Pulled Pork and Beer

It's been a while since I have posted something on the blog with food.  Today, since I have the day off, I have decided to let you all see what we are having for dinner tonight.  Pulled pork sandwiches! 

You might be disinterested, you may feel as though this is nothing special to post about.  My friends, unless you have have some of my pork, you have no idea what you are missing.

Pulled pork is about the easiest recipe that you can think of.  Depending on how much you want to make, it can feed a crowd, or a few grateful individuals.  Here is what you will need.

4-5 lb bone in pork butt
spices
6 oz can of pineapple juice
buns
BBQ sauce

Start out with the pig.

4-5 lbs bone in.  This is pork butt or shoulder.  It is usually pretty cheap simply because of it's toughness.  This is NOT a piece of meat you throw on the grill and try and consume.  This is VERY tough chewy stuff.  The only way to make this cut palletable is to cook it SLOW.  Either by smoking or baking at a low temp for a very long time.  Believe me, it is well worth the time to do this.  Most cuts of meat are priced not on their taste but on their tenderness.  Round steak, for instance is super cheap while tenderloin is pricey.  It has nothing to do with how well this cut is going to taste, just on how long you have to prepare it for it tasting good.  If you have the time, please check out some of the so called cheap cuts.  If prepared the correct way, you will not be sorry. 

You have to put a rub on this pork.  Even though the market is flooded with premade rubs for beef, pork, poultry, etc, don't be fooled.  These rubs that you buy at the store can be made at your own home for a fraction of the cost.  A pre-made rub you would buy at the local grocery will cost you at least $4 for a 8-12oz shaker.  90% of what is in that shaker is salt.  Don't be fooled into buying them. They may say they are true Carolina rubs or Memphis style rubs.  All they are is a shaker full of salt and not much more.  Make your own and save $4.

My rub below consists of few ingredients.  They are:
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Brown Sugar
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper

That's it, that's all.  2 parts brown sugar to 1 part salt.  Add in your garlic powder and black pepper to taste.

Here is what it looks like all stirred up.  I like a sweet rub myself.  If you are more into salt or heat, use what you want.  The rub is all about personal choice.  Now rub the pig.

 Rub it all over.  Get in the crevices and cracks.  Don't be shy with it.  Pork butt is a dull tasting piece of meat.  A lot of the flavor you get from this recipe is from what you add.  It may look like a lot but remember you are cooking a 5 lb piece of meat.  There is a lot of flesh to soak up the salt, sugar, seasonings, etc.  Pour it on!

Since this is going to cook for so long, I like to add a little liquid to the mix.  I use pineapple juice.  You don't need a lot.  I use an 8oz can.  Again, you can use whatever you want to for flavor.  I have used red and white wine, beer, stock, etc.  I prefer pineapple juice.  It lends to the breakdown of the tissue and provides a nice sweet flavor to the meat.  No more than 12 oz's or you'll end up with soup.  Special note:   WHATEVER YOU DO, MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT PUT BBQ SAUCE ON THIS MEAT AS IT COOKS!  If you do this, you will get BBQ flavored soup.  No one wants that.  Sauce is a condiment and should be used sparingly.  You want to taste the flavor of pork and spices, not just sauce.


Once the pig is covered with rub, it is ready for the oven.  Preheat your oven for 225degrees.  Put the rubbed piece of meat in a cast iron dutch oven or roasting pan and cover it.  Walk away.

As I stated, shoulder is tough.  The only way to break down those fibers is to hammer the hell out of it with a mallet or cook it slow and a low.  You will not believe how tender this piece of pork is when it is done.

Depending on how much you have, I usually cook my pork at 225 degrees for about 10 hours.  That's right, 10 hours.  It is so low a temp you can walk away from the stove and you are not going to worry about it burning or getting tough.  This took me all of 10 minutes to prepare.  Time for a beer.

I went within my comfort zone today.  IPA.  This is Sacred Cow IPA from Arbor Brewing in Ypsilanti, MI.  I never thought that something good would come out of someplace so close to Ann Arbor but I've got to admit, this is one tasty IPA.  Take a look at the color.  In my opinion, this is what an IPA should look like.

