Slow Roasted Dry Rubbed Pulled Pork

Slow Roasted Dry Rubbed Pulled Pork

Winter persists here in the Far Northeast. The calendar may say Spring but the foot and a half of snow we had this week insists it is not. It's going to be a while still before the several feet of snow melts from my back deck and the gas grill and smoker can be put to use. To bridge the gap, I came across this idea from Chef Perry Perkins who slow roasts dry rubbed pulled pork in the oven for a very long time as you would in a temperature controlled smoker.

While the original idea calls for the use of liquid smoke in the liquid under the pork, I've never really liked it plus It will fill your house with a smoky scent that may persist for some time. Instead I used a dry rub that uses smoked paprika to provide some delicious smoky flavor.

You really do need to use a large piece of meat for a recipe like this, it really won't work well with a small pork roast for example. I used a whole pork shoulder that was about 8 pounds. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your particular piece of meat but like when I smoke pork shoulder, up to 2 hours per pound is recommended. I took this one out of the oven at 14 hours which was 1 hour and 45 minutes per pound and it was perfect. The pork will mostly stay together as a whole but should pull apart easily. On a meat thermometer 190 - 200 degrees F should be perfect.

This recipe got the approval of my pulled pork loving son. We made some great pulled pork sandwiches with the addition of a little of my Maple Chipotle Barbecue Sauce.

One of the best reasons to make pulled pork, especially on the weekend is for the leftovers that it provides for easy meals early in the week. We used some of our frozen pizza dough to make pulled pork pizza very much like this one. Pulled Pork Nachos are also one of our family's favorites and we've used it in great calzones too.

If you like the idea of this recipe, try the same idea on some succulent slow cooked ribs too.


The recipe here makes about 2 cups of rub so you can scale it down if you like but I like to keep it on hand for terrific roast chicken, chops or even burgers. You will find many ways to use it. I just keep a supply on hand in a mason jar in my spice drawer. It also makes a wonderful thank-you gift if someone invites you to dinner. You're sure to receive another invite before long.

Slow Roasted Dry Rubbed Pulled Pork

DRY RUB

Makes about 2 cups dry rub.

• 3 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 3 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp powdered ginger
• 1 tbsp chipotle powder
• 6 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp ground oregano
• 1 tbsp ground thyme
• 1 tbsp ground coriander 
• 2 tbsp dry mustard powder
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together well and store any unused dry rub in an airtight container in a cool place.

• 7-8 pound whole pork shoulder

I like to remove the skin from the pork shoulder and trim the outer fat layer to about a 1/4 inch. You can leave the skin on if you prefer.


Liberally rub the entire pork shoulder with the dry rub, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for 12-24 hours to let the spice flavors penetrate the meat before cooking.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.


Mix together:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

Pour into the roasting pan with the pork shoulder.

Roast uncovered for about 1 hour and 45 minutes per pound. (See notes in recipe introduction.)

When the pork shoulder comes out of the oven, tent it loosely with aluminum foil and let it sit to rest for 30-45 minutes before pulling the meat apart  in medium sized pieces to serve. Toss the pork in the skimmed pan drippings or with a little Maple Chipotle Barbecue Sauce to serve.

Slow Roasted Dry Rubbed Pulled Pork

Old Fashioned Molasses and Bacon Baked Beans

Old Fashioned Molasses and Bacon Baked Beans

Baked beans is another family favorite in our household and we have several go-to recipes depending on what else is on the menu. Search baked beans on this website and you'll see several recipes from spicy Maple Chipotle to Baked Beans with Apple Sausage.

Today's recipe is the one we use most often though and is pretty close to how I first made them over 30 years ago. The only real difference is that I like to use smoked paprika for added smokey flavor to the beans these days but you can easily substitute regular paprika if you can't find smoked.

Be careful to use fancy molasses or light molasses in this recipe, other types like blackstrap or cooking molasses can be too strongly flavored.

This batch is also quite big and would serve a dozen people or more but we always make this large a batch to freeze them in 16 -20 ounce plastic containers to enjoy for lunch or with a great brunch for several weeks later. If you don't want to make that much, the recipe is easily halved.

