Pulled Pork with Vinegar BBQ Sauce

Oh. My. Word! This recipe is SO good. If you like traditional Carolina BBQ, then you will love it too.

Courtesy of: girlichef

Ingredients:

Pork

• ~2 lbs. boneless pork butt, cut into large chunks
• ¼ c. cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs. brown sugar
• ½ Tbs. sea salt
• couple big pinches crushed red chile flakes

Vinegar BBQ Sauce

• 1½ c. cider vinegar
• ⅓ c. brown sugar
• ¼ c. ketchup
• 1 Tbs. hot sauce
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• ½ tsp. worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Combine all of the pork ingredients in a slow-cooker. Cook on high for ~5 hours or low for ~10 hours. Drain off most of liquid and pull the meat apart with two forks.
2. While pork is cooking, make sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let cool and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Add sauce to pulled meat in slow cooker and continue to cook for another hour or two. Good enough to eat with or without a bun.

Cheesy Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini

Love, love, love this recipe from Handle the Heat! I think it would even be good to stuff a pepper using these same ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium zucchini
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons chopped roasted red peppers
• 2 tablespoons chopped scallions
• pinch dried oregano

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the insides, leaving a 1/4-inch thick shell. Place zucchini, cut sides up, on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the sausage, breaking up with a spoon, until browned. Remove from heat and mix in cheese, pine nuts, red peppers, scallions, oregano. Spoon sausage mixture into hallowed zucchini shells. Bake 15-18 minutes, until the zucchini is cooked and tender and the cheese is slightly melted.

Slow-Cooker Balsamic Pulled Pork Sliders

Thanks to Pinterest, I have found a couple of new recipe blogs. I have made two dishes from Handle the Heat and both have become my new favorites.

Ingredients:

• 1 (2 1/2 - 3 pound) boneless pork shoulder roast
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• pinch red chili pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 15-20 slider buns or small dinner rolls, split
• coleslaw, pickles, etc.

Directions:

1. Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3 1/2 - 4 quart slow cooker. In the cooker, combine onion and green pepper. Add meat; sprinkle with thyme and rosemary. Pour broth over meat. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make the barbeque sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Let simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
3. Transfer meat to a cutting board. Using two forks, pull meat apart into shreds, discarding fat. Strain vegetable mixture, discarding liquid. Return meat and strained vegetables to the slow cooker. Stir in barbeque sauce. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.
   

Sausage Shish-Kabobs with Homemade Mustard Barbecue Sause

We did a version of this recipe from kellythekitchenkop.com for our 4th of July cookout with friends and it was a hit! The sauce is super easy and delicious. Our friends liked it so much, that we left it with them.

Ingredients:

• Your choice of brats
• 1/4 c. Mustard
• 1/4 c. Ketchup
• 1/8 c. Honey
• 1/8 c. Syrup

Directions:

1. Boil brats in a frying pan with a little water in the bottom until they’re cooked through (or throw them on the grill).
2. In the meantime mix together the mustard barbecue sauce. In a saucepan add the following and stir until heated well: mustard, ketchup, honey, maple syrup.
   
3. Grill brats just long enough to get them hot and full of that yummy grilled flavor.
4. Slice brats and put them on skewers with peppers.
5. Brush with sauce and grill a few more minutes until the peppers are hot.
   
6. Serve and enjoy!

This is not an exact science recipe, so feel free to change things up according to your liking.

Pork Chops with Apples

I stole this recipe from the my sister-in-law. It's quick, easy and delicious. My kind of meal!

Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 12 baby carrots halved
• 1 medium apple, cut into thin slices
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Directions:

1. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Melt butter in pan. Add pork. Brown for 2 minutes on each side, turning only once.
2. Reduce heat to medium/low. Add carrots, apple slices, and syrup. Let simmer. Cover. Cook for 8 minutes.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat, carrots, and apples to a separate dish. Allow sauce to thicken in pan for additional 1-2 minutes. Pour thickened sauce over pork.
   

Seared Pork Tenderloin with Cocoa Spice Rub

I discovered this recipe years ago while watching the Food Network. I have made it several times since and it's always a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon whole coriander
• 4 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 4 tablespoons sea salt, preferably gray
• 2 (2-pound) boneless pork tenderloins
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, toast white peppercorns and coriander seeds until they begin to pop.
   
3. Remove from heat and grind to fine powder in a spice mill or coffee grinder.
   
4. Mix the ground pepper and coriander with remaining spices, cocoa and salt.
5. Trim the pork tenderloins of fat and silver skin.
   
6. Rub with a generous amount of the cocoa spice rub.
   
7. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat until hot but not smoking.
8. Sear each tenderloin on all sides until a rich brown color, about 2 minutes on each side.
9. Remove tenderloins from heat and finish in the oven for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.
10. Let the tenderloins rest out of the oven for at least 10 minutes before carving.

Extra cocoa spice rub will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Another Pork Roast Crockpot Recipe

I love a good pork roast mainly because it tastes good, but also because it's such an easy crockpot meal. I love having the main portion of dinner waiting for me when I come home after work. The sauce added a nice flavor to the meat without being too strong. If you like your sauce a little spicy, I suggest increasing the paprika. I really need to start taking pictures of these meals. Maybe one day. Another great recipe from Naturally Knocked Up. Love her!