Doesn't that look good?  With an IPA, there is a fine line with me.  I don't want the beer to be so skunky hoppy that it chokes me as I drink, but I don't want a watered down, light tasting, 88 calorie bunch of nonsense either.  Meet me in the middle and I am a happy man.  This is exactly what this IPA does.  Good color, hint of malt, nice brash taste of hops.  It quenches my thirst.  It makes me long for another.  There are also hints of a fresh herb taste.  It's hard to describe, but if you have ever had the Fat Tire IPA, you will know what I mean.  It's good beer.  If I went to a bar and this was on tap, I would be hitting this plenty.  It goes great with the pulled pork, and I think it would be a compliment to any bar menu out there.  It is pricey.  At $10/6pack, you can do better for the money.  However,  it is getting increasingly more difficult to find micro brew that is under the $10 range.  My suggestion is to savor this fella and to find yourself a cheaper "everyday" beer.  This is some serious good tasting brew folks.  Go out and get a 6 pack at your nearest party store.  If they don't carry it, request that they do.  As far as an IPA goes, I would give this beer 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Mmmmmmmmm.....nice!

Here is the pig.  10 hours of roasting.

Like butta.

Toss this meat with your favorite BBQ and serve on a bun.  I like pickles on top of mine.  This pig is served with tater salad and slaw.

Boddingtons

If you are ever looking for a good English pale ale check out Boddingtons.  These pint cans of pub ale goodness are available most everywhere since InBev bought it back a few years.  I have only seen these packaged in 4 pint cans with the distinct yellow and black can making it hard to miss.  

I am a fan of draft beer.  There is nothing that makes my heart race with joy as a bartender filling a glass pint full of suds from a tap.  Truly a wonderful thing.  If you want a tap taste in a can, Boddingtons does a great job with this beauty installing a DRAUGHTFLOW widget into each can.  When you pop the top, the widget releases the carbonation and gives the beer a great head.  Word to the wise, make sure you have your glass at the ready for pouring as this can will start to overflow quickly. 

Good taste to this beer.  A slight bitterness lends to the drinkability but doesn't overpower you.  It's almost like drinking a glass of iced tea.  Very low in alcohol content, 3.5ABV, Boddingtons allows for long nights of darts and snooker with friends without getting too snookered.  It's pure English ale at it's best.  I've never seen this on tap at any bar, but consdering the area that I live, that isn't surprising.  The one caveat with this brew is the price.  At almost $8 for 4 pint cans, it is a little pricey, especially if you are going for long bouts of drinking.  I would imagine the price on tap would be better if you can find it, but I'm not holding my breath for my area.  As far as pairing this with food, any pub food would be grand with this.  It's thirst quenching abilities will truly come in handy with the wings, red meat, and salty snacks found in most bars.

    

Beer tastes better in bibs!

Hell Hath No Fury

Part of the enjoyment I get out of beer are the wide varieties and styles that this drink offers.  However, I am guilty of getting into a rut.  Most beer drinkers have their favorites.  If you read my blog, you are probably guessing that I am a fan of the lighter style IPA's and wheat beers.  It is very easy to go into your local beer store and see that familiar 6 pack and just put in in the cart.  I am going out of my comfort zone today.

While out running errands I decided to stop into the local market to see if there were any new brews that tickled my fancy.  I always stop in the Michigan beer section first.  Michigan produces some awesome beer and the new brewers are popping up like crazy.  While glancing around the cooler the phrase Hell Hath No Fury made me stop.  It was a Bell's product.  Picking up a bottle from the pack I read that this was a Belgian Dubbel style ale, meaning this was going to be some strong stuff.  This ale tops out at 7.7% ABV.  Nothing like a barley wine but some pretty tuff stuff.  I usually don't get into the high alcohol beers because they can really put the hurt on you fast and often have a strong alcohol flavor to them.  If I am looking to taste the alcohol, I will kick back a shot or two of Jack.

