Crock Pot Pulled Pork BBQ

Served with Sweet Potato Chips & Lime

Mike has been asking for this for a long time, and I finally found the time and courage to do it.

If anyone knows me, I'm not a fan of bones in my meat, scales and eyeballs in my fish, and etc.

However, for this recipe, it requires a big ole Butt, a Boston Butt (Pork Shoulder) that is!

NOTE: I have never made this before, so I researched for a few days! 

I'm personally a fan of the sweet & spicy BBQ, not the vinegar base, so I decided to make my own recipe from a few sites online.

Pat down your Meat with paper towel, like you do for Chicken Parmesan.

In a mixing bowl combine the Dry Rub:

- 1 TBS Sea Salt & Iodized Salt blend

- 1 tsp Cumin

- 1 tsp Cayenne

- 1 TBS Chili Powder

- 1 tsp Black pepper

NOTE: I eyeballed these, and estimated the measurements above.

I just used my crock pot to do the rub, but you can use a large pot or dish as well.

Make sure the entire Butt is covered with the dry rub. 

Cover with plastic wrap. 

Store in fridge overnight.

I let mine sit longer, roughly 24hours.

The recommendation was 2hours - overnight. 

After you've pulled your meat out of the fridge, turn your slow cooker on low for 10 hours.
Add a layer of EVOO to the bottom. 

Chop a Large Vidalia Onion in quarters. Add the onions so they can start to cook.

Next we need to create the "Juice"

In a mixing bowl combine:
- 1/2 Cup Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Cups Sweet Baby Rays Original BBQ Sauce
(almost the whole 18oz bottle)
- 1/2 Cup Splenda Brown Sugar
- Sriracha (add as much as you want)

NOTE: I started with measurements and then adjusted based on my own taste. 

Gently place the RAW meat in the crock pot and top with the "Juice".
Cover the crock pot and let cook until it turns off (~9.5 hours low).

Remove the Meat and place on a large chopping block or cutting board.

Place a colander and bowl in the sink.
Pour the liquid through the colander, collecting only the "Juice" in the bowl.

Set the "Juice" aside.

Discard the rest.

With two forks, begin pulling the meat off the bone. (Note: This will take some time and patience.)

Discard of the bone, or give it to a friend's dog like I did!

While you are doing this, the fat will rise to the top of the "Juice" mix. With a Spoon, carefully skim out the fat and discard.

Once all the meat is pulled, put it back into the Crock Pot, and begin to slowly add the "Juice" to stay moist.

I served this with (store bought) coleslaw on a (whole wheat Martin's potato) bun with a side of my homemade (Martha Stewart) Sweet Potato chips and lime.

Have a question?
Email Emily - CvilleERA88@gmail.com

Perfect Aspargus Side

When I first began cooking on my own I found asparagus to be a tricky veggie to cook with.

Today, I believe I have perfected this dish. You can too! 

Prep
- Dice 2 Cloves of Garlic
- Chop 1 Large Vidalia Onion (I do 1/4th)
- Cut 1 bushel Asparagus (top and bottoms) then cut in half.


Warm large skillet over medium heat
Add EVOO to lightly cover bottom
Then add the garlic and onion.
Cover for 5 minutes

Uncover and stir occasionally until golden (lightly brown)
Add Asparagus (or you can use Green Beans with this same recipe)

Cover for 5-10mins until Asparagus is fully cooked.

Serve with your main dish.

FYI - Timing may vary for different people. I rarely follow recipes, measure anything out, or time my dishes.

To the left is the asparagus served under Mike's XXtra Spicy Shrimp Skewers!

Shrimp skewers are always a fun meal to make and share with friendships.

Everyone can dress up their own skewers with the spices and flavors they love!

Sláinte

Beer + Food = !!!

I'm taking a little break from homemade recipes, as Mike and I are in the process of moving.
Here are some of my favorite "Beer + Food" hot spots in and around my hometown.

Local Breweries

...from nearest to farthest distance from the Charlottesville Downtown Mall, what I consider Cville's "melting pot", where locals and tourists gather to enjoy the aromas and sounds of the outdoor pedestrian mall.

1. Champion Brewing Company
One of the newest Belmont hot spots, features local brews (and food trucks most afternoons.)
Hanu Truck, Mouth Wide Open and Blue Ridge Pizza Co. are regulars. I've only tried Hanu Truck, the food featured below are Korean-style Tacos and Mulitas, which are my favorite!

