Ever wonder how your favorite BBQ joint makes their pork so dang good? The secret to their recipe? Cook your pork shoulder low and slow.
Perfect Pulled Pork
Serves about 8
Ingredients:
• 1 (6-pound) pork shoulder or pork butt, bone in preferred
Dry Rub:
• 3 tablespoons paprika (I used smoked paprika)
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
Directions:
Preheat your oven or smoker to 225 degrees F. Lightly score your pork with a sharp knife. Mix the dry rub ingredients together and rub the spice blend all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.
Put the pork in a roasting pan and roast for 10-12 hours, uncovered. Check the pork at 10 hours. An instant-read thermometer stuck in the thickest part of the pork should register at least 200 degrees F. Your pork should also pull easily apart. If it isn't done, increase the cook time in increments of 30 minutes.
When the pork is cooked, take it out of the oven and place it on a platter to cool. Allow the meat to rest for at least 30 minutes. Once rested, use 2 forks to shred the meat. Serve as is, on a bun, on a baked potato or combine with your favorite BBQ sauce.
Note: If you wish to use the meat later, wrap the cooked pork in double foil to retain the juices and refrigerate or freeze.
•••
Due to a clever mix of ingredients, this Vegetarian Gumbo has all the flavor and smokiness of a meaty gumbo. It’s so chock full of veggies, you won’t miss the meat or seafood at all.
Soy sauce and liquid smoke, plus an array of spices including smoked paprika and nutmeg, help create the smokey flavor that meat typically gives gumbo. The base of the flavor is of course a roux which should be cooked until it reaches a dark caramel color.
To really add more flavor, a tomato and onion are processed with herbs and spices, lots of garlic and some Creole mustard and Worcestershire sauce and then added to the gumbo.
The ingredient list is a little long and not at all typical for a gumbo, but they really work together and create a delicious vegetarian gumbo.
To make a roux, you need patience, a strong forearm, and a heavy-bottomed pan. You want to keep the heat fairly low because a roux burns easily and once it is even slightly burned, there’s no turning back. You will have to start over and you will have filled your house with an awful smell.
For best flavor, keep cooking the roux until it is a deep caramel color or the color of an old penny.
Vegetarian Gumbo
8 servings
Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons Creole mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 quart vegetable stock or broth
• 4 cups sliced okra
• 1 (16-ounce) can red beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 cremini or other mushrooms, quartered
• 1 1/2 cups diced zucchini (1 medium)
• 1 1/2 cups diced green pepper (1 large)
• 1 1/2 cups diced red bell pepper (1 large)
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice
• 1/2 cup sliced green onion
Directions:
Place vegetable oil and flour in a Dutch Oven with a heavy bottom. I like to use a cast iron Dutch oven. Turn the heat on medium and whisk continuously until mixture becomes fragrant. This should take about 5 minutes.
Turn heat to low or medium-low depending on the size and heat your burner gives off. Continue to whisk continuously (it's alright to stop for a few seconds here and there, but not for any length of time) until roux becomes a dark caramel color, like the color of an old penny. This could take 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove Dutch oven from heat.
In a food processor, process tomato, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, liquid smoke, vinegar, hot sauce, soy sauce, thyme, red pepper flakes, paprika, nutmeg, and oregano until mixture is smooth.
Place Dutch oven with roux over medium-high heat and add tomato/onion puree. Stir to mix together. Continue to cook until most of liquid has evaporated.
Add vegetable stock and stir. Bring to a simmer.
Add beans, mushrooms, zucchini, green and red pepper, and celery and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve with rice and green onions.
•••
Watermelon Popsicles
Yield: 10 popsicles
Ingredients:
• 19 oz cubed seedless watermelon (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 5 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk, well shaken
• 13 oz kiwi (about 6 medium)
• 1 Tbsp mini chocolate chips
Directions:
Add watermelon, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar and lemon juice to a blender and blend until well pureed. Skim off foam then carefully pour into 10 popsicles molds, filling each about 2/3 full.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips over tops, then, using a popsicles stick, gently push down to immerse chips (push towards sides so you can see them once they freeze). Wipe sides clean as needed.
Cover with the lid and insert popsicles sticks. Freeze 3 1/2 hours.
During last 30 minutes of popsicles freezing, whisk together coconut milk with 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar until sugar has dissolved; chill 30 minutes.
Remove popsicles from freezer, remove lid and carefully pour a scant tablespoon coconut milk into an even layer over watermelon layer (again, it works best to pour it down the outside edge then wipe clean). Clean sides as necessary.
Return to freezer, uncovered, and chill 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut tops from kiwi and use a spoon to scoop flesh from kiwi while leaving skins. Transfer kiwi to blender along with 2 Tbsp granulated sugar. Pulse until well pureed. Force mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl using a rubber spatula to remove seeds. Chill kiwi mixture 30 minutes.
Remove popsicles from freezer and carefully pour about 1 Tbsp kiwi mixture over coconut layer. Return to freezer and chill until popsicles are solid, about 2 - 3 hours.
To remove popsicles from molds, turn tray to the side and run plastic molds under warm water several seconds (don't let the water touch the kiwi portion at the top) then slowly pull from molds.