This is some serious stuff.  Dark as hell!  Usually when you are buying an ale with this description you don't expect this.  However, Bell's has done a great job with HHNF.  Very subtle coffee and chocolate notes but with a clean finish.  It has a lot of a porter/stout smell and look but Bell's has done a great job with finishing this beer off clean-almost oily.  I don't get a lot of lingering flavors after a drink.  For a man that loves the lighter fare, I can see myself drinking this on occasion.  It's different, it warms you, it feels like a meal-or at least part of one.  I see this as a great after dinner beer.  Finish off your supper with one of these and I don't think you'll be disappointed.  It's got the warming feel of a port wine or a brandy but doesn't linger too long.

This is not a beer that you will enjoy in long bouts of drinking.  Too heavy, too much alcohol, too much too much!  This is a great brew to order with a dinner out.  Order a cheese plate for dessert with this beer and you will be a happy man.  You will definitely want something rich with this beer.

I.P.O.!

I'm Pissed Off!  The reason?  The beer that I bought yesterday is truly not what I wanted. 

Getting back to all things beer, I thought that this post would be dedicated to the drink that so many of us love.  Sorry this has to be ranting and raving, but that is all I can do at this point.

Trying to shop for beer in Michigan can be difficult.  I truly believe that buying from the state of Michigan whenever we can is a good thing.  Whether that is produce or a vehicle, I think that keeping it local is great for the Michigan economy.  Depending on where you live in Michigan, your local beer store might stock nothing but Budweiser and Miller or, if you have the benefit of living in the Traverse City area, you are exposed to a great number of local micro-brews.  I picked up a 6 pack of Mt. Pleasant Brewing Company Iron Horse IPA.

IPA is one of my favorite styles of beers.  The bitterness and thirst quenching qualities of IPA is the reason I love it so much.  It goes great with all the food that I love, it usually has a lower alcohol content so that you can have a few pints without feeling the need to call a cab, etc.  After my first taste of Iron Horse I knew that something had gone wrong.

Listen, I love hops!  I love bitter beer.  But when I buy an IPA I expect it to be an IPA and not the double and triple hopped beers that a lot of the breweries are doing nowadays.  If I wanted to buy that sort of thing I would have bought it.  I wanted nothing more than a decent IPA and what I got was a super dose of hops. 

Call me a complainer, call me a whiner....However, when I have to plug my nose to have a sip of beer I knew that I went wrong somewhere.  There is nothing but bitterness from this brew.  No flowery aroma, no hint of pine, no citrus notes.  Bitterness.  Bitterness to the point that it makes your stomach hurt just drinking it. 

I know there is a market out there for this type of beer.  A lot of people are leaning towards the hoppiness and want the most bitter tasting concoction they can get their hands on.  That's fine, just market your beer to what you are brewing.  It's like buying a Miller High Life and tasting a wine cooler.  It's like buying a bottle of Gentlemen Jack and having it taste like gin.  It's not what I wanted.

I don't buy beer to get drunk.  If a good drunk was all that I was after I would buy a 30 pack of Natural Lite Ice and go to town.  I buy my beer because I want to taste it.  I buy it because I want to savor every flavor that comes from the bottle.  If I am in the mood for stout, I buy a stout.  If I want to go after the taste of Porter, I buy a Porter.  Just because the flavor of the day in beer has become hopped up IPA's doesn't mean I want to drink that.  Tell me what I am about to buy and let me make my own decision.  The letters I P A doesn't give anyone the right for anyone to dump in as many hops as they want and still get to call it an IPA. 

If you are a fan of very hoppy brews, Iron Horse IPA from Mt. Pleasant Brewing Company will fit your bill.  If you are looking for a true IPA, steer clear.  Drink this brew with very rich savory foods.  I am thinking a meat laden pizza, eggs, hearty cheese, or rich cuts of beef. 

I'm choking on hops here!  Someone please give me a glass of water!

