Too simple to be so good

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I see the cat's out of the bag about Boston Butts. Pork butts and cole slaw go together like love & marriage. Here's a few recipes that recipes that have withstood the test of time with me, the vinegar slaw will make you pucker up.

When mixing dressings I use a hand mixer to really get them blended. For just my wife and I the bagged Cole slaw is ok, for a bunch I use heads of cabbage and a mandolin.

Here is an unusual, but very good, recipe from Danny Gaulden. If you do not know who Danny is go to Welcome to Danny's Barbecue. Naturally I’ve modified it to suit our taste, as I’m sure you will also as time goes bye.

Danny Gaulden’s
Old South Slaw Dressing

1 tablespoons salad oil
6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic

Even though we use a modified Corky's slaw dressing at the restaurant, there's one I like better. Matter of fact, it's the only one I fix here at home. I LOVE this stuff, but you may not. It's what I consider deep, old south, and what Carolyn and I had every time we went to eat at a seafood house, bbq joint, etc. in south or north Louisiana. Matter of fact, Carolyn's mother fixed a very similar recipe all her life, (she lives in Baton Rouge now and spent many years on the famous river road between New Orleans & Baton Rouge as a home education teacher). Lot of fine cooking goes on down there. Anyway, here is the recipe. It is a sweet sour mix. If you like the tart, sweet taste on your slaw, you'll love this. Nice thing about it is that you can't "over extend" this dressing. If you apply too much, it doesn’t just stick to everything and make it too wet as does a creamy dressing. It just drains down to the bottom. It will keep a couple of days or more on the slaw before crispness is gone. Don't let the simplicity fool you. I've always said some of the best cooking comes from simple recipes. This is one of them. Just takes a couple of minutes to fix. Also, don't let the looks of it fool you. Just try it and let me know what you think.

Mix well and pour over slaw. This is a small recipe and makes enough dressing for about 3-4 people. Adjust accordingly.


East Tennessee Vinegar Cole Slaw:

1/2 head of green cabbage
1/4 head of red cabbage
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 small sweet onions, chopped
2 carrots, grated
.
Dressing:


1-cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 cup cider vinegar

½ cup Red Wine Vinegar
½ cup white vinegar
½
cup water

Combine coleslaw vegetable ingredients; chopped cabbage, chopped bell pepper, chopped onions, and grated carrots in a large serving bowl.


In a bowl combine remaining ingredients. Pour over cabbage, stir in. Refrigerate for at least eight hours, I usually go for 24 hours in a flat, covered, plastic container large enough to let most of the cabbage rest in the dressing, stir occasionally.



Sour Cream Mayonnaise Cole Slaw

1/2 head of green cabbage
1/4 head of red cabbage
1 small bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, grated


Dressing
½ cup white vinegar
1/3 up sugar
1-cup mayonnaise
1-cup sour cream
1 Tbs celery seed
S&P to taste

Let sit overnight in covered container. Add to cabbage about one hour before serving.
 
Here in this part of NC, the BBQ sauce for pulled pork is really simple.
Generally it is along the lines of
1/2 cider vinegar, 1/2 white vinegar
Red pepper flakes and/or Frank's/Tabasco sauce to taste.
Some garlic power, pepper and salt.

Douse the pulled pork well, let it heat a bit then eat.
Best served on a cheap white sandwich bun, perhaps with some
sweet/tangy cole slaw.

Makes me drool just thinking of it upstairs........
 
I appreciate the additional slaw recipes... and sauce recipes.
I've only eaten mayo based slaw, I even made a big batch several years ago.... several.... that didn't come out too bad. I can't wait to make and try some of these tangy slaws.
Heck, I can't wait to unthaw that other half Boston butt and turn it into pulled pork!
 
I have a question about this.... I really really want to make this, but the "Boston Butt" that i got at the store doesn't have this... twine, mesh on it. Is that okay??
 
Okay, I'm sorry.. I have 2 more questions...lol

*What would I do differently if i wanted to do this in my crock pot instead of the oven? Just curious..

*And can I put it in while it's frozen? Or does it need to thaw out completely?

Thanks...:rolleyes:
 
Here is how I do mine--and I generally do 2 big pork butts at a time, because it freezes so well.

Mix a cup of brown sugar, 2 or 3 tablespoons of chili powder, and a tablespoon of salt, and rub it over the surface of the meat. If you like heat, put in some cayenne. Put the meat on a rack in roasting pan.

Preheat your oven to 400, put the roasts in and immediately turn the heat down to 200.

Go to bed. In the morning your house will smell wonderful, but don't eat it yet--keep it cooking til suppertime, and the meat will just melt in your mouth. (If you really can't help yourself, have a little for a breakfast treat.)

