BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I love vinegar.....Yes I do....I suppose I would be more of a North Carolina BBQ Girl (vinegar & pork) then a Texas BBQ, I know, I know I live in Texas, but I do love a good brisket......This recipe is one of my favorites for Pulled Pork Sandwiches....and the BBQ Sauce is a mustard-vinegar base one....I love it....The sauce can always be adjusted to specific likes and tastes.....You can roast a Pork Shoulder in the oven on 300 degrees for 6 hours or until if falls apart, instead of the crock pot, but I say throw it in the crock pot and forget about it.....I have also included a coleslaw recipe below to go with.....I like a little bit on my sandwich with some pickles and extra BBQ sauce.....Messy, Messy, Messy.....keep those moist towelettes or baby wipes handy!

Serves 12 or so

Rub:

3 T Paprika

1 T Garlic Powder

1 T Brown Sugar

1 T Dry Mustard

3 T Kosher or Sea Salt

1 tsp Ground Black Pepper

4-6 lbs of Boneless Pork (Carnita Meat) or Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast (Boston Butt)

Mix rub together in a small bowl. Rub spice blend all over the pork pieces or roast. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.

Vinegar BBQ Sauce:

1 1/2 C Cider Vinegar

3/4 C Spicy Brown Mustard

1/4 C Yellow Mustard

1/2-3/4 C Ketchup (to taste)

1/3 C Brown Sugar, Packed

2-3 Cloves Garlic, smashed/chopped

1 tsp Kosher Salt

3/4-1 tsp Cayenne (Red Pepper)

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

12 Hamburger Buns, toasted or not

Cole Slaw (see below)
Pickle slices

Spray the inside of a crock pot with cooking spray, throw in the pork and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours until meat is tender and shreds when you fork it. Skim off some of the fat and then shred with a fork. Add in 1/2-1 cup of BBQ Sauce and heat on low for 15-20 minutes.

During the last half hour/hour of the pork cooking make the BBQ sauce. Combine cider vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper into a medium sauce pan. Simmer gently, while stirring for 10 or so minutes, until all the brown sugar dissolves. Take off the heat and let sit until you are ready.

To serve spoon pork on bottom half of bun, top with little more BBQ Sauce, pickles, and some slaw. Very messy but ohhh soooo good!

Cole Slaw:

1 Head of Cabbage, shredded

2 Carrots, shredded or grated

1/2 Red Onion or Sweet Onion, thinly sliced

2 Green Onions, chopped

1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 1/4-1 1/2 C Mayonnaise

1/4 C Dijon Mustard

1-2 T Cider Vinegar

1 Lemon, Juiced

Pinch Sugar

2-3 Dashes of Hot Sauce

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Combine cabbage, carrots, onion, green onions, and jalapeno in a large bowl. In small bowl stir together mayo, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss gently. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Marinated Grilled Chicken Legs

We don't eat a lot of chicken legs around here, but I will buy them on sale when I find a good deal and always easy to make for a crowd. This is probably my favorite ways to eat them marinated and grilled. This marinade could be used on any piece of chicken and I use it enough that I do not measure so that is what I have estimated some of the amounts below. Such a simple summertime dish that we usually serve with lemony couscous or any summer salad. The kids love these too, you know always fun to eat with your hands......

Serves 4

1 C Fresh Orange Juice

2 T Fresh Lemon Juice

4 tsp Soy Sauce

1 T Dry Sherry

1 1/2-2 tsp Garlic, minced

1 1/2-2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 1/2-2 tsp Basil Oil or Olive Oil (Garlic Oil would work too)

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Dark Sesame Oil

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Hot Sauce

8 Chicken Drumstick, skinned (or not)

Combine all the ingredients but the chicken in a large zip lock bag. Mix up and then add in the chicken, seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare Grill.

Remove chicken from bag, reserving the marinade. Place the reserved marinade in a small sauce pan cook over medium heat for 3-5 min. Place chicken on grill coated with cooking spray. Grill 30 min or until chicken is done, turning and basting occasionally with reserved marinade.