We love these beans served with our favorite Apple Barbeque Pulled Pork Sandwiches. The pulled pork and the beans are slow cooked for a similar amount of time so we often have both in the oven at the same time and are guaranteed leftovers for a couple of days, so it's a great weekend cooking project.

 Begin by soaking in water overnight or up to 48hours:

• 1 1/2 pounds dry white beans (or navy beans)

In a large skillet slowly fry:

• 1 pound sliced smoked bacon, cut in small pieces

Completely render the fat out of the bacon, leaving it crispy. Pour off the majority of
the fat from the pan. Set the bacon aside. Return the pan to the stove over medium heat and add:

• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 large red onions chopped

Cook until the onions and garlic are softened, then add:

• 3 cups water

Let the water come to the boil to deglaze the pan. Add to a large covered roaster along
with the crisp bacon, the soaked beans which have been drained and add:

• 1 cup light or fancy molasses
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4  tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• one 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, pureed
• one 28 ounce can tomato sauce
• 4 tbsp dijon mustard

Stir all together well, cover and place in a 325 degree F oven for 3 to 4 hours
stirring occasionally. The beans should be fully cooked and tender and the sauce
should thicken. I sometimes add a little extra boiling water during the cooking time if
the sauce thickens too quickly before the beans are fully cooked. This is not a problem
at all and can be done more than once if necessary.

Old Fashioned Molasses and Bacon Baked Beans

Onion and Fennel Braised Chicken with Brown Butter and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Onion and Fennel Braised Chicken with Brown Butter and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Slow cooked Sundays are pretty common around here, especially on days like today when a winter storm rages outside. There's nothing better than weathering out the storm on a relaxed afternoon while supper slowly cooks away in the oven, practically unattended. A pot roast or pulled pork are two of our family favorites but slow braised chicken is also a delicious choice.

Sweet onions are best for this dish because the higher natural sugar content lets them slowly soften and caramelize along with the aromatic anise-like flavor of the fennel. Chicken legs and thighs actually work best in this very simple recipe because they don't dry out in the long cooking time but if you are going to use chicken breasts, like in the photo, I recommend starting to braise the onions and fennel first for at least an hour before adding the browned bone-in chicken breasts for the last hour or so.

We often roast garlic to add to our mashed potatoes and on this occasion we also browned the butter that we added to them for an outstandingly delicious version of that side dish classic. Topped with the braised onions and fennel and the tender chicken, it really hits the spot for a cold weather comfort food meal.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Serves 4 - 6

• 2 - 3 pounds of chicken thighs, well trimmed of excess fat and skin
• salt and pepper to season the chicken
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat and brown the chicken thighs on both sides. Remove the chicken and set aside.

To the skillet add:

• 3 cloves roughly chopped garlic
• 2 large white sweet onions, thinly sliced (Vidalia onions are a good choice)
• 1/2 large fennel head, thinly sliced

Cook the onions, fennel and garlic for a few minutes until they begin to soften, then transfer them to a  covered dutch oven or medium sized roasting pan. To the pan add:

• 1/2 cup white wine (or chicken stock)
• 4 springs fresh thyme (or 1 1/2 tbsp dry thyme)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Toss together well, cover and cook in the oven for about 3 hours or until the onions and fennel have broken down completely and start to turn brown and the chicken thighs are fall apart tender. Serve the chicken with the braised onion and fennel over Brown Butter and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Brown Butter and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Roast the garlic for this recipe in the last hour that the chicken is in the oven.

• 1/2 head garlic

Cut the half head of unpeeled garlic in half and place on a square of aluminum foil, cut side up. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle on a little olive oil. Bring all sides of the aluminum foil to the center and pinch together to seal. Place in the oven with the chicken for 45-60 minutes until fully softened and cooked.

• 2 1/2 pounds of potatoes

Peel the potatoes and boil slowly in salted water until fully cooked.

