Texas Pulled Pork

I love a good, hot sandwich: slices of ham with melted cheese, slices of beef topped with seasoned gravy, or pulled pork smothered with barbecue sauce. This hearty sandwich can do double duty for lunch or dinner, at least that's what I'm telling myself this busy, fractured week, and employs the use of what is becoming my favorite appliance, the Crockpot.

This recipe, from allrecipes.com, with a few tweaks by me makes the perfect pulled pork sandwich, I think. I like mine smoky so added liquid smoke, and stirred in a bit more BBQ sauce than called for because I like mine extra juicy. Had I not used every last drop that I had on hand, I would have served more on the side. This and yesterday's hot potato salad made for a yummy fireside meal.

Texas Pulled Pork

Slightly adapted from Allrecipes

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast

1-1/2 cups barbecue sauce

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 extra large onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. In a separate bowl, stir together the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Liquid Smoke, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Pour mixture over pork. Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours.

Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices.

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Marinated Pork Tenderloin

An old high school friend (male) gives my blog the occasional onceover, and asked me the other day just why there are so few recipes for roasts and other such “big meats.”  I always think that making a roast is the easiest thing in the world and that it would be rather redundant to include such a recipe. But I’ve grown up with this, and always figured that it was as much a part of others’ youths as it was mine.  If this is not the case, then you’ll appreciate this very easy, versatile, and delicious recipe that I first became acquainted with in our church cookbook, published sometime in the '80s.  There is absolutely nothing to it, it is very forgiving in that, if you fail to remember that it’s in the fridge it will go that extra day (I won’t tell you how I know this, just that I, ahem, do).  It is fine for every day, but is also very much appreciated by company.  It makes for excellent leftovers as well, and if you return tomorrow, my son will tell you how.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin

1-2 lb. pork tenderloin

Bacon for wrapping meat

Wrap tenderloin in bacon, securing with toothpicks along the way. Place in a shallow dish and cover with marinade. Marinate 5 to 6 hours at room temperature, turning often, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Marinade:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 tablespoon grated onion

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

Remove meat from marinade before baking. Bake pork at 350°F for 1 hour. Simmer leftover marinade over low heat for five minutes; serve as a sauce.

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Foodie Friday

Black & Tan Beer-Braised Beef and Onions

The holidays are, thankfully, behind us, and it’s time to press on with the New Year.  Once January hits I start thinking about Super Bowl (even though it’s now been pushed into February – the 3^rd this year --thanks to additional playoff games, and added revenue.  It’s just WRONG! But I digress…)

I discovered this recipe on New Year’s Day about four years ago while rummaging through Gourmet magazines.  Since then, it has become a staple of the Super Bowl buffet.  It’s “make ahead” (two of my favorite words), always delicious, and men love it.

Black & Tan Beer-Braised Beef and Onions

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

3 pounds yellow onions

1 (5-pound) boneless beef chuck roast

3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

2 bay leaves

1 (12-ounce) bottle of Guinness

1 (12-ounce) bottle of Harp

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1 sprig of fresh thyme

Halve onions lengthwise, then slice lengthwise 1/4 inch thick.

Pat beef dry and season all over with 2 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide 5-to 6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown beef on all sides, about 15 minutes, then transfer to a plate.

Cook onions with bay leaves and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt with the remaining tablespoon oil in pot, scraping up brown bits from bottom and stirring occasionally, until onions are well browned, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Cut a round of parchment paper the diameter of the inside of pot (near the top). Set parchment round aside. (I actually used a Dutch oven for this without the parchment – I’ve done it both ways – and found the results were the same.)

Add beers and vinegar to onions and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Add beef, thyme sprig, and meat juices from plate and return to a boil.

Cover with parchment round (if using) and lid and braise in oven until meat is very tender when pierced in several places with a meat fork, about 3 1/2 hours.

Transfer beef to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered, 20 minutes. Slice meat. Skim off fat from sauce and discard thyme and bay leaves.  Reheat if necessary.

Serve braised beef with onions and sauce.*

*As the beef in this recipe improves in flavor if made at least 1 day ahead (up to 4 days) and chilled in sauce (covered once cool). I refrigerate it at this point.  When I’m ready to serve it, I discard the solidified fat, remove meat from the sauce, slice it, place it in a shallow baking dish, and drizzle it with about a cup of beef stock. I then cover it tightly with foil and heat in a 325°F oven for about 45 minutes. The gelled sauce that remains I reheat in a saucepan, adding just a splash of brandy, and serve it on the side.

This post is linked to: On the Menu Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Try a New Recipe Tuesday, Foodie Friday, and Seasonal Sundays

"Outstanding" Beef Brisket

When my mother became ill and needed to be hospitalized a little over a month ago, I knew I had a big job ahead of me.  Yes, caring for my mother (who is now recovering in a skilled nursing center, I’m happy to say) by keeping a very close eye on hospital staff was work, but even more daunting was cooking for my dad.  Three times a week I’d run (and still do) full meals (dessert included) out to him to keep him well nourished.  He’s happy with pretty much anything (Although I think he’s still reeling from the Torta Rustica not knowing, with a name that contained the word “Torta,” if it was a main dish or a dessert!) but, basically, he’s a meat and potatoes man.  So it was time, I thought, to pull out the meat-and-potatoes-man cookbook, Cooking the Cowboy Way: Recipes Inspired by Campfires, Chuck Wagons, and Ranch Kitchens.  The recipe below is adapted from the King Beef Oven Brisket in the book and was deemed “Outstanding” by my dad.  I have to say that he’s right.  It was the best brisket that I think I’ve ever eaten.