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs beef (roast/short ribs/stew meat) *I used a 1 1/2lb pork roast and made the full recipe for the sauce
  
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup unsulphered molasses (I found this at Harris Teeter)
  
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp worchestershire or fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp dried onion
  
• 1 Tbsp butter
  
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  
• 1/2 tsp paprika
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Place beef (or pork) in crockpot (best if cooked on low). Mix all of the other ingredients together and pour over meat. Cook all day on low. If using a roast, you can pull it apart during the last hour of cooking to increase the BBQ flavor throughout the meat.
   

Crock Pot Pork and Beans

I love a good crock pot recipe. I try to use my crock pot at least once a week. This recipe is simple, healthy and oh so yummy. It makes a lot; which is great if you like leftovers. I found it over at My First Kitchen.

Ingredients:

• one 11-oz.(ish) bag of dried red kidney beans that have soaked overnight (soaking beans sounded like such a daunting task, but it's super easy and much healthier than canned, so give it a try; I think you'll like it)
  
• 1 lb. smoked pork sausage (we have tried a couple of different chicken sausages from Trader Joe's for this recipe, so get creative)
  
• 2 yellow onions, sliced (or diced... doesn't really matter)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tbsp. chili powder (I toned down the chili powder to just 1 tbsp or less if you don't like a lot of heat; the sausage will also give off some heat)
  
• 2 tsp. cumin
• one can of low-sodium chicken broth (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• a splash of Worcestershire
  
• 3-4 cups of cooked white rice (optional). (I used white basmati rice and it was so good. I recently read an article stating that white rice is actually easier for your body to digest and process than whole grain and basmati was the best to cook. Who knew?!)

Directions:

The recipe calls for cooking a lot of the ingredients prior to putting them in the crock pot. However, my crock pot usually cooks all day so the 2nd time I made this recipe I just threw all the ingredients (uncooked) into the crock pot and it worked just fine. Here are the directions as posted on My First Kitchen.

1. First, cook the sausage and onions. Slice the sausage into little medallions, and I'd go a bit thick with the slices. I cut mine thin-ish, and I wished for more texture with the end result. The meatiness is yummy. Cook those over medium heat in a skillet in a quick drizzle of canola or vegetable oil for just a minute or two until the edges get brown and yummy. No need to cook through. Take those out, and drain on a paper towel if you'd like. I personally like a little of the fat, so if you're cool with that, just dump them in the crock pot. Then add the onions to the same pan with the leftover drippings, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they're just browning, about two or three minutes. Take those out and add them to the crock pot.
2. Second, add the spices. Add a bit more oil to the pan (just a quick drizzle), turn the heat to low, and add the garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin. Stir for 30 seconds, and the heat will bring out a nice level of flavor from the spices. Pour in the chicken broth, and let the spices dissolve for another 30 seconds. Pour that into the crock pot along with the dried beans.
3. Add everything else. Add the two cups of water, the ketchup, the brown sugar, Worcestershire, and a few good pinches of salt and pepper to the pot, and turn to high. Cook for two hours. Then turn to low and cook another six or so. This is so the beans get hit in the beginning with some good heat to jump start the cooking process. This is only if you're using dry though. If you're using canned beans (probably three cans' worth), no need to start on high.

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

My mom gave me this recipe and it has become one of my favorites. I personally love anything that can be cooked in a crock pot because it saves so much time. We served this one a week ago when we had some friends for dinner. Pair it with some grilled veggies and sweet potato fries and it's a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

(Spice Rub)

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons table salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground white pepper

• 1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder (I have been using chicken thighs, so you can really use your meat of choice)
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional) (I haven't tried it with this ingredient yet)
• 2 cups barbecue sauce (I prefer Bone Suckin Sauce)

Directions:

1. Mix all spice rub ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours (I usually do overnight).
3. Unwrap meat and place it in your crock pot. Add liquid smoke, if using, and 1/4 cup of water. Turn your crock pot to low and cook for 8-10 hours. The meat will be fork tender.
4. Toss with 1 cup of barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes.

Pork & Apple with Sweet Potatoes

This is a great fall dish. My mom passed this recipe along to me and it's always a hit with everyone who tries it.

Serves 4
Prep Time: 12 min. Cook Time: 18 min.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour (I've been using Oat flour since I'm trying to eliminate as much gluten as possible from my diet)
  
• 1/2 tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pork tenderloins (12 oz.)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 scallions; thinly sliced, white and green parts separated or 1/4 cup sweet yellow onion chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes (3/4 lb.) peeled and cut in 3/4 inch chunks
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries
• 1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
• 1 red apple, cored and cut into thin wedges
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. stick butter

Directions:

1. Mix flour, salt and pepper on on a plate or in a bowl. Cut pork crosswise in 12-14 slices (6-8) per tenderloin; Coat with flour mixture.
2. Heat oil in larger nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pork and cook until lightly browned and just barely pink in the middle. Remove to a plate.
3. Add white part of scallions or chopped sweet yellow onion, sweet potatoes, cranberries and broth to drippings in the skillet. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat 7-9 min. until potatoes are just fork tender. Add apple, cover and simmer 2 min. until soft.
4. Add mustard and butter; stir to melt. Return pork and any juices on plate to skillet; heat through. Sprinkle with green parts of scallions.