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RECIPE: Pulled Pork Sliders Or Sandwiches With BBQ Cabbage Slaw

August 21, 2014 at 8:43 am · Filed under Cinco de Mayo-Dia De Los Muertos, Food Facts - Food History, Meat & Poultry, Recipes

Planning to host a group for Labor Day? If you have access to a smoker, Chef David Venable recommends Smoked Mexican Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Cabbage Slaw. Alternatively, you can buy a barbecued pork butt, ready to heat and eat; or make it in a slow cooker.

You can serve full-size sandwiches or smaller sliders.

“If you’re having a big party,” says David, “these Mexican Pulled Pork Sandwiches are a great way to really stretch your dollar and it’s easy to double or even triple the recipe. Smoking the large cut of meat packs in incredible flavor.”

Find more of David Venable’s recipes at QVC.com.
 
National Slider Day is May 15th.

Below:

> The recipe for pulled pork sliders or sandwiches.

> The recipe for BBQ cabbage slaw.

> Who invented sliders.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of pulled pork.

> More pulled pork recipes.

> The different types of pork: a photo glossary.

> The different types of sandwiches: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 24 pork holidays.

> The year’s 28+ sandwich holidays.
 
 
RECIPE #1: PULLED PORK SLIDERS OR SANDWICHES

Ingredients For The Pork Sandwiches

  • 4-5 pounds pork butt (bone-in or boneless)
  • 1 package taco seasoning
  • 1 envelope Sazón Adobo seasoning (Goya or other brand)
  • 10-12 of your favorite rolls for sliders or sandwiches

    •  
    Plus Your Favorite Toppings

  • Barbecue sauce
  • Cheese
  • Coleslaw (recipe below)
  • Pickles
  • Red onion or sweet onion (like Vidalia)
  • Tomatoes

    •  
    Pork Preparation

    1. PREHEAT a smoker to 250°F and also prepare the wood chips. Using gloves, rub the taco seasoning and adobo liberally on the pork butt. Smoke for 4-5 hours, or until tender.

    2. REMOVE the pork butt and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes. Then shred the meat into a bowl with two forks.

    3. ASSEMBLE the sandwiches: Place the desired amount of pork on the bottom half of a roll and top with the cabbage slaw.
     
     
    RECIPE #2: BBQ CABBAGE SLAW (COLE SLAW)

    We named this “BBQ” slaw because the ingredients mesh so well with barbecued food.

    Ingredients

  • 3 cups green cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 1 poblano pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup corn kernels
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
    		•  

    pulled-pork-sliders-davidvenableQVC-230
    [1] Top the pulled pork with the cabbage slaw (photo © QVC).



    [2] Add your favorite barbecue sauce (photo © McCormick).

    Pork Butt

    [3] Pork butt is also called Boston Butt (photo © Good Eggs).

    pulled-pork-sliders-davidvenableQVC-horiz-230
    [4] Don’t want the bun? Eat it from the bowl (photo © QVC).

     
    Preparation

    1. COMBINE the cabbage, peppers, corn and cilantro in a large bowl.

    2. WHISK together mayo, lime juice, vinegar, honey, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add the dressing to the cabbage mixture and toss to coat.

    3. REFRIGERATE until you’re ready to assemble the sandwiches.
     
     
    WHO INVENTED SLIDERS?

    A slider is a small sandwich, typically around 3 inches in diameter, served in a bun. The term primarily refers to small burgers, but can also include any small sandwich served on a slider roll.

    According to citations in Wikipedia, the name may have originated aboard U.S. Navy ships in the 1940s or 1950s. The name was inspired by the way greasy burgers slid across the galley grill while the ship pitched and rolled. A “slider with a lid” was a cheeseburger. White Castle trademarked the spelling variant “Slyder.”

    Today, gourmet sliders—bison, venison, Wagyu beef, etc.—are served as an hors d’oeuvre, amuse-bouche, or in multiples as an entrée.
     

    CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Farmers Market Shopping Tips

    August 21, 2014 at 8:06 am · Filed under Vegetables-Salads-Herbs

    One of our favorite weekly recreations is strolling through our local farmers market. We love looking at the farm-fresh, locally-grown produce, baked goods, cheeses and seafood pulled fresh from the ocean. We love finding things we’d never find in a retail store. Purslane, anyone?

    You meet nice people, too. Aside from the farmers themselves, the customers can be helpful, sharing “finds” and cooking tips. Last week, one gentlemen pulled out his wallet to help us when he thought we didn’t have enough cash to pay for our heirloom tomatoes!

    Don’t expect bargains at a farmers market: You’re getting top quality, fresh-picked produce grown by small family farmers. We could pay less for peaches at Trader Joe’s, shipped in from who knows where. We save where we can, but we’re glad that we can afford to help keep family farms in business.

