Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

SLOW COOKER BBQ PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

PREP TIME: 10 MINS | COOK TIME: 8-10 HOURS

Adapted from: Melskitchencafe.com

INGREDIENTS:

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (I’ve also used boneless pork loin – not tenderloin – but pork loin with good results)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon smoked Paprika
2 cups water
2 cups barbecue sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse the pork shoulder and pat dry. Rub spices over the pork and place in a slow cooker. Add water. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork is very tender.
Remove the pork from the slow cooker set aside 1 cup of the liquid and discard the remaining liquid. Shred the pork using a couple of forks. Place the meat back in the slow cooker along with the reserved liquid and barbecue sauce. Continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the pork is hot again. Serve on buns with extra barbecue sauce.

Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork

Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork

From: Homemadeinterest.com

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Pork shoulder
• 1 tbsp Onion powder
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Mustard powder
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1/2 c BBQ sauce + more sauce to taste
• 1/2 c Water

Instructions

1. Cut pork shoulder in half so you have two 1lb pieces.
2. Mix all of the dry ingredients together and rub them on to the pork.
3. Place pork into the pressure cooker and add BBQ sauce and water.
4. Fasten the lid in place and cook on high for 1 hour.
5. When the hour is up let the pressure cooker do a natural release (15 - 20 minutes).
6. Remove the meat from the pressure cooker and shred the pork. Add more BBQ sauce to the meat if desired.
7. Enjoy!

Honey Brined Pork Chops (aka Pork Chops a la Nathan)

My husband comes up with the most creative things right out of his head. This one was a huge success!


Ingredients:
2 Boneless pork chops, 1 1/2 - 2 inches thick
2 cups water
3 T salt
1/3 cup honey
1 medium onion halved and sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1 T Butter
1 T Canola Oil

Brine:
In a small saucepan combine the water, honey and salt.

Heat to a boil until salt and honey is dissolved. Be careful to not let it boil over.  Take it off of the heat and add 5-6 ice cubes to quickly cool it down and put it to the side.

Take your boneless pork chops and using a meat hammer thingy pound it to tenderize on both sides.

Combine meat and cold brine in a large ziplock bag and put it in the fridge for 2-4 hours.

In a cast iron skillet, put oil and 1 T butter. Once hot, add the pork chops and sear both sides (do not cook through). Once both sides are browned and set aside.

In the same cast iron, add 1 T butter with onion, garlic and thyme. Once onion has reduced slightly, add a pinch of salt and continue cooking until onion has begun to caramelize. Add meat and cover with onion mixture. Place in preheated 350 degree onion for 10 minutes or until pork reads 140 degrees on a thermometer. Let the chops rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

Hot Sausage Dip

my Mom makes this and it's always a HUGE hit!!

2 lb sausage (I use 1 regular and one hot)
2 lb cream cheese
2 lb sour cream
1 can rotel tomatoes, drained
1 4 oz can diced green chilies
1 4 oz can diced jalepenos
1 red or green pepper chopped
1 onion chopped

Cook sausage and drain. Add onion and pepper and cook until tender. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream and cream cheese. Add tomatoes, chilies and jalepenos. Then add sausage mix. We put it in a crock pot on low to warm and keep warm. Serve with chips, crackers, or a baguette.

Chile Verde

This is my mom's recipe and she doesn't have measurements...she just dumps it in and makes it to taste how she likes it. I made it today and halved the recipe and used the following measurements (2 pork chops cubed, 4 small cans green chiles, 1 T chicken bullion, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 1 can diced tomatoes and then I chopped up a fresh tomato and added it to it, 1 onion)

Chile Verde

Olive Oil
2 lb. pork, cubed
salt to taste
pepper to taste
green chiles (lots), chopped
2T chicken bullion
2 bay leaves
cilantro, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 onions, chopped
water to cover

Brown cubed pork and onions in olive oil until pork is cooked and onions are tender. Sprinkle a little flour (approximately 1/2 cup) over the pork and onion and cook to make a roux. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer. If it isn't thick enough add more flour that has been mixed with water until it reaches the desired thickness.

Serve with rice, warm tortillas, cheese, refried beans. It's yummy!

Cafe Rio Chicken and Pork Salad

My sister has made this ans she says that the next one makes a ton. The recipe says it serves 20. I usually make the entire thing and then freeze the left over meat in smaller portion sizes in bags because they make great enchiladas, burritos, and bbq pork sandwiches. You can be creative.

Cafe Rio Chicken or Pork Salad

Chicken
5 lbs chicken breast, boneless & skinless
1 small bottle zesty italian dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together in a large crock pot. Cook on high for 5-7 hours. Remove chicken and shred with a fork. Reserve a small amount of juice and pour over shredded chicken to keep moist. Keep warm. (I never throw away the juice I just add the chicken back into it once it has been shredded. The chicken seems to soak most of it up)

Pork
Pork Roast
1 bottle of honey bbq sauce
1 T honey
1 liter coke

Place all ingredients in a large crock pot and cook on low all night. In the morning take the roast out leaving the juice in the crock pot, shred the roast. Place shredded roast back in the crock pot with the juice and leave on low.

I found this version for the pork too...sounds like it would be good.

Pork
Night Before:
3 ½ to 4 lb. Pork Roast
2 Tbs Brown sugar
1 to 1 ½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
Mix together and rub on pork roast. Put in crock pot on low. Cook all night.

Next morning,
add:1 can coke
1 cup chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped

Keep cooking all day in crock pot on Low.
About an hour before serving, shred roast and add:1 cup brown sugar

Lime Rice
In a sauce pan saute:
2 T butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced

In a large pot, bring the following to a boil:
6 2/3 C water
8 tsp chicken bullion
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tsp cumin
2 small cans diced green chiles
1 T lime juice
1/2 tsp salt

Add onion and garlic to boiling mixture. Add 3 cups long grain rice. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Pico de Gallo
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Combine ingredients together in a medium bowl

Tomatillo Dressing
1 pkg Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dry Dressing Mix
1 C buttermilk
1 C mayonaise
1-2 tomatillos, peeled
1/2 - 1 clove garlic, minced
1/2-1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 - 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed

Blend ingredients together in a blender. Add additional mayonaise if dressing is too thin. Keep refrigerated.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette Dressing (thank you Jen!)
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c. fresh chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 small jalepeno, seeded & diced
Combine in blender or food processor.

Serve in the following order:
Tortillas
Shredded Cheese
Chicken or Pork
Black or Pinto Beans
Lime Rice
Red and Green leaf lettuce, shredded
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Fresh cilantro
Parmasan Cheese
Fresh lime slice
Tomatillo dressing

I also made the fried tortilla strips because I like them on top. To make them I just cut them into strips with a pizza cutter and fried them in a little olive oil until they were light brown.