Winter Storm, cold beer and Pot Pie!

It doesn't get much better than this.  We are expecting a winter storm today/tonight and I went to to the store this morning to fortify out pantry.  You can never tell when the weather is going to lock you in and keep you from wanting to go out and do the basics of the basics like grocery shopping.

After talking it over with the wife, we decided that we would make chicken pot pie today.  It's Sunday, neither one of us have to work, and we had most of the ingredients here at home.  Pot pie is one of those dishes that you don't get too often, but when you do, you want it done the right way.  I mean, I could buy the Banquet pot pies at the store for 75cents, doesn't necessarily make it good eats, just cheap eats.  Even though I do have a fond memory of the Banquet beef pot pie baking in the oven to fill a void, this recipe is some serious eats.

Another thing I like to do before a storm is stock up on my beer supply.  Beer is a staple with me.  I enjoy beer for the taste, the simple mixing of grain and other nutrients, the warming eat creates in my soul and my stomach.  Beer, my good friends, is just as much as food to me as the pot pie that I am going to be enjoying tonight.  Today I decided to go simple.  Just a staple of beer that will keep me going through the storm.  I chose Corona.  We'll get to that later.  For now, let's concentrate on the pot pie.

  Start with a hearty bunch of chicken breasts.  The bone in kind.  DO NOT BUY THE BONELESS SKINLESS BREASTS!  They are good for a very few things and they will rob your pot pie of flavor.  Plus, the bone in kind are much cheaper and easy to butcher when you get them to the point you want.  This recipe takes 3 breasts but I had a package of 5 in the freezer.  I can always make chicken salad.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and roast the breasts for 40 minutes if thawed.  If frozen, roast for up to 80 minutes!  Before you roast them, rub the breasts with olive oil and dust heavily with salt and pepper.  You can't go wrong with this.  They will come out so soft and tender and smelling so good that you will want to eat them up before putting them in to your pot pie.

 Ummm, roasted chicken!  Peel it and cut it up!

Cut yourself up about 2.5 cups of onions and 2 cups of carrots.

Take your 12 TB of butter and your onions and heat them till transcluent.

Add 3/4 cup of all purpose flour.  Stir like crazy!

Stir it up like you would a roux.

After you add your 5 cups of stock with the 2 bouillon cubes, this is what is should look like.

Add your tsp pf tarragon.

Add your tsp of dill.

1/2 cup of cream

All your chicken

Add the carrots

Now the peas...

Here it is.  Stir is up under low heat.

Add three scoops to a gratin dish.

Roll out your puff pastry.  Just about enough to cover your dish plus a little more.

Cover the dish.  You should get about 5 dishes out of this pot.  Throw it in the oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.

The result.

Corona!  Not a cheap beer, but a decent beer.

Cerveza es muy bueno!

The beer is Corona.  We see it in the stores, in the bars, on the T.V.  Is it any good?  Weeeeelllllllll?  Here is my thought on Corona.  It is just a step above the Miller and Bud world that we hear too frequently on the television.  It has a bit of taste that is Corona.  It is a skunk.  Corona has continued to brew their beer in clear glass that allows for the light to get in.  One of the worst things that you can do for beer is give it sunlight.  Much like a vampire, Corona needs the dark to be truly decent.  However, when you think of all the time the beer is taken out of the coolers and into the store, there is a lot of time that the beer is subjected to sunlight.  A lot of time the beer can go skunky.  Whenever you have a Corona, does it not taste a little skunky?  Maybe that is the taste that Corona is going for, or maybe it is just the taste that the beer builds from being in those clear glass bottles.  For $8+, this beer is only truly well bought in case there is nothing else left to buy.  Corona has a great marketing theme, a great packaging, but the product is a little less than desired.  If you have $8 and want a good 6pack, throw in the extra buck and buy a micro brew.  

Going to California with an Aching in my Heart

Okay, it's winter, there is snow on the ground, the vegetable garden has long since been put to bed.  It's time for comfort food folks and this next post is about the most comforting thing I can imagine.  Think potatoes, butter and cheese.  The good things in life!  Add these all together and combine with sour cream and onions and you are now sitting in high cotton.

