Pulled Pork with Carolina Style Barbecue Sauce

Over the past month, I've been teaching a class on Carolina Barbecue at the PCC Natural Markets.  You'd think that I'd be sick of it by now, but I have to tell you that the recipes are so good that I made them all again this weekend!  The class is a complete summertime feast from Southern Pimento Cheese to coleslaw, roasted corn with chili honey butter, pulled pork, and grilled peaches with bourbon caramel sauce.  It's really a treat.

The pulled pork features my version of a Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce excerpted from The Kitchen Pantry Cookbook.  It's vinegar and mustard based barbecue like you find in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina.  I created it after a visit with my dear friend, Christin. (Hi CP!)

When I was writing the book, I thought it would be fun to offer more than one type of barbecue sauce. We're so used to the typical tomato/molasses style of most commercial brands. Once I'd perfected the recipe, we invited friends over for a taste test and served both my Kansas City-Style and Carolina-Style sauces. Although both were popular, we all decided that Carolina-Style with its zingy mustard and vinegar base was the favorite.

For the Carolina Barbecue class I use a pressure cooker to make the pulled pork because we have limited time but I thought it might be better to give you the old-fashioned slow braised version here.  It's an all-day affair but I promise it's worth the wait!

Check out the video for an overview and then follow the recipe below for all the details.

Pulled Pork

3 - 4 lbs pork shoulder, pork butt or boneless country spare ribs

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons bacon fat, lard or oil

1 cup chicken broth, apple cider vinegar or apple juice - your choice

buns for sandwiches, optional

Preheat oven to 250F or 275F. (See Chef's Note)

In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dry rub - brown sugar, salt, paprika, smoked paprika, onion powder, mustard powder, granulated garlic, and black pepper. Stir to mix.

Coat the pork with spice mixture. Massage it in well.

Place dutch oven or heavy pot on the stove top over medium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add fat. Brown the pork on all sides. 

Add the broth to the pot and gently scrape the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon to loosen any bits of meat and only that are stuck.

Place the lid on the dutch oven. Be sure that it's a tight fitting lid. If you don't have a snug lid, cover the pan with aluminum foil and place the lid on top of the foil to ensure a good seal.  Since the pork will be braising slowly, it's important to seal the moisture inside. 

Place the pork in the oven and roast for 4 1/2 to 8 hours. I realize that's a huge range but it depends on the size of your pork shoulder.  You can estimate it will take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours per pound to cook your pork roast between 250F and 275F.  When you can easily pull the meat apart with a fork, it's done!

I usually let the pork rest for 10 to 15 minutes before pulling it. After the pork has rested, shred the meat with your fingers or a fork and serve with Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce. Serves 4 to 8


Chef's Note: So, you just can't wait for hours to eat your pulled pork, huh? Well, here's quicker method if you own a pressure cooker.

Cut the pork butt into several chunks, 2- to 3-inches each. Coat the chunks of pork with the spice mixture.

Place a pressure cooker pot on the stove top over medium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil. Brown the pork in batches. When the pork is browned, remove it from the pot and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Add 2 cups broth or vinegar to the pot and gently scrape the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon to loosen any bits of meat that are stuck. Return the pork to the pot, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Close and lock the lid.

Bring the pressure cooker to high pressure (15 psi). Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting to maintain pressure, and set the timer for 1 hour.

When the time is up remove the pressure cooker from the heat and manually release the pressure. Carefully open the lid and remove the meat to a platter. Cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before shredding. Discard the cooking liquid and serve with Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce. 

Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce

Years ago, my best friend, Christin moved to the Raleigh-Durham area. When I went out for a visit, she took me for some real Carolina barbecue. I was really struck by the barbecue sauce. It was really unlike any I'd ever tried before. It was piquant, tart - just plain zippy.  I really loved it.

When I was writing recipes for The Kitchen Pantry Cookbook, I decided to try to recreate the sauce. I thought it would be good to offer a couple distinct barbecue sauces to choose from.  I love my Kansas City-Style Barbecue Sauce too but the Carolina-Style has stolen my heart.