To a small saucepan add:

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup butter (only real butter works here)

Melt over medium heat and continue to cook until all the water steams off the butter and the leftover milk solids in the butter start to go brown. At this point the butter begins to smell like caramel.

Mash the potatoes together until smooth with the roasted garlic and brown butter as well as a pinch of pepper to season. You can also add a little cream if you like for extra richness.

Maple Chipotle Pulled Pork and Beans

Maple Chipotle Pulled Pork and Beans

On a cold, rainy Saturday a few weeks ago I decided a slow cooked day was in order. How better to ignore the torrent of rain outside than to sit back and watch old movies all afternoon while supper languidly bubbles away in the oven for several hours, needing very little attention.

On days like that, my son usually requests one of his two slow cooked favorites, either baked beans or pulled pork. Since pork and beans is a natural combination I decided to try combining the two. Needless to say, the boy was very pleased.

Before preparing the slow cooked meal for the oven, I took the time to make some bread dough, which would also take its time to rise for the better part of the afternoon before sharing some oven time with the pork and beans. This rainy day supper was a slice of comfort food heaven; a thoroughly satisfying meal.

This would make such an ideal pot-luck contribution but be sure to bring along some of that Homemade Bread too.

Maple Chipotle Pulled Pork and Beans

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Maple Chipotle Pulled Pork and Beans - an ultimate comfort food meal combining two slow cooked favorites, pulled pork and baked beans.

Prep time: 1/2 hour
Cook time: 4 hours
Total time: 4 1/2 hours
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry white beans
• 3 pounds pork shoulder or butt
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2tsp salt
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 pound smoked bacon, cut in small pieces
• 1 large white onion chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cups water
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp chipotle powder (more or less to taste)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp dry thyme
• 4 cups pureed canned tomatoes
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 3 large bay leaves

Cooking Directions

1. You will need to pre-soak the beans in water at least overnight. The longer you soak the beans the less time it takes to cook them, although it will still be several hours. I have soaked beans for up to 48 hours in advance.
2. Cut the pork into about 1/2 to 2 inch cubes.
3. Mix together the ginger, pepper, cumin, chili powder and salt to form a rub for the pork. Rub it into the cubed pork.
4. Heat the canola oil in the bottom of a large dutch oven over medium to medium high heat. Add the seasoned pork cubes and brown them well. Remove from the pot and set aside.
5. Add the bacon to the pot and cook until almost crispy. Drain excess fat.
6. Add the onion and minced garlic and cook until softened.
7. Drain the beans from the water they were soaked in and add them to the pot.
8. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pot. If your dutch oven is not large enough you can transfer everything to a large covered roaster.
9. Stir all together well, cover and place in a 325 degree F oven for 3 to 4 hours stirring occasionally.
10. The beans should be fully cooked and tender and the sauce should thicken. I sometimes add a little extra boiling water during the cooking time if the sauce thickens too quickly before the beans are fully cooked. This is not a problem at all and can be done more than once if necessary. 

French Onion Braised Beef Brisket

French Onion Braised Beef Brisket

Although weather-wise we have had not a a bad October at all so far here in St. John's, the Autumn chill is definitely in the air despite the sunny days. It's the time of year when simple comfort food and a good straightforward  hot meal to warm your bones is very much appreciated. Such was the case last week when I was inspired to have this delicious slow cooked meal.

Beef brisket does take a long time to slowly cook to tender perfection but it is so worth the time. Brisket has some of the best flavor of any cut of beef, so there is a reward for your effort. I don't really see slow cooked meals as a lot of work as some folks do. Once the initial preparation is done and the brisket is in the oven, it really becomes just a matter of time and not work, so if you're at home all afternoon anyway, I really don't see what the big deal is. I really see slow cooking as a relatively no-fuss sort of meal and they are very often the kinds of dishes we prepare on what we call Slow-Cooked Sundays.

Other cuts of beef suitable for braising, like chuck, bottom round or blade roast or even flank steak will work well in this recipe and will also shave at least an hour off the cooking time, depending on their size. Taking the time to slowly caramelize the onions is of paramount importance in this recipe; it is the flavor base of the entire recipe and shouldn't be rushed...and remember, once that part is done and it's in the oven, you really just coast through the next few hours until it's time to serve up this fantastic comfort food dinner.