Puppy Chow

Ok, So I have had this unopened jar of Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter in my pantry for awhile, I think we traveled with it down here when we moved.....Well, I am an All-Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Gal......Yes, I keep my PB in the Fridge......it's what we all eat and we all like (including the kids)....and to me it taste way better then the keep-in-the-pantry PB, which, to me taste as though it has a ton of sugar in it........So I have been trying to figure out what to do with the one in my pantry that also contains the evil Partially-Hydrogenated Oil....Well, I decided what the heck I will cook with it.....So the one recipe that came to mind was something I grew up eating and I figured it was a good time to introduce this favorite of mine to my kids (in small amounts, of course)......and now it looks as if my girls too LOVE Puppy Chow......It's just all around goodness.....Beware, it is addicting....and next thing you know, it's all gone.....

Makes: A whole lot (But goes fast)

1/2 C Butter
1 C Creamy Peanut Butter
2 C Chocolate Chips
1 (17.5 ounce) package Crispix Cereal
1 lb (box) Confectioners' Sugar

Melt the peanut butter with the butter and chocolate chips. Place cereal in large bowl and pour the sauce over the cereal and toss until well coated.

Place the coated cereal in a large paper sack then add the confectioners' sugar, fold down the top of the bag and shake to coat.

Eat and Enjoy!!

Greek Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Well I do not know about you but when I am at Costco I usually tend to pick up a pack of Pork Tenderloins. Then I get them home and think, Huh, what the heck am I going to do with these.....I have a few good pork tenderloin recipes.....Some with mustard, some roasted, etc....but I was looking for something different with citrus and came upon a recipe similar recipe to the one below, it needed a little bit of improvement.....The whole family loved this one.....Serve over a bed of your favorite Couscous recipe w/some Feta, Olives, Artichoke Hearts, Red or Green Onions and Grape Tomatoes and Ta-Da a nice Greek Themed Dinner......Ahh, One of the many tastes of Summer!

Serves 4-5

1 C Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 C Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2-3/4 cup Olive Oil (I also used a bit of Lemon Oil/Lime Oil cause I had it)
6-8 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tsp Salt
4 T Dried Oregano (I think fresh would be better but I didn't have any)
2 (1-1.5 pound) Pork Tenderloins

Salt & Pepper, to season while grilling

Mix lime juice, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and oregano in a bowl. Taste marinate, if you think it is too tart you can always add in more olive oil. Place tenderloins in a large plastic bag or bowl w/lid and pour marinate over the meat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly oil the grill grate, and discard marinade. Season tenderloins with Salt and Pepper. Grill tenderloins for 15 to 25 minutes, turning a few times, or grill until desired doneness. (the trick is to get it done while not overcooking!)

Serve sliced up on a bed of Couscous surrounded by lots of Greek veggies and topped with Feta Cheese.

Nana's Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

So growing up I use to love to spend the Christmas Holiday with my Mother's Family and one of the things I really loved about it besides being with all gazillion of my Cousins, Aunts and Uncles were my Aunt Ruth's Sugar Cookies. She would make every holiday cut out shape that you could think of....and she was an amazing cookie decorator.....anyway I thought I would never find a cookie recipe as good as hers but Shawn's Mom's recipe is equally good and maybe even better......and I just love them.....These are fun to make with kiddos.....my girls love cutting them out and sprinkling on the sugar.....and who knows maybe one day I take it to the next level with my decorating....for now some colored icing, colored sugar, and child's finishing touch will do.....Thanks Nana for such a good recipe.....

Makes 2 dozen (depends on size of cookie cutter)

1 C Butter, softened

1 8oz Package Cream Cheese, room temp

1 C Sugar

1 Egg

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Almond Extract

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 3/4 C Flour

Mix together softened butter and cream cheese. Blend in Sugar, Egg, Salt and Extracts. Mix in flour until well combined. Wrap dough in plastic and chill the dough for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. After well chilled roll dough to 1/8th inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake about 7 min. Cool and decorate with your favorite icing....

Sugar Cookie Icing:

1 cup Confectioners' Sugar
3-4 tsp Milk
3 tsp Light Corn Syrup
1/4 tsp Almond Extract
Assorted Food Coloring

In a small bowl, stir together Confectioners' Sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush or small spatula.

