Pulled Pork, Slaw and What Do I Do While Yes!Chef! is Away?

Recipe from Food Network, Tyler Florence  

Yes!Chef! loves pork.  When I first met him, I couldn’t understand why he liked it so much.  It was always dry and tasteless every time I had it.  So, I would frequently turn up my nose to his suggestion of pork for dinner because of my pork bias.  Yes, I was a hater…a pork hater.

However, dear husband has changed my mind forever.

And, he for his part, has never liked mustard. He says it’s too vinegar-y.  Well, maybe because it’s mostly vinegar, but that’s just my opinion.  I’m just the picture taker, here.

However, he made this recipe with a mustard sauce that is to die for.  Oh!  They call it a “Cider Vinegar Sauce”, but it’s pretty mustard-y.  Even if you don’t like mustard, you will like this…Yes!Chef! does.

Where in the world has Yes!Chef! been, you might be asking.  Well, he’s been in Boston doing his day job.  He’s kind of like Clark Kent during the day (mild mannered insurance adjuster) and turns into Yes!Chef! Super hero Cooker by night and weekend.  It’s a pretty good deal for me.

However, before he left, we were able to do a few things around town together. Now that we live in Placerville, we have been visiting some of the local wineries sometimes in the evening for a glass of wine.  There is one winery, Boeger Winery, that is actually located in Placerville and is the oldest winery in the area…surviving prohibition by providing wine to the monks.  It is a beautiful little winery with a lovely picnic area.  The other night we stopped by and purchased a bottle of wine and just enjoyed the evening.

We even brought Obie, who is a very good dog and doesn’t run around like a crazy person dog. (Dogs are people, too.)

While Yes!Chef! was in Boston, I was pretty busy with friends and family.  My son-in-law graduated from Sacramento State University with honors (Magna cum Laude) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance.  We celebrated by going to the graduation and then stopping at a little Gastro Pub, The Hop House, in El Dorado Hills where they had great beer and some wonderful fried Brussels Sprouts with a Sriracha Dipping Sauce, which I shared with one of my daughter’s friends. (Actually, she shared hers with me…but who’s keeping track, anyway?)

Spent some time in Tahoe with some friends.

If you are ever in South Lake Tahoe, I would strongly recommend dropping by Riva Grill, which has a great view of the Lake Tahoe waterfront where The Tahoe Queen calls home.  We had the famous “Wet Woody” drink (if you don’t want to end up dancing on the tables, stick to drinking only one) and some delicious fried zucchini sticks.

Then, my best friend, her son and dog visited us in Lake Tahoe.

And, we drove around the area, took a few walks and took some pictures…just like we were a couple of tourists. I loved it.

 I also took her to a couple of different wineries in the Placerville area…Lava Cap winery which has a great Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc (and a wonderful picnic area) and Sierra Vista Winery, which has a beautiful picnic area that offers views of the Sierras.  Both wineries sell wine by the glass, which we were able to enjoy in the picnic areas.

Finally Yes!Chef! returned from Boston and I can get on with encouraging him to do some more cooking.

Speaking of cooking…here’s the info on the great Pulled Pork and Slaw recipe.

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence and Food Network and was probably lightly altered by Yes!Chef! to suit his own tastes, because he can’t help himself.  Here’s the original…

Ingredients

Dry Rub:

3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pan drippings from the pork

12 hamburger buns
1 recipe Cole Slaw, recipe follows
Dill Pickle Chips

Cole Slaw:

1 head green cabbage, shredded

2 carrots, grated

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped

1 fresh red chile, sliced

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 lemon, juiced

Pinch sugar

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Several dashes hot sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the cabbage, carrots, red onion, green onions, and chile in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix. Season the cole slaw with the celery seed, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence

For directions on how to make this recipe, blogger protocol calls for referring the reader to the original source, which I am happy to do.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/pulled-pork-barbecue-recipe.html?oc=linkback

This really is an excellent recipe that, although looks like it may be complicated, it is not.  Make it for a family celebration and your family will be asking for more celebrations!  It will also turn you into a pork lover if you, like I once was, are a pork hater.

(raises her hand at pork haters anonymous)…my name is Mrs. Yes!Chef! and I was once a pork hater.

(the people say in unison)…Hi Mrs. Yes!Chef! and welcome to the world of porky goodness.