The Perfect Tailgating Addition - Pulled Pork

I would say fall is my favorite season. I love waking up for an early morning run and feeling that crisp air bite at your lungs. Spending most my high school years and college in the beautiful Northeast, I was able to witness the magical changing of seasons and pristine fall colors. Now that I live in Chicago, I have learned to appreciate fall and enjoy every crisp, sunny weekend I can before the dreaded snow hits our city.

Fall also means football, chili, tailgating, and Halloween! I've adopted the Northwestern Wildcats as my Big 10 team and spend many Saturday afternoons (rain or shine) rooting on the cats at Ryan Field. Aside from the annual Chili Cook-off, I usually just contribute mimosas or beer. This year I thought I'd step it up and try out Mr. D's aunt's Pulled Pork recipe along with some coleslaw. I figured the seemingly easy recipe for slow cooker pulled pork would be a perfect addition to our Northwestern tailgate this Saturday. I got it from Mr. D's sister and have heard rave reviews! After checking out grill master, Bobby Flay's, recipe for pulled pork I decided the only alteration I needed to make was the addition of a rub to give the meat a little more flavor.

I went to my new favorite butcher at Paulina's Market and he helped me pick a hearty 4 lbs chunk of pork shoulder and their homemade BBQ sauce. Pulled pork wasn't going to be the only highlight of the tailgate so I planned for 1/3lbs per person. We ended up with more than enough for 10 people!

I started by seasoning the pork shoulder with salt and pepper on all sides. Then I set-off to create the dry rub. I had to modify Bobby Flay's recipe because I was missing some of the ingredients and I scaled it down, but it worked out pretty well. I combined 1/3 cup Blackened Creole Seasoning, 1/3 cup chili powder, 1 t cumin, 2 t dry mustard, and 2 t coriander in a small bowl. I didn't have any paprika, so I substituted the pre-made blackened creole seasoning because it had paprika and most the other dry rub ingredients. I even saved the left over mix in an extra spice jar for a later date.

 Then I massaged the dry rub into all sides of the pork shoulder. You've got to make sure to work it into the meat so it doesn't all fall off.

It gets easier once this is done! Now you just have to DUMP all the ingredients into the slow-cooker. Cut the onion into 8 sections and add half to the pot. Pour in 1/2 a bottle of BBQ sauce and 1/4 cup cider vinegar. Then add the seasoned pork shoulder, the rest the BBQ sauce, and the can of coke. My 4lbs of pork shoulder was a little too big for the 3.5 quart dish so I had to make sure everything was covered.

Cook the meat for 6-7 hours on high. I accidentally only cook the meat on low for 8 hours and it turned out JUST fine - I'll let you know if its any different when I cook it correctly next time.

The hardest part of the recipe was pulling the pork shoulder off the fat or bones. (There is apparently a TOOL that can help.) I also didn't make it any easier by waiting until 11pm on Friday night after my flag football game and couple drinks with the team. I used two forks and then switched to my hands when I got close to the bone.

Notice all the fat I picked off the meat...maybe this means its a healthy addition to the tailgate?!?!

I put my pulled pork in the fridge until the next morning right before I was going to serve it. Before reheating the pork the next morning I tossed it in BBQ sauce and cooked it on 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. My pulled pork sandwiches were another successful attempt at food courting. I served them with Barefoot Contessa's coleslaw (modified recipe below), optional hot sauce, and a little extra bbq sauce.

Pulled Pork

Prep Time: 40 mins      Cook Time: 10 hours      Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs pork shoulder
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 2 bottles of your favorite barbecue sauce
• 1 can of coke

Dry Rub:

• 1/3 cup blackened creole seasoning
• 1/3 cup chili powder
• 1 t cumin
• 2 t dry mustard
• 2 t coriander

Directions

1. Get your slow-cooker ready. (I used a 3.5 quart cooker)
2. In a small bowl combine the ingredients for your pork rub and stir until mixed.
3. Season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper on all sides then rub the dry rub over the pork.
4. Cut you onion into 8 pieces and place half in the slow-cooker.
5. Add the cider vinegar and 1/2 bottle of bbq sauce.
6. Place the pork in the slow-cooker, covering it with the sauce.
7. Add the rest of the barbecue sauce and the can of coke.
8. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.
9. Remove pork should and let it cool for 20-30 minutes.
10. Pull the pork apart from fat and bones using your hands or a fork.
11. Place the pulled pork in a roasting pan and cover with onions.
12. When ready to serve, toss other bottle of barbecue sauce into the pulled pork.
13. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees and serve! 

Barefoot Contessa's Coleslaw

Prep Time: 25 mins     Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1/2 small head green cabbage
• 1/2 small head red cabbage
• 2 large carrots, peeled
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 2 cups (16 ounces) mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Chop cabbage, cilantro, green onion, and parsley.
2. Peel your carrots and chop into appropriate size.
3. In a medium bowl combine mayo, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, vinegar, celery seed, and celery salt.
4. Stir thoroughly and add pepper to taste.
5. When ready to serve mix in dressing and serve. This helps prevent the vegetables from getting soggy.