Tasty Orange Rolls

I love a GOOD orange roll, since I am not huge into Cinnamon. I like them not to dry, no too sweet, not too Orangey, just plain good......One of the best ones I have had was at the Farmers Market in Moscow, ID. A local baker that has fruit, veggie and baked good stand made them perfectly.....Now these that I make are quite good and are a little lighter then most orange rolls.....and we just EAT them up......they are a little bit labor intensive....but I feel worth all the mixing, rising, punching, resting, rolling, rising again and cooking........They are quickly becoming a staple for Holiday Mornings at our house.......Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.....I like to serve them with something simple and little salty like Sausage Patties or Links......MMMmmmmm......

Makes 2 dozen

Dough:

1 Packet Dry Yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1/2 C Warm Water (100-110 degrees)

1 C Sugar, divided

1/2 C Reduced Fat Sour Cream

2 T Butter, softened

1 tsp Salt

1 Egg, slightly beaten

3 1/2 C Flour, divided

Cooking Spray

2 T Butter, Melted

2 T Grated Orange Rind (Zest of about two medium Oranges)

Glaze:

3/4 C Sugar

1/4 C Butter

2 T Fresh Orange Juice

1/2 C Reduced Fat Sour Cream

To make the dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl or mixer bowl with dough hook attached, let stand for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 C sugar, 1/2 C sour cream, 2 T softened butter, salt and egg. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Add 2 C of flour to the yeast mixture, stirring until soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 min. (I actually knead in mixer for 5 and then turn out and knead the rest by hand) Add enough of the remaining flour 1 T at a time while kneading to prevent dough from sticking to hands. The dough will still feel sticky but not stick to your hands. Place dough in a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1hr 15 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

Punch down dough, cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide dough in two, work with 1 portion at a time, covering remaining portion with plastic so it doesn't dry out. Roll each portion of dough into a 12 inch circle on a floured surface. Brush the surface of each with 1 T of melted butter. Combine 3/4 C Sugar with Orange Zest. Sprinkle half of the sugar/zest mixture over each circle Cut each circle into 12 wedges, Roll up each wedge tightly starting at the wide end. Place rolls, point sides down in a 13 x 9 inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 25 min or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover dough and bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until golden brown.

While rolls are baking make the glaze. Combine 3/4 C sugar, 1/4 C butter and 2 T Orange Juice in a small sauce pan, bring to a boil over medium/medium-high heat. Cook 3 min or until all the sugar is dissolved while stirring very frequently. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in 1/2 C sour cream. Drizzle glaze over warm rolls and let stand 15 min before serving.

**Cover and Refrigerate any remaining rolls in the baking pan. To reheat cover with foil and bake in a 300 degree oven for 15 minute or until rolls are warm**

Yucatecan Citrus Grilled Pork

I suppose we will never get off of this Mexican Tex-Mex train we are on down here in SA. This recipe originated from the Yucatan and represents a simple side of Mexican cooking....I say make up a batch of Jerry's Famous Margaritas or crack open a good Mexican beer to enjoy while you are getting the charcoal ready....This dish is easy, good, and fresh.......Enjoy!

Serves 4-5

1 Med Sweet Onion, cut in thick slices for grilling
1 1/2 pound thin cut Pork Chops
1/4 C Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
1/2 C Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
3 C Cabbage, sliced thin
1/3 C Cilantro, chopped
2-3 Tomatoes, sliced
1-2 Avocados, sliced
Salt & Pepper
1 Lime, sliced for garnish
Hot sauce, to serve on side
Fresh Salsa, to serve on side
Warm Tortillas, to serve on the side

Stir Orange and Lime Juice together. Pour 1/4 C of the juice over the pork and let marinate for 15-20 min. Meanwhile, start charcoal grill. While coals are getting ready, prepare the rest of ingredients. Toss Cabbage and Cilantro with 1/4 C of the Lime/Orange juice, season with salt and pepper. Spread out onto a large serving platter. Decorate with slices of Tomato and Avocado, season those with a little salt/pepper too, set aside (or in the fridge). Once grill is ready, season and grill onion rings until roasted about 6-8 min. Remove, chop and toss with the remaining 1/4 cup of juice, set aside. Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and pepper and grill 3 min per side, or until done. Lay meat on the platter of cabbage and top with grilled onions. Serve with warm tortillas, salsa and hot sauce....