Condiment photo by Rina Jordan
from Kitchen Pantry Cookbook (2013) by Erin Coopey
(Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce - center, right)

Carolina-Style Barbecue Sauce

Although I typically use this sauce as a condiment on ribs or pulled pork, it makes a great mop sauce if you are into pit barbecuing. I also love it with grilled chicken!

Makes 2 cups

3/4 cup yellow mustard

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon hot paprika

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Mix ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. If you like a thicker sauce, just simmer it a bit longer. 

Sauce can be used immediately or refrigerated for up to 1 month.

This barbecue sauce makes a great marinade for either chicken or pork. If you plan to use this sauce as marinade, be sure to cool it in the refrigerator before adding the meat.

Excerpted from The Kitchen PantryCookbook by Erin Coopey, Quarry Books 2013

Buttermilk Potato Salad with Feta and Arugula

I make a pretty good potato salad loaded with mustard, mayo, and hard-boiled eggs. I've been making it like that since I was a teenager. The inspiration came from my mother's 1963 Good Housekeeping Cookbook - the culinary bible of my youth. It's a tasty classic. Nothing wrong with it but, every once in a while it's good to try something new.

A few years ago, I asked my friend Venus to bring some potato salad to a barbecue. She's arrived with a tangy delight that included ricotta salata and arugula, claiming inspiration from a pasta salad recipe by Seattle food icon, Tom Douglas. It was a hit.

After the party I begged for the recipe but Venus is a bit of a seat-of-the-pants-kind of cook so getting the precise recipe just wasn't going to happen. So, I set about recreating the recipe.  Along the line I made a few changes - subbing feta for the ricotta salata, upping some of the herbs, reducing the arugula, etc. I've got it just where I want it.

This potato salad is going to knock your socks off! It's zingy, salty, creamy goodness.  I can't wait for you to taste it!

Incidentally, I met Tom Douglas shortly before the release of my cookbook.  We chatted about the subject of my book and he asked me if I'd looked at another cookbook that sounded similar to mine (the name escapes me now). I said that I hadn't because I didn't want to be influenced. Tom replied, "Oh, it's all been done before. We're all inspired by something we've tried."  So with that in mind, I tip my hat to Tom (and Venus) as the inspiration for this recipe.

Buttermilk Potato Salad with Feta and Arugula

Serves 6 to 8

For the buttermilk dressing:

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup mayonnaise, homemade, or good-quality store-bought

½ cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1/3 cup chopped fresh chives

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoon minced shallot

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon seasalt 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

2 pound small red potatoes, quarter or eighth if too large

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 cups loosely packed baby arugula

To make the buttermilk dressing, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise and yogurt and in a bowl. Add the dill, chives, garlic, shallot, and lemon juice and whisk again. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add red potatoes, and cook until tender. Drain the potatoes and immediately run under cold water until completely cool. Drain well.

Put the potatoes in a large bowl and, using a rubber spatula, fold in dressing. Add the cheese and arugula and stir to combine. Chill for 1 hour. Top with freshly ground black pepper and let the compliments roll in!

Get Your Grill On!

We've had an amazing spring in Seattle so far. All this sunshine means we're officially in grilling season. Here are a few of my favorite tips and recipes to kick things off!

A new grilled veggie idea!

Grilled Spring Onions are classic Spanish fare. Even my husband, a professed onion hater, loves these tasty, caramelized bites. Start by cutting about 1/2 inch off the root ends of a bunch of green onions. Next lay the onions on a rimmed sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to thoroughly coat the onions and then sprinkle them with a little salt. Grill over medium heat until the whites soften and the greens begin to get grill marks, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with a traditional Spanish Romesco Sauce or Garlic Aioli (1 cup mayo, 1/2 tsp crushed garlic, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and 2 tsp lemon juice blended together). Fab as a simple appetizer or served alongside a juicy steak!

A sweet treat!

Mock Cobbler - This is a simple one but so delicious! Mix 3 cups of your favorite berries or stone fruit with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon. Spoon 3/4 cup of fruit each onto 4 squares of heavy duty aluminum foil and fold together like a hobo's pouch (make sure the foil is sealed so there are no leaks) and toss on a medium high grill for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully open the pouches and pour the contents over ice cream or short bread! The fruit will be jammy and intensely flavorful.