24 hour pork butt--can't miss with it. The sugar makes for a lovely "bark" that is just a little sweet, with soft and tender meat.
 
It sure does freeze well!
I had some of the above roast for lunch today on two slices of bread with gravy.
Good stuff.
 
I have a bone in half "picnic" pork shoulder. I want to cook in my grandmothers old cast iron dutch oven that I just got my hands on and reaseasond today....

Lots of good ideas for pork in this thread so I thought I would ask here rather than start another...

my plans are to season the meat overnight with an olive oil garilc, lemon and herbs de provance. (this is what I would do with Chicken or Chops as a typical thing is it applicable?)

I plan on browning it in the DO on the stovetop... removing and carmelizing some onions in the do and then returning the pork to the pan with some apple juice/cide vinegar based liquid and maybe some apple pieces

I have never cooked this cut of meat before I could use some pointers on tequniques for and on how much liquid I need in the pan and any potential pitfalls

some of those slaw recipes look great too hmmm
 
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I have a bone in half "picnic" pork shoulder. I want to cook in my grandmothers old cast iron dutch oven that I just got my hands on and reaseasond today....

Lots of good ideas for pork in this thread so I thought I would ask here rather than start another...

my plans are to season the meat overnight with an olive oil garilc, lemon and herbs de provance. (this is what I would do with Chicken or Chops as a typical thing is it applicable?)

I plan on browning it in the DO on the stovetop... removing and carmelizing some onions in the do and then returning the pork to the pan with some apple juice/cide vinegar based liquid and maybe some apple pieces

I have never cooked this cut of meat before I could use some pointers on tequniques for and on how much liquid I need in the pan and any potential pitfalls

some of those slaw recipes look great too hmmm

It could be just me, but it sounds like you're mixing two different cuisines. Is fusion French/Southern your goal? ;)

I'd suggest seasoning it the way Pacanis did at the beginning of this thread with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onions. It seems to me that cooking it in vinegar would be too much, since the cut is tough and requires long, slow cooking, and I'm a vinegar lover. Save that for dressing it after it's cooked.

I cooked a 4-lb. pork shoulder in the crockpot last Saturday and used about 1/2 cup cranapple juice for the liquid - you don't need a lot because it produces a lot of liquid as it cooks. If you use apple juice, I don't think apple pieces would really add any flavor - they'll just cook to mush.

Are you doing it in the oven, on the stovetop, or in a crockpot?
 
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no not trying fusion just wanted to add some flavor.... I can skip the vinegar... I have a tendecy to over use vinegar:mad:

I bought some fresh fennell today that I was thinking to use instead of the herbs. I am not eactly sure how to incorporate it though

I would like the baked apple to eat with the pork as a side should I add them later in the cooking or cook them seperately all together.

The Do is large enough to accomodate the shoulder and the apples halved for sure maybe even whole.

I also have some pinot gris that could be a contender... or just get drunk

in unrelated events I am making vegetable stock tonight so that will be available too

I am pretty sure that as long as it stays moist and falls off the bone it will be good but I could definitlly use tips cooking meats like this is sort of new to me.
 
Can I put this in the oven at a higher temperature to cook it faster? I couldnt get away from work, and just now got home....

These cuts of meat need to be cooked low and slow for optimal flavor and texture. You can't rush a good thing. Just like BBQ. I could take a rack of pork ribs and throw them on the grill over direct heat and they would be done in about 20-30 minutes. They would be pretty tough and chewey. OR, cook them at 225 for 3-4 hours indirectly and wind up with tender juicy meat.
 
no not trying fusion just wanted to add some flavor.... I can skip the vinegar... I have a tendecy to over use vinegar:mad:

I bought some fresh fennell today that I was thinking to use instead of the herbs. I am not eactly sure how to incorporate it though

I would like the baked apple to eat with the pork as a side should I add them later in the cooking or cook them seperately all together.

The Do is large enough to accomodate the shoulder and the apples halved for sure maybe even whole.

I also have some pinot gris that could be a contender... or just get drunk

in unrelated events I am making vegetable stock tonight so that will be available too

I am pretty sure that as long as it stays moist and falls off the bone it will be good but I could definitlly use tips cooking meats like this is sort of new to me.

Fennel and pork - a classic combo, really, that should be good. Just slice it in rather large chunks and put it in with the meat. If it were me, I would use apple juice for the liquid, bake the apples separately, and drink the pinot. If you have some potatoes and/or carrots, throw those in, too.

For the apples, don't know if you have a recipe, but the classic is to cut them in half, core them, but don't pierce the bottom - make a little bowl. Fill that with a mix of brown sugar, butter and cinnamon and bake at 350 till done. Not sure exactly how long that takes - maybe someone else will chime in.

Since it's your first time cooking it, it would probably be a good idea to go with a TNT recipe, see how you like it, and tweak it next time. What do you think?
 