Chicken Gorditas Tex-Mex Style

Ok, my love affair with Mexican and Tex Mex has caused me to love to eat and make Gorditas....My favorite place to get them is down in Historic Market Square from one of the street vendors.....Pretty hard to pass up a $3.00 meal!.....Goes perfectly with the beer you can drink while shopping there.....they keep it simple downtown, meat or beans, cheese, lettuce and Guacamole.....and of course hot sauce on the side......Well it inspired me to surf through some of my Mexican Cookbooks to find a traditional gordita recipe.....The filling I made up on my own and still may need some tweaking.....but for a first run at it.....it turned out pretty good....I am posting it so I won't forget what I did.....We have had these twice now and I just love them.....the corn taste is so good....I Love "Little Fat Ones".....

Chicken Filling: Makes enough for a few meals

2 lbs of Boneless Chicken Meat (I used a combo of Thighs and Breasts)

1 14.5 oz can of Diced Tomatoes w/Zesty Jalapenos

1 Sweet Onion, Finely Chopped

1 Jalapeno, Finely Chopped

2-3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
Juice of 1 Lime

1-2 tsp Cumin

1-2 tsp Chile Powder

1/4-1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Paprika

Salt & Pepper

Put all ingredients into a crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Chicken is ready when it easily shreds and falls apart. Once ready shred meat in crock pot. It will be juicy, so use tongs to serve in gorditas, tacos, enchiladas or burritos.

GORDITAS: Makes 10 small/med pockets

1 3/4 C Masa Harina (Instant Corn Masa Flour)

1 C + 2 T Warm Water

1/3 C All Purpose Flour

1 scant teaspoon Baking Powder

3/4 tsp Salt

Garnishes

Cheese

Cilantro, chopped

Lettuce/Cabbage, mixed or your favorite

Guacamole

Hot Sauce or Salsa

Lime Wedges

Making the Dough

Mix masa with the warm water. Knead the masa to make it soft cookie dough consistency, adding more water if needed. (I usually add 1-2 tablespoons more) Knead in flour, baking powder, and salt. Divide dough into 10 portions and roll into balls. Cover with plastic to keep moist and to keep from drying out.

Heat a non stick oil rubbed griddle or pan over medium heat.

The next step is flattening out. If you have a tortilla press (I do not) it works best because it gives the most even disks, be sure to line with plastic on both sides. Gently Press a ball of dough to 4 inch diameter and it should be about 1/4 inch thick. If you do not have a tortilla press here is another easy way to do it. Place a piece of plastic (plastic wrap or plastic cut from a plastic storage bad) on the counter. Wrap a flat bottom dinner plate with plastic, place 1 ball of dough on the plastic wrap and place wrapped dinner plate on top of dough ball. Gently and evenly press ball flat to about 4 inch diameter and 1/4 inch thick. My dinner plates actually have a 1/4 inch lip and 5 inch diameter on the bottom so it works perfectly. Place flattened gordita on griddle and cook for 1 1/2 min and then flip and cook another 1 1/2 min. The gordita will be lightly browned but still uncooked. Remove to a plate and continue pressing and griddle cooking the remaining gorditas. Finished product should look like this:

Finishing the Gorditas

In a deep heavy skillet or saucepan, heat 1/2 inch oil over medium to medium high heat until oil is hot enough to make the edge of a gordita sizzle sharply (about 350 degrees). One by one fry gorditas turning them after 15 seconds nicely crisp but not hard. The total fry time should not be longer then 45 seconds. When they are ready most will have puffed up a little like pita bread. Drain on paper towels.

Once they are all fried use a small knife to cut a slit in the edge of each one about halfway around its circumference, making a pocket. Fill with about 1/4 cup of chicken and garnish with your favorites.