The Great Recipe Challenge (Week 2): Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork

Spice rub, coleslaw, pork & beans.

Despite a slight medical set back yesterday morning resulting in six beautiful stitches in my chin, The Great Recipe Challenge must go on.

This week's meal: Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork with Spicy Slaw from The Food Network.  I've always been really intimidated by pulled pork because it takes so long and I thought it would be easy to screw up.  If I could execute this dish yesterday, you can execute it any day.

The key to this recipe is time.  You need lots and lots of it.  But the best part is that the majority of time requires little to no effort.  Heck- you don't even need to be awake for more than 20 or so minutes of preparation.  Perfect for a Sunday!

I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of ingredients used in all of the different components of this dish.   Upon taking a closer look, most items are things that I had (or should have had) in my cupboards already.  I was able to purchase any spices I didn't have for about $0.50 at bulk barn.  Even the pork shoulder itself was less than $10.

I put the rub on the pork around dinner time Saturday night, covered it with plastic wrap and threw it in the fridge.  Then, on Sunday around noon, I pre-heated the oven, put the meat in and came back at 5:30pm to take it out.  So so so easy.

Bake for 5.5-6h on 300 degrees.
Just out of the oven.

In the meantime, I mixed up the coleslaw a few hours before eating so that it had time to sit and thicken up a bit.

While putting together the "BBQ" sauce, keep in mind that it is not supposed to be a thick, sweet sauce like you have in the fridge.  It will taste as though there is far too much vinegar but I promise that it compliments the pork perfectly when mixed together.  I tossed the pork in the sauce before serving instead of pouring the sauce onto the sandwich to avoid the buns getting too soggy.

Cider Vinegar BBQ Sauce.
Don't let the vinegar flavour scare you.  It will be D-E-licious on the pork.

The coleslaw wasn't great.  A bit too tangy and "mustard-y" for my liking.  I planned on making homemade beans but just didn't have it in me that day so I cracked open a can of baked beans in molasses and it did the trick.

The pork was AMAZING.  So tender.  The bone in the meat literally fell out when I went to move it.  The bark on the outside is so tasty and just overall goooooood.

So juicy & tender.

We give this the absolute D&T stamp of approval.  Next time, I will try my own beans and a different coleslaw but the pork itself made up for absolutely any short comings in the side dishes.  The whole dish cost about $13 to make.  The Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork receives a whooping 9.5/10 on the yummy scale.  There was lots left for lunches the next day or would be great for feeding company.  I will definitely be making this again.  Who wants to come over?!

Send me your comments or recipe ideas!  Tweet me @darbyvt

The Great 52 (or at least 45...) week Recipe Challenge

Winter Sundays at my house are often pretty low-key.  They usually involve lazing about, coffee-drinking, recovering from the night before and the sound of crumpling Pro-Line tickets when T's football teams aren't doing well.  These days can cause episodes of daydream where my fabulous urban alter ego gallivants about the city with her three best girlfriends brunching and sipping on mimosas all while carrying armloads of shopping bags from the highest end stores.

In reality, I usually don't get out of my sweats and it's a big day if The Blind Side isn't playing on TV followed by a Hugh Grant movie followed by Pay It Forward.  

I must have been running a fever or something because I was feeling especially inspired and ambitious this weekend and decided to challenge myself to trying one new recipe every week this year.  I figure with vacation, work trips and other clever excuses, I can get 52 weeks down to 45 recipes at the most.  Totally do-able.  

I quickly found out that this little project will take some research and serious grocery prep but I'm up for it.  Let's be serious... I have the time...  

My week one recipe came to me from my new life hero, Lori (aka RecipeGirl.com).  I decided on the Baked Penne with Spinach, Roasted Peppers and B.A.C.O.N.  

A few things I did differently:

• I roasted my own red peppers instead of buying them in a jar (Super easy.  Just brush some oil on the pepper and throw it in the oven set to low broil for ~6 mins on each side)
• The recipe calls for frozen spinach but I cooked my own in a pan with a bit of butter, 1/4 of an onion and a clove of garlic
• I used pizza mozzarella instead of provolone
• President's Choice Blue Menu makes a Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper soup and was the only one I could find at my local grocery store.  Because it comes in a 500mL carton, I used 1 and 3/4 cups of milk instead of 2 cups

Tips:

• Prep took me about 35 mins since there are a number of things to pre-cook (peppers, spinach, bacon, penne).  You also have to prepare the sauce after everything is cooked which uses up more dishes and time
• Baking time of 35 was perfect but let the dish sit for ~10 mins before digging in (it's difficult- I know!) as the texture was a little bit soupier than I expected
• Prepare to wash about 14,097 pots, pans and spoons once the dish is in the oven.  I was able to double up on a few pots for different components but your sink is going to be full by the end of prep (see photo below).

                         

Prep: Roasting peppers, making pasta
and cooking spinach & bacon

Ready for the oven!

Finished product.  Beautiful dish.

Aftermath...  1,000,000 dishes

The finished product was rich, creamy and great for those who aren't watching their waistlines.  Give yourself just over an hour to make this meal start to finish.  Perfect for a lazy Sunday.  Also great if you are training your roommate, kids or significant other in the art of dish-washing.  There were 4-6 portions (yay leftovers!).

RecipeGirl's Baked Penne with Spinach, Roasted Red Peppers and B.A.C.O.N receives the D&T stamp of approval and, after a brief household survey was performed, received a 7.75/10 rating.  It has been added to our "Make Occasionally" meal list.

Tweet your comments and meal ideas to @darbyvt