Here is an unusual, but very good, recipe from Danny Gaulden. If you do not know who Danny is go to Welcome to Danny's Barbecue. Naturally I’ve modified it to suit our taste, as I’m sure you will also as time goes bye.

Danny Gaulden’s Old South Slaw Dressing

1 tablespoons salad oil
6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic

Even though we use a modified Corky's slaw dressing at the restaurant, there's one I like better. Matter of fact, it's the only one I fix here at home. I LOVE this stuff, but you may not. It's what I consider deep, old south, and what Carolyn and I had every time we went to eat at a seafood house, bbq joint, etc. in south or north Louisiana. Matter of fact, Carolyn's mother fixed a very similar recipe all her life, (she lives in Baton Rouge now and spent many years on the famous river road between New Orleans & Baton Rouge as a home education teacher). Lot of fine cooking goes on down there. Anyway, here is the recipe. It is a sweet sour mix. If you like the tart, sweet taste on your slaw, you'll love this. Nice thing about it is that you can't "over extend" this dressing. If you apply too much, it doesn’t just stick to everything and make it too wet as does a creamy dressing. It just drains down to the bottom. It will keep a couple of days or more on the slaw before crispness is gone. Don't let the simplicity fool you. I've always said some of the best cooking comes from simple recipes. This is one of them. Just takes a couple of minutes to fix. Also, don't let the looks of it fool you. Just try it and let me know what you think.

Mix well and pour over slaw. This is a small recipe and makes enough dressing for about 3-4 people. Adjust accordingly.
.

I made this slaw last night with the Pork Shoulder. OMG! I rarely follow recipes exactly as I cant help add and tweak but this time I did. Something about this recipe made me want to make it the minute I read it. Also it was appealing because it involved all stuff that was allready in my cabinet so no extra shopping trip was required. I have NEVER had slaw like this. I multiplied by 1.5 and used a 2 small 1/2 heads (red and green) and 1 carrot. I chopped the cabbabe fairly coarsely so it was almost like a salad. It was sweet and sour and tangy I am not sure I will be able to eat mushydinermayoslaw again.... I almost ate the leftover bowl for breakfast.

For the pork I seasoned with olive oil garlic and chopped fennel leaves gave it a quick browning rubed it down with a bit of honey S&P then braised in apple juice & a touch of belgian white ale for 4 hours (follwing OP) with potato, onion, fennel bulb, carrot and celery.

Cinnamon baked apple for desert

The results were amazing. The Fennel added a great flaovor and sweetness to the veggies. The pork was tender and falling off the bone but not greasy stringy or heavy at all. The slaw and baked apple paired wonderfully with the pork.

This was one of my favorite overall meals I have ever made.

It was also incredibly cheap. The meat cost less than $5 dollars. If I could break out the produce cost it is probably about the same. Beyond that all the seasonings were basic things allready in the kitchen... so for less than a delivery pizza or 3 McD valu-meals I had a (serves 4) dinner of honey-apple brased pork shoulder and root vegetables w/fennel, fresh sweet and sour slaw, and baked apples...

This meal has a long cooking time but very little prep and asks no special skills or equipment (The CI DO was perfect but you could use any baking dish)... this is why it makes me crazy watching the poor people in my neighborhood feeding their families on fast food and pizza
 
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These cuts of meat need to be cooked low and slow for optimal flavor and texture. You can't rush a good thing. Just like BBQ. I could take a rack of pork ribs and throw them on the grill over direct heat and they would be done in about 20-30 minutes. They would be pretty tough and chewey. OR, cook them at 225 for 3-4 hours indirectly and wind up with tender juicy meat.

or you could take the rack of ribs, with the tenderloin still attached, french the bones, form and tie into a crown roast, and roast in a medium hot covered bbq over a divided bed of coals, with a meat thermometer, pull it off when the thermometer reads 145, and have juicy, tender, and succulent ribs.

Low and slow is but one way of cooking something like ribs. But low & slow is a must with a boston butt due to the fat and connecting tissue the roast contains. The long and slow temperature breaks down these tissues and allows the meat to retain its moisture. The viscosity of the resultant liquid due to the collagen extracted from the fat, bone, and connective tissues provides a moist mouth feel, with extreme pork flavor develped from the meat and seasonings.

It sn't so important to highly season a boston butt when braised at a temperature where the liquid is just below the boiling point. Some salt, pepper, onion, and garlic are all that are really needed. Any extra flavorings are usually applied in the form of a finishing sauce, i.e. honey/mustard, citrus, pineapple/brown sugar, tomato bbq, etc.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
 
Didn't Uncle Bob do something like that with stuffing in the center?
I might have to dig into that old post. That looked good. I think he did it outside in his kitchen, too.
 
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