My wife and I were married in the spring of 2000 but had dated for a few years before we got hitched.  The first time I went to meet her parents, sometime in the spring of 1998, my mother in law made this scrumptious side dish that has been a staple on the dinner table ever since.  The recipe is simply called- Cheesy Potatoes.  With a name like that you really can't miss.

**** WARNING****  This side dish is no where near healthy.  It is laced with a lb of cheese, multiple sticks of butter, carb riddled taters, and cups of sour cream.  This recipe will not make you lose weight nor will it make your abs more profound.  If you eat this dish more than 3 times a year you may want to consult your cardiologist.

Now, with the disclaimer out of the way, let's move on to the cheesy potatoes.  Like I said, I have never added up the calories and fat content of this spud diddly dumptious of a treat, but I am sure that it would rival the likes of the Triple Whopper, the Quad Stack and quite possibly the entire greasy buffet at the local Golden Corral.  Starte with 2 sticks of butter.  Not margarine, not oleo, not I Can't Believe it's Not Butter!  Real honest to goodness butter.  The stuff that comes from a cow you know!?  That's 2 sticks.  Put it in your pan and get it melty.  There are the taters.  You need 8.  Boil em but not too much.  You don't want mashed taters here.  Think hashbrowns and you have got it down.  Boil em and throw them in the firdge to cool off.  You can do this overnight and let them sit in the fridge all night if need be.  They need to be cold.  Then skin those smokewagons! 

Once you get them skinned you need ol grandma's knuckleduster.  I hate this piece of kitchen equipment.  It's dangerous and it's time consuming but it works well.  Unless I want to drag out the Cuisinart and get that dirty, I have to use this.  Be careful you don't lose your knuckles.  Shred your taters like you would hash browns.  The taters should be semi hard to shred.  Almost 3/4 cooked.  If you shred them and they turn to mashed taters, you cooked them too long.  They should be shreds like above.

Get an onion.  Chop the hell out of it.  I love onions!

Throw the onion in the butter and cook till transparent.  About 5 minutes or so.

Don't do this to your thumb.  Ouch!  I love sharp knives, but I hate it when they cut my flesh.  Time for a cleanup!

Much better.  Most people don't enjoy human blood in their food.  Latex gloves are always a great thing to have in the kitchen in case you need to chop jalapenos or if you slice the hell out of your fingers.  I always keep a few pair in the pantry.

Sour cream.  It's a good friend of mine.  I like it on taters, dips, umm well, everything.  Don't skimp, buy the full strength stuff.  Also, from someone who worked at a dairy, there is no difference between the "off brand" and the cool stuff.   We used to make the same stuff but just put a different label on it.  Buy sour cream that is off brand and you are buying the name brand stuff but for a dollar less.  Trust me on this folks.  I'm an expert:)

Here is the mixture so far.  1 lb of butter, 1 lb of sour cream, onions.  Here comes the cheese.  1 lb of taco shredded.  Ummmmm, yeah, this is pretty good stuff.

Cheese.  Wow, I love it.  This is what it should look like when you melt it with the butter, onions, and sour cream.

Add your taters.  Stir it up and make sure you get all the butter and cheese all over the taters.

Stir it up!

Pour into a casserole and ....

If there wasn't enough butter.... dot with butter.  Cover and bake for 45-60 minutes at 350.  Make sure it is warmed through.  This goes well with any sort of meat dish.  Like I said, be careful, you might want to have these every night but know that they are completely full of fat and cholesterol.  Enjoy them in moderation.

So I went west coast for this post.  I left the great state of Michigan to head to California.  So I picked up a 6 pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale the other day and it has been sitting out in the back of my truck getting chilled.  I'm glad I remembered about this.  You don't get much better of a Pale Ale than this brew.  It's totally commercialized, it's available in your local supermarket, it's $9/6 pack, and it is worth every bit of it.  SNPA