The Yorkshire Pudding popovers shown in the photo are never optional at our house. We simply have to have them with any roast beef dinner; there would be many protestations and much whining if we did not. Perfecting popovers is a skill every good home cook needs to learn and we have full instructions with all the tips and tricks needed to make them successfully every time. It's one of those recipes that really is all about perfecting the method of baking much more than anything else. Unlock all the secrets to making perfect Yorkshire Pudding popovers by clicking here.

See the mouth watering photo of some Yorkshire pudding brisket sandwiches at the end of this recipe. Leftovers like those are a great reason to buy a larger brisket! 

French Onion Braised Beef Brisket

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Using my homemade French Onion Soup recipe as a base to create a braising liquid for beef brisket, produced one of the best and tastiest comfort food meals I've had in years.

Prep time: 1/2 hour
Cook time: 4 hours
Total time: 4 1/2 hours
Yield: Serves 6 - 8
Ingredients

• 4 to 5 pound beef brisket
• salt and pepper to season
• 3 large onions, white or red, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced cloves garlic, minced
• 1 quart/liter low sodium beef stock
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dry thyme)
• fresh ground nutmeg
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Cooking Directions

1. Begin by caramelizing the onions. Add the butter to a saute pan along with the onions and garlic over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Slowly cook the onions until they are softened and begin to slowly caramelize and turn brown. Do not do this too quickly or they will develop a bitter flavor. Slow cooking the onions will bring out their natural sweetness. Don't rush this, it will take 15 o 20 minutes or so.
3. In a cast iron pan over medium high heat, add a little canola oil. Season the brisket with salt and pepper and brown the brisket on all sides before adding it to a covered roasting pan.
4. To the roasting pan, add all of the other ingredients, including the caramelized onions. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
5. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil as tightly as possible before adding the lid. Place in a 325 degree oven for 4 hours or until the brisket is fall apart tender.
6. Skim the excess fat from the pan drippings and serve as a jus with the brisket or use it to make a gravy, whichever you prefer. 

Another fantastic serving suggestion for this tender beef brisket recipe and a perfect excuse to make additional Yorkshire pudding popovers, is this popover stuffed brisket sandwich with the French onion braising liquid as an au jus dip. Leftovers were never more satisfying or delicious than this.

French Onion Braised Beef Brisket Yorkshire Pudding Sandwich
with French Onion Au Jus Dip

Our Best Simple Bolognese Sauce

Our Best Simple Bolognese Sauce

There are so many recipes out there for Bolognese sauce and with such a much loved traditional recipe, there is no wonder that so many variations of it available. Italians can be quite fierce in their opinions about what constitutes a proper Bolognese sauce; is milk added?...oregano? ...basil? ...other herbs? ..tomato sauce or tomato paste? Ask any of those questions and you are going to get answers...and probably lots of them. So, with so many differing opinions, I'm going to ignore most of them and give you our family's most loved Bolognese Sauce recipe.

The Bolognese Sauce that our family really loves concentrates on simplicity, slow cooking, modest seasoning and the approach that, even though it does contain tomatoes, it is a meat sauce and not a tomato sauce. Since I like to simmer my sauce for a long time to concentrate the flavor, I do not use tomato paste but canned San Marzano tomatoes, my favorite, which I puree in the blender. In addition to red wine, I also use some beef stock in order to allow for a longer simmering time and to deepen the rich beefy flavor of the sauce. This particular batch actually simmered very slowly for almost four hours, to be served as one of our most loved Sunday suppers. It is well worth the time. Serve with plenty of very good grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Our family's preference is the best Parmagiano Reggiano cheese we can find, freshly grated over the top. There is no such thing as too much.

