Carolina Heat Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ever since I first attended Ottawa’s Annual Chicken and Rib Fest I’ve been an avid admirer of pulled pork.  Pulled pork is a form of barbecue where a roast cut such as butt or shoulder is cooked using a slow cook method.  With the longer cooking times at low temperatures, the meat becomes tender enough that it can be pulled apart or shredded. 

Some of the more flavorful pulled pork I’ve sampled over the years has been smoked.  Fat Matt’s Rib Shack in Atlanta Georgia or Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse and The Smoque Shack here in Ottawa serve up some of the best!


Fat Matt's Rib Shack's Pulled Pork Sandwich

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que's Pulled Pork Sandwich

Ottawa's Own Smoque Shack's Pulled Pork Sandwich

With the cold weather that Ottawa has been experiencing as of late, I was really craving some summer type food and pulled pork on a Sunday afternoon was just what the doctor ordered.  However, with my barbecue tucked away for the winter and the colder temperatures, smoking the pork wasn’t really an option.  So I turned to my oven to see if I could yield some equally good results. 

My Carolina Heat Pulled Pork Sandwich

I must say, by roasting the pork in the oven at 300^oF for almost 5 hours (I could have even done it at 275 for a slower roast) and using this amazing Carolina styled (mustard and vinegar based) BBQ sauce, one would swear they were just served a true southern styled smoked pulled pork sandwich!  Give this recipe a try and I’m sure you will agree!

Pork shoulder roast cooked to perfection

Pulled and ready to be served

Carolina Heat Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

Dry Rub

This stuff is absolutely amazing and I use it all the time for grilling chicken or pork cuts on the grill.  I’ve also used it to season chicken wings and roasted potatoes.  I make this rub in bulk and keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator and use it whenever I need to.

• 2 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp coarse salt
• ½ tsp ground sage
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

 Carolina Heat BBQ Sauce

Carolina Heat BBQ Sauce

 

• 1 cup prepared yellow mustard
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp white pepper
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• ½ tsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp liquid smoke (hickory flavoring)

Cole Slaw

• 1 head green cabbage, shredded
• 1 carrots, grated
• 1 green pepper, grated
• ½ onion, diced
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp poppy seeds

Directions:

1. Mix the paprika, pepper, onion powder, brown sugar, chili powder, salt, sage, nutmeg and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.  Rub the spice blend all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 300^oF.  Put the pork in a roasting pan, cover and roast it for about 6 hours until meat is falling apart.
3. While the pork is roasting, make the barbecue sauce. Combine the mustard, sugar, brown sugar, cider vinegar, chili powder, black pepper, white pepper and cayenne in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.  Stir in soy sauce, butter and liquid smoke and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit until roast is ready.
4. To make the slaw, combine the cabbage, carrot, onion and green pepper in a large bowl.  In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, olive oil, sugar, vinegar, salt and poppy seeds.  Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix.  Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.
5. When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and let meat rest for 10 minutes.  While the pork is still warm, take 2 forks and while using one of the forks to steady the meat, use the other to "pull" shreds of meat off the roast. Put the shredded pork in a large bowl use the sauce to thoroughly coat it.
6. To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom half of a hamburger bun, and top with slaw.

Hail To The King

Happy New Year Everyone!  I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays.  Part of the appeal of the holidays is entertaining family and friends.  One of my favorite meals to serve treasured guests is none other than the king of roasts, prime rib.  There’s nothing that makes me drool faster than slicing into a freshly cooked medium rare prime rib roast and savoring that first mouth watering morsel.   The flavors that burst through my go-to recipe (with Dijon mustard, fresh rosemary and thyme) are absolutely delicious.



Garlic Herbed Prime Rib, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy with
Roasted Lemon Pepper Asparagus with Shaved Parmesan

If you’re looking for a big bold wine to pair with your roast, I suggest none other than an Italian Barolo.  I recently enjoyed a beautiful bottle of 2007 Matto Barolo while dining at Play.  The blackberry, cherry and spicy notes along with the not too prominent tannins would make this Barolo a perfect choice for such a wonderful cut of red meat.  If you cannot find Matto (crazy in Italian) at your liquor store any Barolo from 2007 or older would be an excellent match.

Matto Barolo

So next time you’re hosting dinner, I hope you give this great recipe a try.  You guests will feel like royalty.  Bon appétit!

Garlic Herbed Prime Rib Roast

Ingredients (for 5 lb roast)

• 5lb prime rib roast with ribs cut from roast and tied back on
• ¼ cup Dijon Mustard
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic slivered

Directions:

1. Cut slits into roast and insert garlic slivers
2. Combine in small bowl mustard, thyme, rosemary and oil mix well then spread all over roast
3. Place roast, ribs down on rack in roasting pan.
4. Season and insert oven safe meat thermometer in centre avoiding fat or bone.
5. Cook uncovered in 325°F to desired doneness (20 mins per lb for Rare – Thermometer 135°F, 25 mins per lb for Medium - Thermometer 155°F, 30 mins per lb for Well Done - Thermometer 165°F)
6. Remove roast to cutting board and tent with foil for 10 – 15 mins to allow temperature to rise 5°F.

The Dijon, Rosemary and Thyme Spread

 

Ready to go!

Cooked to perfection

Gravy:

 

Scrape drippings from roasting pan into a medium pot with two cups of beef broth.  Bring to a boil and add 2 tbsp cornstarch with a ¼ cup of cold water.  Repeat until you’ve reached desired consistency.  For extra flavor saute some mushrooms and add to gravy before serving.

 

Roasted Lemon Pepper Asparagus with Shaved Parmesan

 

Roasted Lemon Pepper Asparagus with Shaved Parmesan

So many times when eating prime rib I’ve been served steamed carrots and green beans.  While delicious, they can be rather plain.  So next time you want to liven up a dish with some vegetables as a side, try this lemon pepper roasted asparagus with shaved Parmesan.  Roasting the asparagus this way really gives it a rich flavor and doesn’t wilt it as much as steaming it might.

 

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 1lb of asparagus
• 1 lemon zested and juiced
• 1 clove of garlic minced (optional)
• Coarse Salt and grown pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 8 – 12 shavings of fresh Parmesan cheese to garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. Toss asparagus in large bowl with olive oil, lemon zest and juice garlic.
3. Place asparagus on parchment paper lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper
4. Bake in over for 8 – 12 minutes until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork.
5. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve.