My lovely, wonderful and fab friends Michelle and Jessica (who reside in Brooklyn) came for a visit last night and I had the pleasure of making them dinner.
Quite the dynamic sister duo if I don't say so myself. ;)
I hadn't seen them since my wedding (October!) and we were way behind in gossip, chit chat, fashion talk, and all things that girls gab about when they get together.
What to feed my girls? A good ol' southern meal that was equal parts flavorful, delicious, filling and comforting on a Winter's night.
We took some pix to share with y'all. I just want to clarify that while the word "Y'all" certainly fits this blog post because of the BBQ theme and all, I do in fact use it everyday.
I don't know if its a cute thing or a pop culture thing or a Britney Spears thing but it's one of my favorite words. Don't judge me.
I WAS going to post the pulled pork recipe but I figured everyone is saturated with these recipes from Pinterest so I'll just post the pics and some tips. I AM however going to post the cole slaw recipe because I think that was my favorite component from last night's meal.
THE MENU
Pulled pork sandwiches
Homemade cole slaw
Sweet potato fries
Corn on the cob
Wine & Dessert courtesy of Mich & Jess! <3
Ok here we go!
I used the Root Beer & BBQ Sauce Receipe that's been floating around Pinterest.
A few tips from my own personal experience:
1. I used pork loin. Much more lean and no sacrifice on taste.
2. I let the pork cook for about 9 1/2 hours on super low while I was at work all day. It wasn't as tender as I would have liked it to be. I wanted it to be "falling off the bone" but it was very much intact. Still soft, just not as soft as I wanted (could be because of the cut of meat I chose or maybe because my temperature was too low) so what I did was take it out of the soda mixture, drained it, shredded the pork and returned it back to the crock pot and THEN added the bbq sauce and let it cook another hour on a higher temperature. Also, I seasoned heavily with salt and pepper when it was all shredded because the root beer only flavored the outside of the meat. Obviously everyone does things differently, this was just how I liked it best.
The buns are crucial! This is going to make or break your sammy! A lot of people like kaiser rolls - those are super yummy. You can't do regular Wonderbread hamburger buns. You just can't. They aren't dense enough to hold all of that sweet but heavy BBQ goodness!
You need a bun that will teach that pulled pork who's boss! I chose Martin's Potato Buns.
Very rich, sweet and thick. You can find these in almost any supermarket bread aisle.
But ladies and gentlemen, it is not enough to simply open a bun and fill it. You must treat that bun with love so it loves you back. I spread a little butter on the bottom half of the buns and sprinkled some garlic powder on them and toasted them for about 5-10 minutes.
LAWD they were so good! The sweet and tangy pork now mixed with the garlicy moist bun....I was so off my diet last night and I SO didn't care. I cared this morning.....but not last night. lol
Best. Cole. Slaw. Ever.
The Piece de Resistance to this sandwich.
I chose purple cabbage for a pretty pop of color.
1 bag of raw red cabbage (or any slaw you prefer)
1/2 cup of mayo. I used reduced fat and tasted no difference. Again, your call.
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tea spoon of salt
1 tea spoon of pepper
a splash of apple cider vinegar. Eye ball it.
a squirt of honey mustard (or Dijon)
Mix and devour.
No frying - just baked for 20-25 minutes. Much healthier.
Again - still delicious
The dinner table. Fresh blooms, water pitcher, nice plattering......last night I was
affectionately dubbed "Fancy Pants"....and I love it. xoxo
The girls brought two kinds of Cupcake Wine -I told you they were lovely!
One was savory and one was sweet. This was the savory that we had with apps and dinner.
The other sits in my fridge waiting to be opened - possibly for my birthday......
This is possible one of - if not the - most favorite meals I have ever made.
Dessert from my favorite cupcake shop in Brooklyn.
Little Cupcake Bakeshop - they made my bridal shower cake and I have been here many a time accumulating calories with Michelle and my girlfriends! Good times!
Three words: Brooklyn. Blackout. Cake. That is all.
Sweet endings.
It was a perfect night with great company.
Thank you, Michelle and Jessica for the treats and driving out to see me.
Let's do it again soon but this time Jess you're up for hosting next!
I pass the fancy pants torch to you..... xoxo
Hope you guys try some of these recipes - it makes for a great meal and pulled pork in the slow cooker can feed an army. I guarantee leftovers for days.
Have a great weekend if I don't speak to you again....happy eating!
P.S. We aren't in any of the pictures because we're still boycotting our winter skin, winter hair and winter blah outfits. Fashion is put on hold until Spring!
And I'll try to take pictures of my house other than the dining room next time.....lol
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