We were in Memphis this past weekend (it's one of our hometowns) and, as is our custom in Memphis, ate more than one plate of barbecue. This one's from the Germantown Commissary.
While we can't get the same smoky flavor of pork that has been cooked over wood for hours and hours in our own kitchen, we can get tender, fall-apart chunks of meat that come close enough to soothe homesickness...
It's all about the Crock Pot.
Pork shoulder is one of our favorite things to throw in a slow cooker. We rub ours with brown sugar, paprika, some dry rub from the Rendezvous, and salt and pepper and pour in a little beer, apple cider vinegar, or just tomato juice. When the meat is finished cooking, we shred it, discarding any large pieces of fat, and pile it on rolls with barbecue sauce.
If barbecue isn't your thing, season it with garlic and ginger and make a peanut sauce to serve with it. Make it into Asian sandwiches topped with kohlrabi slaw.
We know you slow cooker lovers out there have probably made a variation of this dish many times. But when we occasionally get tired of the fact that our Crock Pot turns everything into soft shreds, it's nice to remind ourselves of how wonderful that fact is when it comes to barbecue, a food we can't live without.
More on Slow Cookers:
- How to Braise in a Slow Cooker
- Review: Crock Pot Versaware Pro Slow Cooker
- Rival Smart-Pot Slow Cooker
- All-Clad Slow Cooker
- Good Tip: Stock in the Slow Cooker
And Some Recipes:
- Slow Cooked Pork Roast Two Ways
- Friday Night Slow-Cooked Brisket and Onions
- Slow-Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Orange Grand Marnier Soufflé
- Malaysian Beef Curry
- Overnight Oatmeal with Apricots and Buttermilk
(Images: Elizabeth Passarella)
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Some times I think the Kitchen & I are on the exact same wavelength. I made the best pulled pork ever a couple weeks ago and just posted the recipe today. It's a smoky mango pulled pork and seriously the best pulled pork I've ever eaten. It is worth buying slow cooker just to be able to make pulled pork easier to make no matter what recipe you use.
I've had great luck making pulled pork on my stovetop (without a slow cooker) with this recipe:
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000325pulled_pork_sandwich.php
This is possibly the only thing that I've ever made in my crockpot that is worth making again, plus its great for potlucks and aside from shredding the meat there is next to no effort.
we just made our 2nd pulled pork on friday. we use one of emeril's recipes as the starting point for our rub (which is damn spicy on its own!), then we roast in the oven (uncovered) on low heat for 7 hours and finish with a homemade sauce. we served the sandwiches on brioche rolls and i made homemade french fries and a zucchini-spinach gratin. it was a hit!
My husband loves Rendevous. :) I love the Blues City Cafe. I'll have to try this.
I started making pulled pork last Summer. My Kids (grown) ask me to make it many times, because they loved it. I cook mine in a slow cooker. I have several crock pots. I use a west bend that cooks higher than the old (rival) one. I cook it overnight for about 10 hours. we like ours soft, then shred it and add Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce. I like to serve on sour dough rolls. It is a greasy job but worth it. I will probably will make it for the Fourth of July.