Just say no to dried out meat!

I love to grill skinless chicken breast and pork tenderloins but if you aren't careful you can end up with an ultra-dry piece of leather. That's because both items are very lean. To combat this, I brine them. A few hours before you barbeque combine 8 cups of water with 1 cup of kosher salt and 1 cup sugar in a large Tupperware container. Stir to combine and then add 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or pork tenderloins. Brine in the refrigerator for a couple hours and you are ready to grill! You'll be amazed how juicy the result is!

Get your family to eat more veggies!

Luscious Lettuce Wraps - Combine 3 cloves of garlic, the pulp of a large lemon, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp paprika, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt in a food processor to make a paste. Scrape into a gallon size zip-lock bag. Add 2 lbs of lamb or chicken cut into 1/2" x 3" strips.  Toss to coat the meat. Grill a few vegetables like zucchini strips, red onion slices and strips of bell pepper. When  the veggies are done, grill the meat for 5 to 10 minutes turning once over high heat.  Serve the veggies and meat buffet-style with leaves of butter lettuce.  Then let your family build their own lettuce wraps!  I like mine with a little yogurt dressing and some cilantro.

Want to learn more? Why not join me for a grilling class? I'll be teaching a fun class on Tuesday, June 10th at the Sanctuary at Admiral in West Seattle.

My Mom's Smokey Roni - Kind of...

My friend, Cathy, is celebrating a birthday today and her dear husband, Carl, asked her friends to each send a handwritten recipe and photo of their favorite macaroni and cheese recipe. Carl's request got me thinking about a recipe that my mom used to make called Smokey Roni. It was in the regular dinner rotation. I thought it might be a fun recipe to give to Cathy.

Over the years, I've collected a number of the cookbooks that I grew up with (and that my mom still uses), so I decided to see if the recipe was included in one called, "Dinner in a Dish." Sure enough, it was listed in the index but when I turned to the recipe it read "1 box macaroni and cheese." My mother NEVER made it with boxed macaroni and cheese! 

You know, I give my mom crap for not being much of a cook but the truth is I liked her cooking growing up. She put dinner on the table every night. Sure, it was the 1970's and we ate a lot of casseroles but my mom did a lot from scratch. We always had a garden, and to this day she cans, pickles, and freezes fresh vegetables every summer. She didn't share my passion for cooking but she did a fine job of feeding the family. I laugh now about her "regular rotation" menu selections but here I am 40 years later collecting her old cookbooks and looking up nostalgic recipes. So, I was actually quite impressed to see that although she'd used the Smokey Roni recipe as a guideline, she'd gone out of her way to make the mac-n-cheese from scratch. (Way to go, Mom!) Following in my mother's footsteps, I created my own mac-n-cheese recipe homage to Smokey Roni.

Vince tasted tested the recipe with glee and absolutely loved it. A hit all the way around! Thanks Carl and Cathy for inspiring me to revisit a wonderful childhood recipe. Hope you like it as much as we did.

Smokey Roni

Serves 4

8 ounces elbow macaroni (substitute gluten free if you like)

2 tablespoons butter, plus additional for buttering casserole dish

2 tablespoons finely minced onion

1 tablespoon potato starch (for gluten free) or flour 

1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

2 cups half-n-half or whole milk

10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (approximately 3 cups)

10 ounces frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained well (approximately 2 cups)

6 ounces diced ham, (approximately 1 cup)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook elbow macaroni as directed on package. Aim for al dente since the pasta will cook longer in the sauce. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 2 quart casserole pan with butter.

Meanwhile in a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add minced onion and sweat until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in potato starch, salt, dry mustard, granulated garlic and pepper. Stir until smooth and beginning to bubble. Slowly stir in half and half. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the mixture is just about to simmer. Add the grated cheddar and stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.

