superbowl sunday.

 

it comes but once a year. a chance for old fans and new fans to ban together and crown their champion. for spectacles and glitz. and to eat all the bad things that are not in our normal line up.

this year we are rooting for the new england patriots pittsburgh steelers green bay packers - we are in a family pool. these were not our chosen teams when the journey began but we are happy with the match up and will be watching on the edge of our seats - and taking advantage of the weather with snow buckets filled with bottles of beer of course!

we had been the hosting family for many a year - biggest tv, satellite and first with hd programming - so therefore i had developed a fan favorite for the crowd, pulled pork.

now there are hundreds of recipes for this and mine is in no way official - it's just how i developed it and enjoy.

this year though we are straying from the path since our cheering section is considerably smaller - still staying on the pork wagon though - with the husband's amazing back ribs.

as always this is served with asian slaw and this year i think some corn muffins will round out the plate nicely. and maybe finish off with some festive fan cupcakes - yum!

pulled pork

a large pork butt/shoulder

onions - 3 to 4 for pan plus more for caramelizing for on top of mix

one bottle chicken and rib barbecue sauce

one bottle thick & rich barbecue sauce or recipe below (i would double the below recipe for this one)

montreal steak spice.

slice all your onions in rounds and place them in bottom of slow cooker or dutch oven. rub your pork all over with montreal steak spice getting into all the crevices. place pork directly onto onions. pour half a bottle of each sauce over the pork - reserve the other half. place lid on top and cook at low for 8 hours (i have done for 12 before over night - game on much earlier in the west) or in oven at 250 for 6 to 8 hours or until falls apart easily once touched with a fork. discard onions and all cooking liquid.

the last hour of cooking combine the reserved parts of the barbecue sauces with a little more steak spice and set aside.

once done, transfer the pork to a bowl and using two forks shred and pull pork apart.

place pulled pork into a deep sautee pan on medium low heat. pour reserved sauce over and sautee till all combined.

**also make sure you have a pan of new onions caramelizing beside it!!

place some mix on warm (could also be slightly toasted) buns - onion are my favorite for this - and top with some of the onions, close bun and take a big bite!

***last time i made these i squished some vinaigrette coleslaw in the bun as well - gives it a wonderful crunch!! - apr.12/12

the man's amazing ribs

the discovery of the technique and flavour of this dish was discovered back in early december when - fortunately for us - we had a freezer malfunction were forced to cook and indulge in ribs once again.

poor us. fortunate us.

now i know in life - and health - these things are to be done in moderation but when you have ribs that defrosted early what is one to do but feast!

this dinner was attempted in the summer by a friend of ours, who introduced us to cooking ribs this way, with sad results. too eager, too much heat, too much sauce and too much char.

when preformed the week before and then the next week in december care, patience and low heat were the order of the day. and the results? perfection. my only wish is that it had been corn season and that a cob could be enjoyed along side with a tall glass of homemade watermelon lemonade. yum. but i guess beer will have to do!

back pork ribs - any quantity will do, the more the better!

montreal steak spice - love this stuff, although a little too much salt sometimes for my taste - need to make my own low sodium version!

olive oil.

a good beer.

tin foil.

favorite barbecue sauce (recipe below) or wash.

a willing barbecue.

preheat barbecue to hover between 200 and 300 degrees.

place long strips of tin foil out on your surface. place the ribs in the center of the foil running lengthwise. sprinkle the steak sauce over and give a slight rub. drizzle with olive oil, pour some beer under the ribs and wrap packages up. toss on the barbecue, close lid and walk away for 4 1/2 hours.

drink some beers. chat to friends. eat some chips. watch some football.

return to barbecue with sauce in hand. open up your packages and remove ribs and place on top grill. allow to be there for about 10 minutes per side to get the barbecue texture. coat in your sauce and let them be for 10 more minutes, there abouts, per side. once done place on platter and wait for all the oohhh's and aahhh's as you bring them to the table.

barbecue sauce from everyday food - great food fast

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

3 tablespoons dijon mustard

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup ketchup

simmer the hot sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, garlic and ketchup in a small saucepan over medium heat until it reduces to about 1 1/4 cups, 5 to 7 minutes.