Game Day Recipe Week 16: Fumble Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Fumble! Fumble! Fumble! To fumble in American football is to drop a ball that is in play. According to the NFL Rules Digest, a distinction is made between a fumble and a muff. A fumble means the loss of the ball by a player. A muff, on the other hand, is the touching of a loose ball by a player who unsuccessfully tries to obtain possession. This usually produces a pile of rather large humans scrambling, hitting, biting and grabbing for the ball. And one player leaps out of the pile in victory with in this case the perfect Pulled Pork Sandwich raised above his head. Next time I recommend that you make more than one sandwich for your halftime festivities.


Ingredients

· 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
· 2 tablespoons garlic powder
· 1 tablespoon brown sugar
· 1 tablespoon dry mustard
· 2 tablespoons sea salt
· 1 5-pound pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt
· 12 hamburger buns or 24 slider size rolls, for serving we prefer whole wheat.

How

Mix the spices and salt together in a small bowl, then rub the spice blend over the pork, cover with plastic wrap overnight in the refrigerator. IF you are in a hurry at least let stand for 1 hour

Prepare the sauce see below.

Preheat the oven to 300 ◦. Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake, covered, until it’s falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees, about 6-7 hours. Keep in mind the pot you are using my heavy cast iron pan I do 250◦ Remove the pork from the oven and transfer to a large platter and let rest for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle (warm), use two forks to shred the pork. Put the shredded pork in a bowl, add barbecue sauce, and mix well to coat. To serve, place several ounces of pork on a hamburger bun and top with Spicy Slaw (below).





Barbecue sauce

· 2 tablespoons brown sugar
· ½ cup hot water
· 1½ cups apple cider vinegar
· 1 tablespoon paprika
· 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon black pepper
In a small saucepan, stir the brown sugar into the hot water until completely dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low heat for approximately 5 minutes.

OK I like to make double the sauce ½ for pouring over the pulled pork and the other on the side. But I know some don’t like a vinegar sauce so I always have a bottle on the side. Maybe, don’t do the vinegar sauce and just use the bottle. You know you and or your guest.

Serve with coleslaw, chips, oven fried fies.


Pulled Pork Sandwiches, recipe #2

While in the film distribution business I had the great please of being transferred to New Orleans and then Texas offices for 20th Century Fox. I handling the territory including Memphis areas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida panhandle, Gulf coast, Oklahoma and Texas but not the first run houses the small independent owners in the smaller city’s and towns. When I got transfer back to Boston I was a lot heavier and had a fond appreciation for many of the foods especially BBQ. I remember bringing my parents to Sonny Bryant’s in Dallas and my Dad, after taking a look at the outside, saying quietly to my Mom “I am not eating here again”. We went in, were lucky enough to hit him before he ran out for the day, sat in the old school chairs and devoured some damn good sandwiches. We went back 3 or 4 times before their visit was over. That was beef this recipe is pork but I have those also. I can’t remember where I got this one but we liked it.


Prep: 30 minutes and then overnight (preferred)

Cooking: about 6 hours

Serves: 12

For the pulled pork

· 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
· 2 tablespoons garlic powder
· 1 tablespoon brown sugar
· 1 tablespoon dry mustard
· 2 tablespoons sea salt
· 1- 5-pound pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt
· 12 hamburger buns, for serving
Mix the spices and salt together in a small bowl, and then rub the spice blend over the pork, cover, and let stand for at least 1 hour and up to overnight in the refrigerator. (In the meantime, prepare the sauce.)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake, covered, until it’s falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees, about 6 hours. Remove the pork from the oven and transfer to a large platter and let rest for 10 minutes. While still warm, use two forks to shred the pork. Put the shredded pork in a bowl, add barbecue sauce, and mix well to coat. Serve with coleslaw, chips or fries, Ice tea or beer. Yes ice tea, I miss the huge glasses of ice tea served in the south and they always left a pitcher on the table when you ordered.

For the barbecue sauce

· 2 tablespoons brown sugar
· ½ cup hot water
· 1½ cups apple cider vinegar
· 1 tablespoon paprika
· 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon black pepper
In a small saucepan, stir the brown sugar into the hot water until completely dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low heat for approximately 5 minutes.