    Birds & Blooms magazine consulted farmers nationwide to create a comprehensive guide to the proper etiquette and best tips for shopping at farmers markets. Here are our top ten (the full list of 33 tips can be found here):

  • Go early. When we tarry and arrive after noon, the fresh corn is almost always gone. It’s also fun to watch the stands set up, and to enjoy the early morning air on a nice day.
    		•     
    hollywood-farmers-market-.net-230
    A walk through a farmers market is a food
    lover’s joy. Photo courtesy Hollywood Farmers
    Market    . Wish we were there right now!
     

  • Bring cash. Most markets are a strictly cash business. Credit and debit cards not only erode profits by taking a fee with each purchase, but renting the electronic scanners also erodes the already-low profit margins.
  • Don’t haggle! Traditions from the flea market do not port over to the farmers market. Farmers are almost always giving you the best price they can while still making a profit. Be happy to pay in full—you’re not only getting better, fresher produce, you’ll also be supporting a local farm.
  • Bring your own tote bags. Having a reusable bag is eco-friendly and also cuts out the number of plastic bags farmers have to pay for.
    		•

     

    tomatoes-greenbeans-birdsandblooms-230
    Handle gently! Photo courtesy Birds and
    Blooms.    		  
  • Look around before buying. We are guilty of shopping at the first stand we encounter, only to find that the same item costs 50¢ a pound less, just five stands away. Walk the market first to compare prices and products; then decide where to spend your money.
  • Respect the produce. While you typically inspect the fruit and veggies and help yourself, remember that many of these items are fragile. Do your best to handle everything with great care, and not to tear up a display in search of the perfect bunch of basil.
  • Don’t spurn imperfections. Some heirloom varieties may not look as perfect as supermarket varieties (that’s why they’re heirlooms, not mainstream). But even though that tomato looks strangely lumpy, you can bet that it will taste a lot better than the perfect-looking one from the store. And once it’s sliced, you won’t notice.
  • Ask questions. Farmers love to talk about what they raise, as long as they aren’t super busy. They often take great pride in educating customers about their farms and their wares. Ask questions, and soak it all in.
    		•
     

  • Be adventurous. First, try something you haven’t tried before. The farmer can suggest how to prepare it, or you can look online.
  • Get tips from the farmer. Ask how long the eggs, dairy products, produce or baked goods should last, and what can be kept on the counter versus the fridge.

    •  
    TO FIND A FARMERS MARKET NEAR YOU, VISIT LOCALHARVEST.ORG.

      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: More To Do With Mozzarella

    August 20, 2014 at 8:43 am · Filed under Cheese-Yogurt-Dairy

    You love it on pizza, lasagna, panini, and in a Caprese salad. But there‘s more you can do with mozzarella.

    For example, Crave Brothers, Wisconsin-based producers of award-winning cheeses, say that mozzarella and fresh vegetables were made for each other.

    Think beyond the eight-ounce or one-pound balls of mozzarella to other sizes:

  • Perlini (per-LEE-nee), tiny pearl size balls.
  • Ciliegine (CHEEL-yay-genie), the size of cherry tomatoes.
  • Bocconcini (bow-cawn-CHEE-nee), ball size.
  • Ovoline (oh-voe-LEE-nee), egg size.
  • Medallions, pre-sliced from one-pound logs.

    •  
    Then, decide how to use them.
     
     
    MORE WAYS TO USE MOZZARELLA CHEESE

  • Appetizer Skewers. Ciliegine are the perfect size for skewers, along with cherry tomatoes and other vegetables, cubed meats or rolled proscuitto.
    		•    Perlini-230
    What would you do with perlini, pearls of mozzarella? Photo by Melody Lan | THE NIBBLE.
  • Cooked Vegetables. Pearline create tasty dots of mozzarella, strewn across hot or chilled cooked vegetables.
  • Fruit Salads. Another way to enjoy fruit and cheese! For dessert, try ciliegine and melon balls with snipped basil and a light vinaigrette dressing.
  • Green Salads, Pasta Salads. Toss the smaller sizes into green salads or pasta salads. They elevate
     
     
    RECIPE: STRING BEAN SALAD WITH CUCUMBER & MOZZARELLA

    Here’s how the Crave brothers are enjoying their mozzarella: with green beans and cucumbers.

    Ingredients

  • Steamed green beans, room temperature
  • Cucumber slices
  • Perlini
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Optional: fresh herbs—basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, thyme or other favorite
  • Dressing: fruity vinaigrette, with olive oil and berry- or cherry-infused vinegar; or a balsamic vinaigrette

    •  
    Preparation

    1. TOSS all ingredients. Since there are no greens to get soggy, you can do this ahead of time.

    2. SERVE chilled or at room temperature.
     
     

    CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

     
     

      

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