Super Bowl Food Coma

 

Food this weekend rates right up there with the Iron Chef and Top Chef contests. Whose wings will be the best?  What are they cooking next door?  What about dessert?  Super Bowl weekend, kitchens are sizzling with cooks trying out new recipes, and bringing back those tried and true recipes that have worked for years.  No matter who you want to win, it's really all about the food this weekend.  

Having gone to high school and college in Boston, my allegiance goes to the Patriots, since my adopted home town San Diego Chargers are not in the big game.  For that reason we are having lobster rolls, along with Berkshire St. Louis ribs brushed with Big Bob Gibson's BBQ sauce and potato salad.  They will have to roll me to the couch and leave me there until the end of the game!

Two lobster tails will make about 3 cups of salad.

Super Lobster Rolls
Serves 4
Two cooked lobster tails (or about 1 pound lobster meat)
2 ribs celery, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
few drops Tabasco
4 hot dog rolls
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Chop the lobster meat coarsely.  

Add the celery, mayonnaise, lemon zest and Tabasco, stirring to blend.
Brush the inside of the hot dog rolls with some of the butter, and grill over medium high heat until golden brown. 

Fill the rolls with the lobster mixture and serve.

 
Cook's Note:  In New England they make a hot dog roll with the sides shaved off--this makes grilling them easier, and there isn't so much bread.  You have to order them from a purveyor on the East Coast to make an authentic lobster roll.  We made do!      

Berkshire St. Louis Ribs

Serves 8 

Two racks St. Louis, or Spare Ribs 

1/2 cup all-purpose BBQ rub (use your favorite--there are a lot of them out there, or you can make your own---I'm fond of Big Bob Gibson's BBQ rub and BBQ sauce) 

1 1/2 cups apple juice, beer, or chicken broth

2 cups BBQ sauce (your choice here)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  

Rub the ribs with the BBQ rub, and place in a roasting pan.  Pour in the juice, beer or broth, cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil and roast for 2 hours.  At the end of the cooking time, remove the ribs to a platter, and pour the juices into a fat separator.  

Preheat the grill or broiler and brown the ribs for 3 to 5 minutes on each side.  Brush with some of the BBQ sauce when the ribs come off the grill, let the ribs rest for 5 minutes, cut into portions and serve and serve more BBQ sauce on the side.  

Cook's Note:  Berkshire are an heirloom breed of pig, and the meat is sweet, succulent and amazing.  You will never go back to ordinary pork in the grocery store once you've tasted these!   

Whatever you are eating this weekend, I hope it's been a good one for you and yours, and that your team wins! For the potato salad recipe click here.

This Little Piggy--Take 5

As I've stated here before, I'm particularly fond of pork; bacon, chops, tenderloin, roasts and pork shoulder.  Berkshire pork is my all-time favorite, sold here in San Diego at Iowa Meat Farms and Seisels' meat, this pork is like nothing you've ever tasted before; bred for flavor (read that as fat) this piggy is delicious!  

 
Today I've got a Berkshire shoulder in the slow cooker slathered with Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Rub; we're having pulled pork sandwiches for dinner tonight. 

Pork shoulder is one of the easiest and most delicious cuts of meat to prepare, and yields enough for lots of left over meals: think carnitas tacos, pork ragu with pappardelle, sesame noodle salad with pork and spicy peanut sauce---they are all awesome and with such a large piece of meat you do get leftovers!  

We started with NO liquid in the cooker, and now have over 4 cups of liquid in the pan.

Expect to get 1/2 the amount of meat that you started with, so if it's a 5 pound shoulder, you'll get about 2 1/2 pounds of meat---enough for a small army, or the frat boys!  The slow cooker takes care of all the work, and in 6 hours on high, or 12 on low you'll have pork nirvana.    

Berkshire Pork Shoulder for Pulled Pork BBQ
Serves 8

Two large sweet yellow onions like Vidalia, coarsely chopped
One 5 pound Berkshire Pork shoulder (not every shoulder is the same---anything from 4 1/2 to 6 pounds will work here)
1/2 cup Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Rub (or your favorite)
1/4 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1. Lay the onions into the bottom of the slow cooker.  Lay the pork onto a cutting board, or a large piece of plastic wrap.  In a small bowl, blend together the rub and sugar, and massage into the roast.
2. Lay the roast over the onions in the slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 10 to 12 hours, until the pork is fork tender. 
3. Remove the pork from the slow cooker, and allow to cool for 20 to 30 minutes before pulling the pork into pieces.  Serve the pork with BBQ sauce (see Big Bob Gibson's Championship Red Sauce) soft rolls and slaw. 
4. If you would like to pull the pork and add it back to the slow cooker, remove the onions and liquid in the pan, and transfer the pulled pork to the slow cooker and turn to the warm setting. 
5. The onions and liquid can be strained, fat removed, and used for pork stock at a later time. 
6. Slow cooker notes:  If you have a "Crock Pot" they are notoriously hot cookers, so cook on low for the amount of time that you would on high---you get what you pay for with electrics, so if you got TWO of these for $45 there is a reason.  My favorite slow cookers are:  Breville, Cuisinart, KitchenAid, and All-Clad--high end, yet heat evenly---you will be happy with any of these cookers. 

Phillips Championship BBQ Sauce
Makes 6 cups

2 tablespoons canola oil



2 sweet onions, such as Vidalia, finely chopped


2 teaspoons garlic powder


1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper


1/4 teaspoon celery seed


1 1/2 cups ketchup


1/2 cup brown sugar


One 8-ounce can tomato sauce


1/2 cup beef broth


2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce


1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic powder, cayenne, and celery seed and cook for 2 minutes to soften the onions.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, and maintain at a simmer for one hour.
3. If not using immediately, cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.