FYI - @BlueRidgePizza will be at @ChampionBeer this Wednesday 8/7/13 - Check our their extensive local pizza menu here!

2. James River Brewing Co.
Located in Scottsville, only 20 minutes from Cville. This small establishment offers relatively large tastings compared to others. Mike and I split the full ~12 beer flight and then grabbed a full glass to enjoy in the beer garden.

James River Brewery hosts LIVE shows in the summer beer garden every Saturday and Sunday 2-5pm through October. And Food Trucks, like Hickory Chip BBQ, usually hang out on the side!



3. Blue Mountain Brewery

To me, Blue Mtn. has the best BEER & FOOD combination if your looking a casual no-rush brunch or dinner. Left to Right: Breakfast omelet and fresh fruit. Specialty breakfast pizza with fried eggs, tomato, basil and Double H Farm sausage. Pizza Trio features Blue Mtn.'s Bratwurst w/ Apples and Onions, Local Sausage (and peppers) and Margarita pizzas all with a to-do-for thin herb crust.

Try the Nachos and Hummus plates for appetizers!

4. Wild Wolf Brewing Company

Honestly, this is my least favorite Beer + Food spot out of the list, but it's slowly growing on me.

I really like how much room they have and the cute little shops around the Brewery. Very Family-Friendly.

PLUS... Bold Rock Hard Cider is 0.2miles from here, for those that like hard cider. I love the Virginia Draft!















5. Devil's Backbone Brewery
This is a farthest drive, but the largest facility = more Beer + Food. (They have a huge selection of Virginia Wine as well.) Located in Nelson County DBB is a great place to visit if your in the area hitting the slopes or the hiking trails. The log cabin, environmentally friendly structure features wildlife from the area and an ice trough in the Men's bathroom! Although I don't have any food featured, They have amazing salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers, Oh and REALLY GOOD fried pickles.

Others not mentioned:

6. South Street Brewery (Charlottesville, VA)
Pros: Fireplace in winter, and good food
Cons: Beers give you headaches and poor service

7. Star Hill Brewery (Crozet, VA)
Pros: Good Beers, cool/close location for easy growler refill
Cons: No Food on-site

8. Blue Mountain Barrell House (Arrington, VA)
As the sister brewery to the original Blue Mountain Brewery, the barrell house offers the same great beer, local food trucks and bands regularly!

This is Mike's favorite stop on his way home from work :)

We actually took my dad's car club here during our annual Columbus Day weekend Wine Tour!

Fried Rice and Chicken Recipes

Fried Rice

1. In a medium pan, spray/pour EVOO to thinly cover bottom of pan.

2. Sautée:
   Red and yellow bell peppers (1/4 - 1/2" long)
   1/4 sweet Onion
   1-2 gloves of fresh Garlic (diced)
   1/2 jalapeño pepper (diced)
   Salt and pepper  





Note: You only need about 1/4 of each pepper and onion for the rice. Save the rest for the Stir Fry.

3. Cook until well done, break down peppers into smaller pieces with spatula.

4. Use large pot to boil water for Brown Rice.
I use Success Boil-In-Bag Whole Grain Brown Rice because my family always bought it and it only takes 8-10 minutes to cook!

5. Once rice is done, combine in mixing bowl with:
   1 spoonful of butter
   Splash of EVOO
   Garlic Salt
   Teriyaki sauce
   Low-sodium Soy Sauce

6. Fry two eggs, dice and add to mixing bowl

7. Add the vegetable Sautée mixture and Stir - lastly I add some fresh basil!

 

Chicken Stir Fry

1. In a large skillet or wok with EVOO, Sautée stir fry vegetables: Red and Yellow Bell Peppers, Onion, Sugar Snap Peas and Water Chestnuts (Recommend adding broccoli)

TIP: Cook onions and peppers first without cover and then add the rest of the veggies with cover. 

2. Cut Chicken Breast into "Cubes"- Add to medium pan with EVOO, Teriyaki sauce, Low-sodium Soy Sauce, Salt and Pepper.

3. Combine once ingredients are cooked. (Veggies = soft yet crunchy and Chicken = white)

 

Spicy Thai Peanut Chicken and Rice

1-Day prior to cooking...
Marinate Chicken with Trader Joe's Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce in a plastic bag.
Grill and Enjoy!
Served with Fried Rice (above)

 

Summer Salad Sensations

A crisp, fresh salad is my absolute favorite thing to eat during the summertime. Here are a few of my favorites:

The C'ville Market has the best price on local lettuce and vegetables on the week days.

