Bluemoon Pulled Pork

 

Sweet citrus. This was a lot of work; even using a slow cooker, but well worth it. I’m not much of a BBQ girl. Imagine that! It has to be really yummy BBQ for me to like it.

I did a little Internet search to find a qualifying pulled pork recipe. My inspiration came from Bobby Flay‘s Cuban Pulled Pork Tacos with Guava Glaze, Sour Orange Red Cabbage-Jicama Slaw and Chipotle Mayonnaise. That’s a mouth full. Check out his recipe. It’s awesome, but I’m not as talented as this man. Hell! I had to Google Jicama.

Of course I changed it a little bit. Actually, I changed it a lot, but the inspiration is still there. Thanks Bobby. Love. You.

Let’s get started. Grab two Bluemoons, and turn up the iTunes.

garlic oregano mix, photo by Jenny MacBeth First, get a pork roast. Toss it in your warming crock pot. Take 1/2 cup of fresh oregano leaves, eight garlic cloves, 3/4 cup of EVOO, some sea salt and grind it together in a blender. Put it over the pork roast.

photo by Jenny MacBethLooks like something from Untold ER Stories.

Add in a 12 ounce jar of red raspberry jam, 1/4 cup of Dijon, and 1/2 cup of Bluemoon pale ale. Add in a zest from one large orange. Squeeze in two small fresh limes, and lots of fresh ground pepper. Let it cook for about seven hours on low, or until the pork pulls apart nicely. My friend Monica told me to cook it while I slept. Great idea. Or, you can do this while you are at work, but I’m not a big fan of leaving appliances plugged in while I’m not home.

Next up…

photo by Jenny MacBethChipotle Mayonnaise. This is the cherry on top. Mix it in a grinder/blender two small chili peppers, squeeze in one fresh lime, and 3/4 cup of low-fat Hellmann’s mayo. I like it spicy, but this was not spicy enough. When I make this again, I’m going to use two more chili peppers. And, if that’s not hot enough, I’m going to add in hot sauce – Damn it!

Let the ingredients party together for a night or two.

photo by Jenny MacBethColeslaw topping. Bobby Flay, God love him, uses all kinds of fresh veges that I never knew existed. His job is cooking, but I worked the next day, so I did a little improv. Use two bags of coleslaw mix and add in a half of red onion. Done!

For the dressing I used one large fresh squeezed orange, two packets of Truvia, two tablespoons of honey, and lots of fresh ground pepper, and some sea salt. Toss it in a baggie for a few hours. It’s also good overnight, but can become wilted. Still good.

photo by Jenny MacBethThe bread. I used Tuscany style ‘Tear and Share’ bread from Giant Eagle. Oh My God! So, moan-worthy. It’s perfect for small sandwiches.

photo by Jenny MacBethThe finale…

Toast your bun, top with pork, slaw, mayo. Ah! Sweet pork.

photo by Jenny MacBethFor the calorie conscience, serve it in a whole wheat wrap.

As my ex-brother-in-law would say, “Good Groceries!”

Did you drink the second Bluemoon I told you to grab? Good for you! Grab another and drink and eat and be merry.

I served the leftovers to a few coworkers and they absolutely loved it. Thank my lucky stars because this took me two days. Whew!

If you try it, or if you do something different, let me know; because this girl likes to eat.

Thanks for reading.

 

photo by Jenny MacBeth

Bacon, Egg and Smoked Gruyere Sandwich

 

Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner? I was craving a good bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. After work, I headed over to the grocer and saw, “Apple Smoked Gruyere.” Boy, did that pull me in. -Snatched it and tossed it in the cart without a second look.

This is such a simple sandwich, yet you can do so much with it. Everything taste delicious with bacon.

Side note: Did you know that Bacon, Egg and Cheese has its own Wikipedia? It’s a popular food group.

photo by Jenny MacBethA Cast Iron skillet is the secret ingredient to making yummy eggs and bacon. I love the bubbly-crispy edges you get around the egg white. It’s perfect every time.

For my bacon, I love apple smoked, or peppered, thick-cut bacon. I like all bacon, but I seem to buy those two flavors the most. I must be sucked into the marketing gimmick of “Apple Smoked.” It just sounds so heavenly, right?

photo by Jenny MacBethYou can make your sandwich anyway you want. Top it with all your favorites, but this is what I did.

For the bread I used leftover Pain de Campagne from the weekend. Whatever you use, make sure it’s nice and crusty. – A rustic bread helps make a plain sandwich gourmet.

Instead of lettuce, I used basil leaves and chopped up some chives. Using fresh herbs also helps make a plain sandwich pop.

And, the obvious…Bacon, eggs and grated Gruyere. – I just love saying Gruyere. I’m a big cheese fan, but this cheese is one of my all-time favorites. It melts so well, especially, freshly grated on top of the egg.

photo by Jenny MacBethJust look at the edges of the egg start to bubble and get crispy. Moan-worthy.

photo by Jenny MacBethToast your bread and lightly butter. I used a normal toaster, but you can butter the bread and toss in the skillet, or even grill it.

Layer on your basil, tomato, bacon, egg and sprinkle with chives. Add your ‘cherry on top’ the grated Gruyere. Done!

This is dinner and not breakfast, right? I’d pair this Apple Smoked sandwich with a cold Woodchuck Cider. It has a light apple flavor that’s just the thing to wash it down. Enjoy!

How do you like your bacon, egg and cheese? Please share because this girl likes to eat.

Thanks for reading.