rapini on the side.


7 WW points per serving excluding bun.