If your looking for a fun, outdoor market experience, visit the City Market on the Downtown Mall every Saturday (April - December) from 7am -noon.

1. Fresh Favorite

• Leafy Green Lettuce
• Cucumbers thinly slices
• Roma Tomatos sliced
• 1/4 Avocado sliced
• Goat Cheese crumbles - +Trader Joe's has a great price and taste!
• Balsamic Dressing
• Cracked pepper and dash of Cayenne pepper

 

2. Watermelon Salad  - Zocalo inspired

Combine below (or use your own vinaigrette dressing)
• 1 Lime, zested and juiced
• 1/2 cup EVOO
• White Wine vinaigrette

 Add

• Watermelon in 1/4 cubes

½ Red onion, sliced super thin

• 1/2 Red Onion - thinly sliced

½ Red onion, sliced super thin

½ Red onion, sliced super thin

• Mint
• Feta Cheese crumbles
• Salt and Pepper
• Serve over or toss with baby Arugula

 

3. Caprese Pops

• Small Cherry Tomatoes 
• Fresh Mozzarella balls
• Fresh Basil leaves
• Balsamic Vinegar, EVOO, Sea Salt & Pepper

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

• 2 large Eggplants
• 2 large Eggs
• 4 cups Italian Breadcrumbs
• 2 packs of Shredded Mozzarella & Parmesan blend
• 6 cups marinara sauce
• Spices: Oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, caynenne, black pepper, garlic salt (A few dashes of each for flavor)

Pre-heat oven to 350°

Prep:

1. Wash, dry and cut Eggplants into 1/4" slices - set aside
2. Coat two baking sheets with foil - set aside
3. Crack 2 Large eggs into bowl and whisk
4. Pour 4 Cups of Breadcrumbs into a separate bowl and combine with spices
5. Dip your Eggplant slices into the Egg and then into the breadcrumb mixture coating all sides

Bake:

Place breaded eggplant on foiled baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes on each side.

Layer:

In a 9" x 13" glass baking dish layer sauce, then pre-cooked breaded eggplant, then cheeses and repeat.

Bake:

40 minutes or until golden brown.



Top with Fresh basil and let cool for 10 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy!

Sausage & Sage Stuffed Acorn Squash

Thanksgiving last year was the first time we broke tradition with guests and food!
My brother and sister-in-law flew in from California, my dad's parents drove from Pennsylvania and my Aunt Ruth who lives in Cville joined us as well.

Here are a few new recipes that we decided to make in 2012:

- Glazed Parsnips & Carrots
- Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes
 

 And my favorite....
Acorn Squash with Sausage, Onion, and Sage Corn Bread Stuffing
Find the ingredients you need by clicking above.

How I made it my own: 

1. Bake 2 boxes of corn muffin mix. (My Aunt Ruth brought over her homemade cornbread - not from box.) 
2. Let corn bread cool in pans 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edges and invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 3/4-inch cubes.
3. Preheat oven to 375° F. Add EVOO to a large baking pan. 
4. Cut Acorn Squash in halves. Season cavity of squash with salt and pepper. Arrange squash, cavity down, on prepared pan and bake in middle of oven until almost tender, ~25 minutes. Remove pan from oven, carefully turn squash over and let stand while making stuffing. 
   
   
   
5. Cook sausage (use Chicken or Turkey for healthier version) in a large skillet over moderate-high heat, stirring and breaking up sausage, until golden brown and no longer pink ~5mins. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. 
6. Drain all but 2 Tbsp fat from skillet. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in skillet and add onions, celery, sage, and garlic; cook over moderate heat, stirring, until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to large bowl with sausage, add corn bread cubes and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Butter a shallow 3-quart glass baking dish. Spoon about 3/4 cup stuffing into each squash half in pan. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish; drizzle with stock and dot with remaining 4 Tbsp butter. Bake stuffing and squash in upper and lower thirds of oven, uncovered, until top is crispy and golden brown, ~30 minutes. Makes 8 servings.  

 Enjoy!!!