Pulled Pork Extravaganza

Hi all!  I was just on TV!  I am questioning my hair ‘do choice (a pony tail), but the interview was at 8 in the morning….I didn’t have a lot of options.  It was a great interview with my girl, Lauren Garber, from KOLO 8 here in Reno.  She focuses on a local business once a week, and I was the lucky duck this week!  I will post a link to it as soon as it is up on their website.

Seeing yourself on TV is weird.  I felt like it didn’t sound like me or look like me either, but Chris swears it did.  My wee ones were filmed too.  Addy takes after her mom….she was upset about her wardrobe choice.  She was rockin’ her little league sweatshirt, and apparently that wasn’t the right call.  She looked adorable, of course….as did Peepers.  I can’t wait for you all to see it!

This weekend, when I was thinking about dinners for the week, I realized that we have a crazy busy week.  I am busy with all my Rooster business, Addy has baseball, Chris has some work functions, etc.  I really didn’t want to plan anything to lengthy or difficult.  I knew this was going to be a week for my slow cooker.  I decided to pop a pork butt in the slow cooker and then turn that into pulled pork.  Pulled pork can be used in so many different ways.  I think that a lot of the ways I use it, you might not have thought of.  It really is crazy versatile.  Today, I will show you how I cooked my butt (hahahaha!!), and how I turned that into one of the best burritos you will ever have.  On Thursday I will show you another way to use pulled pork, plus…I will list a ton if ideas.  I mean really, how easy is it to throw some meat in the slow cooker, and then use it for several different meals??

I have covered this before, but I will show you once again how I cook my butt in the slow cooker…..

Here is my butt.  And yes, I am laughing every single time I say that.  I am secretly a 12 year old boy.

Pork butts are also called pork shoulders.  Now of course, I like big butts and I cannot lie.  Ok, sorry…I couldn’t resist that.  But, if you are going to cook one, make it a big one.  This meat will freeze really well.

This particular butt has a bone in it.  I prefer it with the bone.  The bone has lots of flavor, and it will help keep the meat moist.

To cook this butt, I used a spice rub that I will tell you all about at the end of this.  I also used Worcestershire sauce, a beer and some sliced onion.

Although this pork will get drenched in Gourmet Rooster BBQ sauce later, I don’t cook it in the sauce.  I feel like the sauce gets too diluted when the pork cooks all day in it.  Saucin’ will come later.

The rub gets smeared all over the pork.  Massage your meat, people.

Then, I brown the meat on all sides.  I put it in a large sauté pan that has a smidge of oil in it.  This goes quickly.

My butt barely fit in the pan!

Finally, I put the browned meat on top of the onions, in the slow cooker.  I poured on the Worcestershire and beer, put the lid on, and let ‘er rip for about 8 hours….on low.

When the meat was done, I took it out to cool a bit.  This meat was barely holding together…..so close to falling apart.  But that is the whole point.  You want the meat so tender that it just falls apart.

To help it along the way….I shredded the meat with two forks.  Once the meat was shredded, I added BBQ sauce.  I used Gourmet Rooster Whiskey Apple BBQ Sauce.  You can use whatever you want.  I’m not pushy.

Yum!  Now this is ready to do a million things with….but tonight….it’s burritos.

I make a green chili and cilantro rice to go in my burritos.  Plain rice works well too if you are someone that hates cilantro.

Did you know that some people have an enzyme that makes cilantro taste like soap?  Or maybe they are lacking an enzyme.  True story, I just can’t remember the specifics.

I actually cook the rice with one tiny can of green chilies, but I don’t add the cilantro until the rice is cooked.

Let’s build a burrito.  Notice that I am working on foil.  This way, I can wrap my burrito up in foil, just like at a Taqueria!  I am so authentic;)

I layered some pinto beans, the BBQ pork and sharp cheddar cheese.  The BBQ pork will be amazing with pinto beans and sharp cheddar. 

Then, I added my green chili and cilantro rice and some guacamole. 

You can add any number of things to this burrito…sour cream, more BBQ sauce, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.  What do you like on your burrito?

I don’t add salsa because I don’t want to take away from the BBQ flavor.

BTW-I make sure that all the ingredients that are supposed to be warm are warm when added to the burrito.  That will melt the cheese.

All wrapped up snug as a bug in a rug!

There it is!  Day one of my pulled pork extravaganza. Have you had a burrito with BBQ pork in it?  I prefer it to salsa-esque pork.  I could eat pulled pork in anything, and when this week is over, you will be pretty sure that I do.

See you on Thursday!

BBQ Pulled Pork, Slow Cooker Style

One pork shoulder (or butt), about 5-8 pounds

2 Tablespoons minced, dried onion

2 Tablespoons minced, dried garlic

2 Tablespoons paprika

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 Tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons pepper

12 ounces beer, Pale Ale

1/3 cup Worcestershire

1 onion, sliced

2 Tablespoon oil

Mix together dried onion, garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.  Rub mixture all over pork.

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Brown pork on all sides over medium heat.  About 4 minutes a side.

Add sliced onions to the bottom of slow cooker.  Add browned pork.  Pour Worcestershire sauce and beer over meat.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove pork from slow cooker and let rest for 15 minutes.  Shred with two forks and add BBQ sauce.