This method frees up the stove top for eggs, pancakes, or anything else you feel like cooking. It also keeps all of the grease mess confined within your oven, making clean up a breeze. If you really want to spice things up you can even make a maple and black pepper bacon variation. However the best part is that you can bake a few pans at the same time, ensuring that a large quantity of bacon is ready at once and everyone can get it while it is hot!

Mr. B has long been entranced by the magic which occurs when smoke and meat mingle for hours above hardwood coals. However with a basic gas fired grill it was a magic that could only happen a few times a year when we stumbled upon an authentic barbecue joint far from home. That all changed this summer when we made the jump to a ceramic grill. Weighing about as much as a baby elephant, the thick walled ceramic top and bottom lock in heat and moisture allowing meat to slowly cook at a steady low temperature for up to 36 hours.

Prep-Time: 3 Days, Cook Time: 6 hours

Ingredients & Directions:

Meat

Brine (Day 1)

1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Place all ingredients into a gallon size Ziploc bag. Add pork to the bag and seal. Shake the bag until the pork is well coated with the brine. Refrigerate for 24 hours, turning and shaking the bag occasionally.

Garlicky Barbecue Marinade (Day 2)

1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/8 cup water
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 teaspoons garlic, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

Drain the brine out of the Ziploc bag and retain the meat in the bag. Add all marinade ingredients into the bag and seal the bag. Shake and squish the bag until the ingredients are combined and spread around the pork. Refrigerate for 24 hours, turning and shaking the bag occasionally.

Dry Rub (Day 3)

1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
1/8 cup kosher salt
1/8 cup chili powder
1/8 cup dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

In a small bowl, mix together all of the dry rub ingredients. Remove the pork from the marinade and place it on a large plate. Carefully pat the dry rub all over the pork until it is thickly coated. Loosely cover the pork with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator until 1 hour before placing it on the grill. 1 hour before grilling, set the pork on the counter and allow it to warm up to room temperature.

While the pork is coming to temperature, soak the 4 cups of wood chips in water.

Preheat a charcoal grill to 225 degrees F. Right before cooking the pork, carefully scatter 1/2 cup of drained wood chips among the coals. Place the pork on the grill and cook, maintaining the grill temperature at 225 degrees. Replenish the coals as they burn out and the wood chips as the smoke dissipates.

Barbecue Sauce (Day 2 or 3)

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup smoked bacon, cut into rectangles about 1-inch long and 1/2-inch wide
1/4 cup sweet (Vidalia or Maui) onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1/8 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup apricot preserves or dried apricots chopped and re-constituted in hot water
1/8 cup apple juice
Cider vinegar (to taste)

Place canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped bacon to the pan and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp. (4-5 minutes) Turn the heat down to low and add in onion, garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cloves. Stir well and continue to cook for five minutes, stirring frequently. Next add the sugar and water and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Add in the ketchup, mustard, honey, apricot preserves or pieces, and apple juice. Stir well and let sauce gently simmer for about 20 minutes or until well thickened. Take the pan off the heat and stir in cider vinegar to taste. Pick out the bacon pieces and discard (or snack on them). Once the mixture has cooled slightly puree it with a hand blender and set aside until ready to use. If making a day ahead, place the sauce in the refrigerator until use.

Cider Mop Spray (Day 3)

1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1/8 cup cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a small spray bottle or bowl.

After the pork has cooked for 6 hours, spray the pork with cider mop every half hour. Continue to cook the meat until a thermometer placed into the thickest part of pork reaches 185-190 degrees F.

Transfer the pork to a platter and baste it with the barbecue sauce. Tent the pork with foil and let it rest for 30 minutes. To serve, slice the roast into 1/4″ thick slices, place on plates or cemita buns and serve with extra sauce alongside.

Not wanting to give up before I even started, I decided to face my fears and take on the challenge issued by Jen of Use Real Butter to make homemade potstickers. While Jen gave the challengers complete leeway to create new and exciting fillings for the potstickers, I knew if I got wild and crazy it would simply end in disaster. So I followed her detailed instructions exactly.

Stack of Woe

I found a 10lb pork butt at my local butcher for only $11 and used just half of it for this recipe. If you already own the spices and then add in the price of tortillas, avocado, sour cream, and a side of black beans the total cost comes out to about $3.00 per person. Not too shabby! We enjoyed pulled pork for five nights in a row- though half of it could easily be frozen if you don’t want to go on a pork marathon or throw a party. (I think I will freeze some next time…I’m starting to see pork in my sleep!)

Ingredients:

Spice Rub:
1/2 teaspoon Adobo seasoning (Spice blend from Penzeys, optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground Allspice
1 teaspoon Epazote
1 teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Sweet Basil
1 teaspoon ground Chipolte Pepper
1 teaspoon Sweet Hungarian Paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Oregano
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt

Braise:
2 Tablespoons Grapseed oil (or canola oil)
5 lb Pork butt (bone in or boneless), trimmed
1/2 cup Cider vinegar
1 Head of garlic, cloves peeled and trimmed
2 Poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into 1/4″ rings
3 Anaheim peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into 1/4″ rings
2 Jalepeno peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into 1/4″ rings
1 White onion, chopped
28 oz can Fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup Cilantro, packed
1 Orange, cut in quarters
1 Lime, cut in quarters

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees with the rack in the lowest position.

Mix all ingredients for the spice rub in a small bowl. Place pork butt on a flat surface and rub the spice mixture all over the meat. (This could be done a day ahead of time.)

Place a very large (6 quart+) dutch oven or ovenproof pot with lid over medium heat. Add oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Place pork butt in pot with the fat side down. Cook turning occasionally until all sides are nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Remove pork from pot and set aside on a plate to catch the juices.

Add apple cider vinegar to the pan and scrape the bottom to deglaze any stuck bits. (Try not to breathe in the steam or the vinegar will bother you for an hour!) Once the pan is deglazed, add in the garlic, onion, and peppers. Stir and cook over medium heat until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Next add in tomatoes and cilantro. Stir to combine all ingredients. Push contents of the pot towards the sides to make a well for the pork. Place the pork in the center of the pot and pour any collected juices on top of the meat. Squeeze the orange and lime sections on top of the pork, and then nestle them alongside the meat. Cover the pot with a lid and place inside the oven for five hours.

Once pork is finished cooking, remove from oven and let stand covered to cool slightly. Scrape any soft flesh from the orange and lime rinds into the pot and then discard them. Use two forks to gently pull apart the meat. It should easily come apart in long strands and chunks. Feel free to discard any fatty bits. Once the meat is shredded, stir well to incorporate the other ingredients in the pot throughout the meat.

Serve pulled pork on top of steamed corn tortillas with any combination of avocado slices, sour cream, shredded cabbage, diced tomato, and a squeeze of lime juice. The meat will improve in flavor over a day or two, and could be used to make tacos, empanadas, burritos, enchiladas, the possibilities are endless!