Monthly Archives: July 2010

Slow-cooked BBQ pulled pork sandwich w/ coleslaw

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To round out my adventures in BBQ, I am sharing this simple pulled pork sandwich and coleslaw recipe. And when I say simple, I really mean it — all’s you need is a slow cooker, some pork shoulder, veggies, buns and the homemade BBQ sauce and honey-dill vinaigrette from Monday’s blog post.

Now before you get all excited and jump into this recipe, let me heed this important warning: do not – I repeat – do not use pork tenderloin instead of the shoulder. Being the pig novice that I am, I assumed a tenderloin would work just as well, and since it was on sale the day I went grocery shopping, I went with it. No bueno, no bueno at all. I ended up with a tough and rubbery piece of meat that wouldn’t shred without the help of a chainsaw. So there you have it…pork shoulder, people.

Slow-cooked BBQ pulled pork sandwiches w/ coleslaw

makes 4 sandwiches

Pulled pork sandwiches

Coleslaw

  • 1/2 head of small red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup matchstick carrots
  • 1 granny smith apple, julienned
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 cup homemade honey-dill vinaigrette
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Set slow cooker to low setting and add BBQ sauce. Season pork with salt and pepper and add to slow cooker; cook for 4 hours. Remove pork and shred using forks (or your fingers). Add shredded pork back into slow cooker and toss with BBQ sauce; cook for another 15-20 mins. Meanwhile, combine all coleslaw ingredients in a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate for 10-15 mins. When pork is finished, scoop over toasted buns and serve alongside coleslaw (or you can add coleslaw into the sandwich) and baked sweet potato fries.


Baked BBQ chicken legs w/ potato salad

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So I love warm, sunny weather. And I love BBQ. But oddly enough, I have yet to BBQ anything on an outdoor grill by myself. And the reason for this…I’m deathly afraid of outdoor grills! Not because these things are evil or scary, but because I’m one hot tranny mess of a klutz and I just don’t trust myself to operate an outdoor grill alone. Hence this recipe is a baked BBQ chicken recipe.

If anyone wants to come over and make this recipe on my outdoor grill, I’d be more than happy to have you! And if you’re wondering why the heck I even own an outdoor grill — my friend Matt convinced me to get one a few years ago when we had an impromptu BBQ on my deck…I haven’t used it since. :)

OK, before we jump into the recipe, let’s chat briefly about the pre-cooking magic that went into this. To get uber tender and flavorful chicken legs, I soaked them in this basic brine solution for about 2 hours (note: when brining, you want enough liquid to completely cover all your meat):

  • 2 quarts water
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 granulated sugar
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic (smashed, to release flavor into the brine)

You can be creative with this brine by adding in any other herbs or aromatics. I kept it simple since I was going to coat these leggies in some finger-lickin’ good BBQ sauce. That said, here is the rest of the recipe. On deck for tomorrow: slow-cooked pulled pork sandwiches w/ coleslaw and sweet potato fries.

Baked BBQ chicken legs w/ potato salad

serves 4-6, depending on how hungry you are :)

BBQ chicken

  • 2 lb chicken legs (or any other part – I just heart legs!), skin on
  • 2 cups homemade BBQ sauce (more or less depending on your preference)
  • Minced scallions to garnish

Potato salad

  • 2 lb red potatoes, diced into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 cup chopped celery heart
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup to 1 cup homemade honey-dill vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Remove chicken legs from brine solution and pat dry; arrange in one layer on cookie sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush first layer of BBQ sauce onto chicken. Bake for 15-30 mins while basting with additional BBQ sauce. Turn chicken legs over, baste with more BBQ sauce and cook for additional 15-30 mins or until internal temperature reaches 180-degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Meanwhile, boil potatoes until fork tender, about 10-12 mins. Drain and add scallion, celery and honey-dill vinaigrette. Toss together until well incorporated; season with salt and pepper. When chicken legs are done, garnish with minced scallions.

Baked Bbq Chicken LegsPotato Salad W/ Honey-Dill Dressing

2 Recipes: Homemade BBQ sauce and honey-dill vinaigrette

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Normally, I’m not one to turn down some help from the grocery store — semi-homemade is my middle name. But when it comes to sauces and dressings, I prefer to make them from scratch.

For one, it’s more cost-effective since I can easily whip up different variations using ingredients I already have in my pantry. And more importantly, I get to control the ingredients that go into my sauces/dressings, and therefore end up with a much healthier option (don’t even get me started on all the crap that’s in bottled salad dressings!).

Now that summer is here (and the Seattle weather is beginning to cooperate), I’ve been craving BBQ. So naturally, I decided to give homemade BBQ sauce a try. The first batch was atrocious, but I’m happy to report that attempt #2 was a success — a thick, sweet ‘n tangy BBQ sauce, just the way I like it! And since a BBQ meal isn’t complete without a tasty side dish, I also made a honey-dill vinaigrette, which can be used to dress virtually any salad.

OK, friends, that’s all I’ve got for now. BUT! Come back tomorrow for BBQ meal #1: Baked (and brined – yum!) BBQ Chicken Legs w/ Potato Salad.

Homemade BBQ sauce

yields approx. 2 cups

  • One 15-oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2 tsp molasses
  • 2 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • Worchestershire sauce, a few dashes
  • cayenne, to taste (I like a nice spicy kick to my BBQ sauce :) )
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer uncovered for at least 30 mins (longer if you want it to be thicker). Note: You’ll want to stir often to avoid having the sauce bubble all over the place (at least that was my experience :) ). If you aren’t using the sauce right away, let it fully cool down before storing it in the refrigerator/freezer.

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Honey-dill vinaigrette

yields approx. 2 cups

  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dill (or to taste)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients until well incorporated. Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Serve over salad of your choice — works particularly well in coleslaw, potato salad and pasta salad.