Day 11, Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Into day 12 here at Casa Phillips.  I've been feeding a sourdough starter every day (don't ask) I have no idea what it will turn out to be, all I can say is I've transferred it to several different (larger) containers because it keeps growing.  I've been following a lot of cooks on Facebook, and they actually name their starters--I haven't gotten that far, since I haven't bonded with this particular food. Dr. C. thinks we ought to claim it on our income taxes.   

Tomorrow night, our kids will be able to come over for dinner, they have been self-quarantined like we have, and so I thought I'd cook a pork shoulder for pulled pork, and they can have the leftovers, since this baby is over 8 pounds.  

8 pounds of pork perfection from Siesels Meats

Several days ago, I made a stop at my favorite meat market here in San Diego.  They are still open and stocked up.  I'm trying to support local businesses here, and bought the pork that I would need.

Figure that you will get 1/2 the amount of usable meat once your have cooked it.  The rest is water, and fat that melts off.  

This is my rub, it's half rub, half brown sugar.  I've tried to clone the one used at Big Bob Gibson's BBQ in Alabama.  

Fill the bottom of the slow cooker with onions; you don't need any liquid, you should get 4 cups of liquid once the pork is done.

Rub this baby on the outside, and inside.  I don't do BBQ sauce till I serve it, since BBQ sauce will be too diluted after cooking.  (Remember that 4 cups of liquid)

Tight fit

The Cover just barely fits---I wrote a book on Slow Cooking, and I tell people NEVER do this.  I confess I did it!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Serves 6 to 8

Two medium onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon celery seeds

1 teaspoon salt

One 6 to 8-pound boneless pork shoulder

1. Put the onions into the slow cooker.   
2. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic salt, brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, celery seeds and salt.  
3. Rub all over the pork shoulder, and set on top of the onions.  Cook on high for 6 hours, or on low for 12 hours.  At the end of the cooking time, remove from the slow cooker.  
4. When cool enough to handle, remove all the fat, and shred the pork.  Serve on potato rolls with BBQ sauce and slaw. 
5. Cook's Note:  Once the meat is shredded, you can store it in the fridge for 3 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.  
6. You can use the meat for tacos, soups, pasta sauce, sandwiches, and casseroles.  If you want to reheat in BBQ sauce, you can do that on low for 4 hours, high for 2 hours.  I'd use about 3 cups of sauce for 8 pounds of meat---you will get 8 cups of shredded pork from 8 pounds of meat---translating to 4 pounds of usable meat.  
7. There will also be at least 4 cups of pork broth, which you can freeze as well. Cool the broth, refrigerate, scrape off the fat, and then freeze. This would be amazing for bean soups.  

falling apart tender

Remove all the fat, and shred or cut into chunks

Everyone has their favorite BBQ sauce, and far be it from me to dissuade you from your fave, ours is Big Bob Gibson's red sauce, which we love.  

Today is take out Thursday, and we are trying to figure out what we want to eat, while this pork is simmering away.  Stay safe and stay home.  

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.

Take 5 Friday----

Relax, just 5 ingredients, and you've got a great main course for dinner-and no it's not our buddy the squirrel for dinner---I don't live in the South! 

 

Tri-Tip is a cut of sirloin, sometimes called triangle sirloin that is delicious when rubbed with your favorite barbecue rub and then grilled over indirect heat.  You can also make it in the oven, but the crispy singed bits from the grill are my favorite.  If you can't get a tri-tip then any cut of sirloin will do, cut about 2 to 3-inches thick. 

 

 

 

 

You can make your own rub, or you can buy your favorite--we are very fond of Big Bob Gibson's Red Rub in our house!  I add a bit of brown sugar to Big Bob's and that gives the tri-tip a nice caramelized crust. 

 

Once the meat is rubbed, bag it in a zip-loc for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

 

If you have a gas grill, light all the burners to preheat, then turn off the two interior burners, and leave the two outside burners on high to medium high (all grills are different, so experiment a bit) 

Let the meat come to room temperature for about 30 to 45 minutes, and the place it over indirect heat on your barbecue grill for 30 to 45 minutes, until an instant read meat thermometer registers 135.

  

Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain into thin slices. 



 

 

Tri-Tip on the Grill or in the Oven

Serves 4 to 6

One 2 1/2 to 3 pound tri-tip sirloin
3 tablespoons barbecue rub (see below)
3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar

 

1. Combine the barbecue rub, and sugar, and rub the mixture into the meat. Store the meat in a zipper-top plastic bag in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours 
2. Allow the meat to come to room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. 
3. Preheat the gas grill for 10 minutes, or light a charcoal fire and let burn until the coals have white ash.  Separate the coals, and put a drip pan under the center of the grill, or turn off the middle burners of the grill, and leave the outer burners at high or medium high. 
4. Lay the meat fat side down in the center of the grill, and cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 135 degrees. 
5. Remove from the grill and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing against the grain into thin slices.  This meat should be cooked medium rare--or medium, any more and it will become tough.

 Cooks' Note:  If you would like to make this in the oven, preheat the oven to 300 degrees and cook until the meat thermometer registers 135 degrees. 

All-purpose Barbecue rub for beef, lamb or pork

Makes almost 1/3 cup

1 tablespoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon onion salt

Stir together all the ingredients, and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. 

 

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

Let them Eat Cake!

This weekend our granddaughter celebrated her first birthday, and our son celebrated his 30th birthday.  It got me thinking about birthday cakes, and how we celebrate birthdays. I know people who will spend weeks planning and executing amazing dinners, or children's birthday parties, only to have them turn into familial disasters that are talked about in hushed tones for years to come, or others who prepare a great casual celebration to mark milestones.  This weekend our granddaughters' birthday was perfect-- the menu was slow smoked pork shoulder from the Meat Hook in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, and slow smoked brisket, rubbed generously with Big Bob Gibson's BBQ rub and smoked til it was melt in your mouth tender, served alongside potato rolls, slaw, and fresh corn on the cob.  Life doesn't get too much better than that when you are sharing a celebration with friends and family.  The cake is my favorite part---for our granddaughter we thought an ice cream cake (Carvel since her daddy worked for them in High School) would be perfect, and it was just the right cake for a first birthday---smeared to perfection over her hands and face. We actually weren't sure we would be able to get the blue food coloring off her hands!

For Ryan's 30th birthday the cake has been the same for years; a vanilla cake with a chocolate frosting.I managed to make this in our daughters' easy-bake-style oven in her teeny weeny kitchen. The cake is simple but oh so good, and gets better the next day for breakfast with a cold glass of milk. So even if it isn't your birthday, celebrate someones birthday today and eat a piece of cake!

Ryan is the founder of RumorsandRants.com, hence the soccer players on the cake!

Ryan's Happy Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Makes two 9-inch layers, or about 36 cupcakes (and a zillion mini cupcakes)


3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar4 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 recipe Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting


1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat two 9-inch round baking pans with nonstick cooking spray.


2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.


3. In a 4 cup measuring cup, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla.


4. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour and milk mixture to the mixing bowl, and beat until smooth. Add the baking powder, salt and soda, stirring to blend.


5. Pour the mixture into the prepared pans, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.


6. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans, and cool completely before frosting. (At this point the cakes can be frozen for up to 2 months)

Chocolate Frosting

Makes enough to frost two 9-inch cakes






3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream, plus extra to thin the frosting if needed

1. Stir together the sugar and cocoa in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl.
2. Beat in the vanilla, butter, and sour cream on medium-high speed until the mixture reaches a spreading consistency. Add more sour cream if the frosting is too thick.