“Outstanding" Beef Brisket 

1 tablespoon Penzey’s Chili Con Carne Seasoning 

(can substitute chili powder)

1-1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 tablespoon dried minced onion

1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon Penzey’s Northwoods Fire Seasoning (optional)

1 4-pound beef brisket, trimmed

1 1/2 cups beef stock or broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the rub, combine the chili seasoning, salt, onion, garlic powder, mustard, pepper, sugar, espresso powder, and Northwoods Fire Seasoning in a small bowl, and mix thoroughly.

Season the brisket on both sides with the rub. Place in a roasting pan or Dutch oven and roast uncovered for 1 hour.

Add the beef stock or broth and enough water so that there's about 1/2 inch of liquid in the pan.

Cover tightly with heavy foil (or the lid, if using a Dutch oven), decrease the oven temperature to 300 degrees F, and continue cooking for 3 more hours or until fork-tender.

Slice the meat thinly across the grain. Top with the juices from the pan, and serve to the hungry man in your life!

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Foodie Friday

Beef and Broccoli for Two

If you're anything like me, you occasionally get a hankering for Chinese food.  If you are even more like me, when it gets to around seven o'clock in the evening you're often too tired to go out for Chinese.  Here is a great recipe for two that cooks up in no time and tastes as close to restaurant-style beef and broccoli than any other that I've tried.  It's adapted from a recipe that I found on epicurious.com, but I like my version better.

Beef and Broccoli for Two

Marinade for Beef:
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound boneless sirloin, cut across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Sauce:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon medium-dry Sherry
1/4 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons Oriental sesame oil

For rice:
1/3 cup Basmati rice, well rinsed
2/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
1 medium head broccoli, cut into flowerets

Prepare the beef:
In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, sugar, and the salt.  Add the beef, and let it marinate for 30 minutes.

Make the sauce while the beef is marinating:
In a small bowl dissolve the cornstarch in the soy sauce and stir in the Sherry, broth, oyster sauce, sugar, and sesame oil.

Make the rice:
 Spray a medium-small saucepan with canola oil.  Put the rice, water, salt, and butter in the pan and place over high heat.  Bring to a boil and let the rice simmer until the level of water is equal to that of the rice.  Cover with lid and reduce heat to low.  Simmer 20-25 minutes.  If you happen to find yourself cooking the beef mixture longer than the rice is to cook, simply turn the heat off and let it rest the in the pan while you prepare the remainder of the meal.  It will keep for another 30 minutes without any adverse effects.

Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until it is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, and heat it until it just begins to smoke. Stir-fry the beef in the oil in batches for 1 minute, or until it is no longer pink, and transfer it as it is cooked with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the wok, heat it until it is hot but not smoking, and in the oil stir-fry the gingerroot, the garlic, and the chili for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is fragrant. Add the broccoli and stir-fry the mixture for 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup water and steam the broccoli, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until it is crisp-tender. Stir the sauce, add it to the wok with the beef and any juices that have accumulated on the plate, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and the beef is heated through. Transfer the mixture to a heated platter and serve it with the rice.

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Crockpot Pulled Pork

Each week I attempt to try at least one new recipe. Thanks to the Internet, my vast selection of cookbooks, magazines, and the newspaper, I have more recipes than I will be able to prepare in a lifetime if I made something different every day. Last night I decided to try one for pork tenderloin. I had thought ahead to thaw the vacuum-sealed tenderloin in the fridge the night before, but was dismayed when I opened the package to find not one, but two of them inside. I'm not sure why they're packaged this way, but, well, they ARE.

This ended up playing into my hands as I used one for the new recipe I'd been wanting to try (Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Apples and Onions) that I found forgettable despite the excellent reviews. The other I threw into the Crockpot to make use of yet another recipe I wanted to try for pulled pork.

Go figure, the easier of the two was the best. It just goes to show you that you can make really delicious food with relatively few ingredients and virtually no effort. Working girls (and guys)? Do you hear me? Easy and good!

 

I found the recipe for the pulled pork here, at Allrecipes, but for the sake of convenience will reproduce it below.

SLOW COOKER PORK TENDERLOIN

Makes 8 servings

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer

1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce

8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted

Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.

Okay, confession time. I used 1 1-lb. pork tenderloin and part of a bottle of Coke, because we didn't have any root beer in the house. I just poured the Coke over the meat until it came a little more than halfway up the side and then poured the rest over a glass of ice and drank it myself!

Once the meat was cooked (and I checked it periodically, pulling at it with a fork until it began to shred), I drained the pork, put it into a mixing bowl,and shredded it with two forks.  Then I added the seasonings I use when I bake a brisket: a few shakes of garlic salt, a few shakes of celery salt, a few shakes of Liquid Smoke -- I LOVE Liquid Smoke! --, and some (but not too much, maybe 1-1/2 teaspoons) Worcestershire Sauce. On top of this I poured about half a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce and kept mixing until I liked the consistency.

Add additional barbecue sauce to your own taste.

This recipe is a keeper!

This post is linked to Foodie Friday,  Family Friendly Fridays, and Crockpot Wednesdays.