Every year since living in Long Beach, I always look forward to July 4th. Growing up, I always enjoyed the barbecues and fireworks, but in a beach community, Fourth of July results in so much more. One great thing about Long Beach is being able to watch the firework show at the beach. Every year we can walk just a few blocks down to the beach, where we have a great view of the fireworks show at The Queen Mary. A few other firework shows, such as Seal Beach's, can also be seen in the distance. Unfortunately, we can't shoot of any of our own fireworks, other than a few measly sparklers, but there are always a few "rebels" in the area who shoot off the big ones.
Also, everywhere I look people will be decked out in head-to-toe red, white, and blue. Not only in their clothing, but their bikes, cars, etc. will be decorated too. There will be plenty of parties and barbecues going on, which will ultimately result in a lot of drunk people roaming the neighborhood. This year, we will not be a part of that. We recently returned from a long weekend in San Diego (more about our trip in the next post) so we are still recovering, and are planning to enjoy tomorrow at home with just a few friends and neighbors, relaxing on our porch with a cocktail or beer, and simply enjoy the beautiful weather and "entertainment" provided by the other festive neighbors walking down our street. :)
Since we are now well into the season of summer, I though now would be a good time to share a great recipe for pulled pork sandwiches. This recipe was featured on the front cover of the June issue of Food Network Magazine. As soon as we received this issue in the mail, Tony took one look at the cover and asked me, "Will you make THAT?" Of course, I pretty much always oblige to any of Tony's requests, so I immediately made a mental note to put this on the next week's menu.
This post actually consists of two separate recipes which are used to make the complete pulled pork sandwich. The first recipe is for the slow cooked Cajun Pulled Pork, and the second is for the Southwestern Slaw. Technically, you could put regular slaw or simple lettuce on your sandwich if you're not feeling up to the two-part process, but in my opinion, the Southwestern Slaw really made the sandwich shine.
The slaw consists of a few special ingredients: corn, avocado, and lime juice. These things really add a cool, bright flavor to the sandwich, which balances perfectly with the spicy tang of the Cajun Pulled Pork. I absolutely loved the pulled pork, because it was moist, flavorful, and the meat was so tender from the slow cooking process. The addition of the chopped andouille sausage also gave it an amazing complex flavor that left Tony and I wanting more.
I've made pulled pork before, but I can honestly say that this was the best pulled pork recipe I've tried so far, and these two recipes made an amazing pulled pork sandwich. Since this recipe makes a lot, this would be a perfect option for a summer get-together, especially if you don't really feel like heating up the grill. It still has great flavors for the summer, so this would be sure to satisfy.
Happy Fourth of July!
Happy Fourth of July!
Cajun Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Southwestern Slaw
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Yield: 8 sandwiches
Recipes from Food Network Magazine, June 2013 issue
Ingredients:
For the Cajun Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Creole or spicy brown mustard
1 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
2 tsp paprika
Kosher salt and ground pepper
1 3-4 pound boneless pork shoulder
2 links andouille sausage
1/3 cup mayonnaise
8 soft sandwich buns
For the Southwestern Slaw:
3 cups shredded green cabbage
3 cups shredded red cabbage
1 Tbsp plus 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 avocado
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water
1 cup corn
1 poblano pepper, thinly sliced
1 small bunch chopped scallions
Directions for the pulled pork:
Whisk 1 1/2 cups water, the vinegar, ketchup, 1/4 cup mustard, the molasses, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar in a 7-8 quart slow cooker.
Combine the remaining 1 Tbsp brown sugar, the paprika, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a small bowl. Rub all over the pork, then add to the slow cooker along with the sausage. Cover and cook on low, 8 hours (or according to your slow cooker's directions).
Remove the pork and sausage and set aside to cool slightly. Skim off the excess fat from the cooking liquid, then strain into a large skillet and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by one-third, about 15 minutes.
Shred the pork with a fork and coarsely chop the sausage. Toss the pork and sausage with enough of the reduced cooking liquid to moisten; season with salt.
Directions for the slaw:
Toss red and green cabbage with 1 Tbsp kosher salt in a colander; let sit 1 hour, then rinse and dry well. Meanwhile, puree avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, and water, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Toss mixture with the cabbage, corn, poblano pepper and chopped scallions.
To assemble sandwiches:
Whisk the mayonnaise and the remaining 2 Tbsp mustard in a small bowl; spread onto the buns. Fill with the pulled pork mixture and slaw. Serve with potato chips if desired.
Print this recipe
Yield: 8 sandwiches
Recipes from Food Network Magazine, June 2013 issue
Ingredients:
For the Cajun Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Creole or spicy brown mustard
1 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
2 tsp paprika
Kosher salt and ground pepper
1 3-4 pound boneless pork shoulder
2 links andouille sausage
1/3 cup mayonnaise
8 soft sandwich buns
For the Southwestern Slaw:
3 cups shredded green cabbage
3 cups shredded red cabbage
1 Tbsp plus 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 avocado
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water
1 cup corn
1 poblano pepper, thinly sliced
1 small bunch chopped scallions
Directions for the pulled pork:
Whisk 1 1/2 cups water, the vinegar, ketchup, 1/4 cup mustard, the molasses, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar in a 7-8 quart slow cooker.
Combine the remaining 1 Tbsp brown sugar, the paprika, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a small bowl. Rub all over the pork, then add to the slow cooker along with the sausage. Cover and cook on low, 8 hours (or according to your slow cooker's directions).
Remove the pork and sausage and set aside to cool slightly. Skim off the excess fat from the cooking liquid, then strain into a large skillet and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by one-third, about 15 minutes.
Shred the pork with a fork and coarsely chop the sausage. Toss the pork and sausage with enough of the reduced cooking liquid to moisten; season with salt.
Directions for the slaw:
Toss red and green cabbage with 1 Tbsp kosher salt in a colander; let sit 1 hour, then rinse and dry well. Meanwhile, puree avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, and water, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Toss mixture with the cabbage, corn, poblano pepper and chopped scallions.
To assemble sandwiches:
Whisk the mayonnaise and the remaining 2 Tbsp mustard in a small bowl; spread onto the buns. Fill with the pulled pork mixture and slaw. Serve with potato chips if desired.
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