PULLED PORK SANDWICH

Our tomato crop was less than spectacular this year. One plant was lost to blossom end rot, another to deer. We have yet to harvest a tomato. But the peppers are another story. The plants are thriving: paprika, hot reds and sweet green bells. We've been giving them away and using them and drying them in the attic. I subbed our fresh paprika peppers for the dried in this recipe, and also subbed one of our hot red peppers for the pickled jalapeno. I had half a jar of chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce left, and I subbed that for the chipotle chile powder. This is
a good recipe, one that I'll use again.
We thoroughly enjoyed the pulled pork sandwiches; I froze the leftovers in small containers so we can have them again without all the fuss.
My thanks to elise.com (Simply Recipes) for this great recipe!

Pulled Pork Sandwich
Rating 8 out of 10
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 pickled jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tsp. Chipotle chile powder
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tsp. paprika
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 bay leaf
Salt
3 lbs. of pork butt shoulder roast, trimmed of excess fat
Hamburger buns

Puree all of the sauce ingredients (everything except the bay leaf, the pork and the buns) in a blender until smooth. If you have extra time, marinate the pork in the sauce overnight or for several hours before cooking.
Put sauce, bay leaft and pork into a large pot and add 1 quart of water. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, coverd, turning frequently, for 2 hours or until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork. Remove from heat and cool pork in the sauce. When cool, remove the pork from the sauce and shred into small pieces. Set aside.
Reduce the sauce by two thirds. Add the pork back to the sauce. Salt to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving. Serve hot over open-face hamburger buns.

GOURMET MAGAZINE'S PULLED PORK SANDWICH

Pork tenderloins are so good done on the grill; they're one of my faves. But the leftovers are a problem. Sometimes they get thrown out before they're used up. But who can resist a pulled pork sandwich? Gourmet magazine published a recipe for pulled pork using leftover pork tenderloin. Bingo! I'm in. It doesn't matter how much is left over. Just cover it with water, a little vinegar, barbecue sauce and hot pepper sauce. Simmer it for a while, pull the pork apart and voila - you've got your pulled pork. It's pretty easy, and amazingly good. I've reduced the vinegar because we found it just a little too vinegary. Next time I'll try Robin Miller's version, but we enjoyed this a lot. I spooned the pork onto low-carb tortillas that I spread with guacamole. I topped the pork with salsa and shredded cheese, then rolled the tortilla up and put it inside non-stick aluminum foil. I placed the aluminum foil packet in a large fry pan and covered it; cooked on medium heat for 5 minutes, flipped the packet over and cooked for 5 more minutes. Everything was nicely heated inside; the cheese had melted, and we had a nice dinner with coleslaw and beans on the side.

Gourmet Magazine's Pulled Pork Sandwich
Leftover cooked pork tenderloin
Water to cover
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar (I would reduce to 1 tsp. next time)
1/3 cup barbecue sauce (I just used Kraft Hickory Barbecue Sauce)
Hot pepper sauce to taste

In a heavy pot, combine pork with just enough water to cover. Add vinegar, BBQ sauce and hot pepper sauce to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat, covered, until it pulls apart, about 50 minutes. (I left it on the stove for about 4 hours on the lowest heat setting.) Remove pork from the sauce, shred and set aside. Simmer the sauce until it reaches the desired thickness. Stir the pork in the sauce and spoon the mixture onto the bottom half of a hamburger bun and top with coleslaw. (Or follow my instructions above for a pulled pork tortilla sandwich.)

EMERIL'S SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES, ONIONS AND CABBAGE

Guy and I both liked these pork chops -- cooked this way, they were tender and the cabbage was delicious with the onions and apples. The only thing I would change is the amount of salt used and the amount of "Essence." The flavors were too strong for me in the amounts that Emeril uses; the amount of salt in the recipe below is 4 tsp. plus the salt that's in the Essence and the salt that's in the broth. My blood pressure goes up just typing that. (Also, I recommend using sea salt because it has minerals. I actually know someone who had trouble with her blood pressure levels until she switched to sea salt.) I posted Emeril's amounts below with my recommendations. If you like strong flavors and heavy salt, then keep to the amounts that Emeril suggests. I will make these chops again; it's a good recipe.

Emeril's Smothered Pork Chops with Apples, Onions and Cabbage
INGREDIENTS: 4 double cut pork chops (I used thick cut)
2 tsp. Essence, recipe follows (I recommend reducing to 1 tsp. for 4 chops)
2 tsp. kosher salt (I recommend reducing to 1 tsp. for 4 chops; Essence has salt in it)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick wedges
2 cups thinly sliced onions
3 lbs. savoy or napa cabbage, shredded or thin sliced (1 head) (I used regular green cabbage)
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup Calvados (Calvados is a French apple brandy; I used Bols Triple Sec because that's
what I had)
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds (I didn't have any, so these were eliminated)
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. salt (this is for the cabbage; I recommend reducing to 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. freshly chopped thyme leaves
1 tsp. freshly chopped marjoram (I didn't have any, so this got eliminated)

DIRECTIONS: Season both sides of the chops with the Essence and kosher salt. Lightly dredge in the flour.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over high heat. Add the chops, 2 at a time, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the chops and transfer to a platter. Repeat with remaining chops; set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium-high, and add the apples and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples and onions are golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, Calvados, caraway seeds, bay leaves, salt, pepper and herbs. Cook uncovered until sauce comes to a boil. Add the chops; cover; reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the pork chops are fork-tender, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Serve the pork chops with the cabbage and pan juices.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast)
2-1/2 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking," by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.