This recipe produces a very thick, rich, intensely flavored sauce which we serve over tagliatelle, spaghetti or for my son Noah, almost always penne. Leftover sauce at our house can get used to make the absolute best lasagne or even Bolognese Sloppy Joes with some provolone cheese melted over the meat sauce and served on toasted crusty bread. I recommend you plan for leftovers, especially those sloppy Joes; they are so delicious!

Save your Parmesan rinds to add to Bolognese sauce.

Do you throw out the rinds from Parmesan cheese? Stop! Save them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for the next time you make Bolognese sauce and drop 2 or 3 in as soon as the sauce begins to simmer. People will wonder what the secret is to your delicious Bolognese. Our motto here at Rock Recipes is "No flavor left behind!"

Our Best Bolognese Sauce

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Our Best Bolognese Sauce - This recipe produces a very thick, simply seasoned, rich, intensely flavored sauce. Delicious over any pasta, in lasagne or to make Bolognese Sloppy Joes!

Prep time: 1/2 hour
Cook time: 3 to 4 hours
Total time: 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours
Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 6 ounces finely diced pancetta or bacon
• 3 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 4 cups pureed canned tomatoes
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 3 cups low sodium beef stock
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 large bay leaves
• 2 large carrots, finely diced
• 3 celery sticks, finely diced
• 2 large onions, finely diced
• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 pounds fresh or dried pasta of your choice
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Cooking Directions

1. In a large dutch oven or small stock pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and chopped pancetta or bacon. Cook until the pancetta or bacon is almost crispy.
2. Add the onions, garlic, celery and carrots and cook until the onions have softened and begin to caramelize to a light brown color, stirring often.
3. Add the ground beef, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook until the beef is well browned.
4. Add the pureed tomatoes, wine, beef stock, milk and bay leaves. Stir.
5. Cover and bring to a slow simmer.
6. Simmer very gently, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 hours. If you feel you need to add more beef stock, that's fine but you may want to turn down the heat if the liquid is boiling away too rapidly. A slow simmer is important here.
7. The liquid should be almost completely gone at the end and the meat sauce will be quite thick. Stir in the Parmesan or Romano cheese.
8. Serve over or tossed with cooked pasta topped with lots of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

   

   Bolognese Sloppy Joes

Tomato Fennel Braised Chicken Thighs

Tomato Fennel Braised Chicken Thighs

One of my very favorite flavor combinations is tomato and fennel. I love the flavor boost that fennel gives to a great tomato sauce and when you slowly braise chicken thighs in that sauce to tender deliciousness, it just gets even better.  We like to serve this over pasta or rice for one delicious slow cooked comfort food dinner.

• 2-3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• Salt and pepper to season chicken
• Flour for dredging chicken
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 6 large ripe tomatoes, diced
• ½ large bulb fennel (or one small bulb ), diced
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 large red onion diced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and then dredge them in plain flour. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock, making sure to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

In a covered roasting pan toss together the remaining ingredients. Add the browned chicken thighs on top of the vegetables and pour the chicken stock over everything. Cover and roast at 300 degrees F for about 90 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked off and the chicken is tender and falling apart.

To serve, you can either spoon the vegetables over rice or pasta or, if you prefer, process them slightly in a foods processor to make a sauce.

Moroccan Spiced Braised Chicken with Mission Figs

Moroccan Spiced Braised Chicken with Mission Figs

This one is worth trying just to enjoy the smell through the house as it's cooking.

Pictured on a bed of Israeli couscous.

1 whole chicken cut in pieces or 3 pounds chicken drumsticks and/or thighs
(dark meat does braise best) Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
In a large heavy bottomed skillet brown the chicken pieces well on all sides in 3 tbsp olive oil.

Transfer the browned pieces to a covered roasting pan.

In a large bowl add and combine well

1 ¼ cups chicken stock
1 ¼ cups apple juice
1 cup chopped mission figs (dates make a good substitution if you prefer)
¼ cup brown sugar
1 chopped onion
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger root
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon coriander

Pour over the chicken pieces, cover and cook in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours. You can reduce the sauce to thicken by boiling it on the stovetop for a few minutes if desired. Shown served on a bed of Israeli couscous but can be served on rice as well.