Pour the drained macaroni into the casserole pan. Add the chopped broccoli and diced ham. Pour the cheese sauce over the top and mix gently until everything is nicely coated. Top with grated parmesan and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes until the dish is bubbling and the top has turned a light golden brown. 

Want Breakfast in Bed this Mother's Day? Here's Your Family's guide!

Okay ladies, here’s a little blog for you to print and post on the refrigerator this week.  Your family will be grateful for the “subtle” suggestion. 

Psst… are you looking for a way for your family to pamper Mom this Mother’s Day?  How about starting her special day with breakfast in bed!  Even younger kids can help out to make Mother’s Day special and they will feel so proud to help.

Here are some fun and creative ways to tell Mom how much she’s loved:

• Pick a flower from your garden for the breakfast tray.  If you don’t have a bud vase, try a handful of flowers in a pretty mug.

• If you don’t have a breakfast tray, tape paper onto a cookie sheet and let the kids decorate it with drawings for Mom.

• Pick the tops off dandelions or other pretty blooms and place a few on the breakfast tray.  Their bright yellow blooms add a little sunshine to breakfast and help to clean up your lawn.  

• Stretch the fun out and make it easier for little ones to help by bringing in things one at a time.  Start with the decorated breakfast tray, then, ask your child to bring in an empty coffee cup or juice glass.  You can follow with the coffee pot or pitcher.  Mom will feel like she’s at a restaurant.

• You don’t have to cook to show you care.  Breakfast in bed can be anything from a bagel and cream cheese or dry cereal, to scrambled eggs or Eggs Benedict.  No matter what you serve, it will be appreciated.

• You can also plan ahead by mixing up some delicious Oven-Baked French Toast the night before.  The recipe is simple and all you have to do is pop it in the oven in the morning. 

Oven-Baked French Toast

8 slices of your favorite French bread (or try something different like a fluffy brioche or cinnamon swirl bread)
butter or cooking spray

2 Tablespoon sugar

8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoonvanilla

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Powdered Sugar

Grease a large rectangular baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Lay the slices of bread in the baking dish like playing cards – each slice slightly overlapping the one before. In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla; pour over bread. Cover the pan and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, uncover the pan and sprinkle the French toast with nutmeg.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until the bread begins to turn golden brown. Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar and don’t forget the syrup.  Makes 8 servings.

Serve your French toast with fresh fruit and, perhaps, a mimosa!  Mom will feel like a queen on her special day.

Rhubarb Put's Some Zing in Your Spring!

As I sat thinking about spring vegetables for this blog, my first thoughts were about fresh asparagus. Then I thought, "everyone thinks asparagus in spring." Everywhere I turn there's an asparagus recipe. It's not that I don't like asparagus. I love it. I just didn't want to offer the ubiquitous asparagus recipe when there are so many other vegetables popping up in the springtime. So what could I suggest that was unique?

The answer came to me while walking through my neighborhood. I noticed a home with planter boxes overflowing with tawny-pink rhubarb stalks and was inspired.

Rhubarb is one of those often overlooked vegetables but it's delicious, simple to work with, and a great source of potassium and vitamin C. The early pink stems are the best for cooking. You'll definitely have to add some sugar to offset their natural tartness though. Oh! Do remember that the stems are the edible portion of the plant so trim away all the leaves before cooking.

I'm sure that moment I mentioned rhubarb many of you thought of pies, but since I am not much of a baker I decided to develop a different type of recipe - a Spiced Rhubarb Compote.

If you like tangy, sweet and sour sauce, you'll love this compote! It's quick, easy, and so versatile. I've spooned over roasted pork and duck, served it as a condiment for a glazed ham, and topped savory goat cheese cheesecakes with a dollop. So yummy!

Spiced Rhubarb Compote

6 cups diced rhubarb stalks (about 2 lbs)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 cup cider vinegar

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 ground allspice

1 pinch of nutmeg

Combine all the ingredients in a large sauce pan. Simmer over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the rhubarb is tender, about 20 minutes. Simmer a bit longer to thicken, if you like.

The compote can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold and will keep up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

If you are inspired to try other rhubarb recipes, I found a link to some interesting cocktails too. Check out the article on Liquor.com.