During the hustle and bustle of our week with school, meetings, doctor appointments, jiu-jitsu classes, music practice and just normal daily running around, dinner can be an afterthought. Time to dust off the slow cooker. What can be more comforting while in the mist of a crazy day than the knowledge of dinner cooking at home? I love walking through the front door and having the scent of dinner greeting me. All I have to do is set the table and maybe make a side veggie. Easy. I sometimes take a recipe that is just designed for the oven or stove and with wild abandon toss it in my slow cooker. Recently while we were visiting my mother in Huntington Beach, she made barbecue sandwiches. The recipe came from Paula Deen, that gray-haired hoot on the Food Network that puts my butter use to shame. I have never used any of Paula’s recipes, so I was curious as to how the sandwiches were going to turn out, and most importantly, if my kids were going to like them. Turns out the recipe is a hit, only my mom was at the stove for a while. I thought this would be one of those perfect meals for a busy fall evening. I made some of my own changes to suit the slow cooker and my personal taste. I love the flavor of the rub that I frequently use . Now it’s one of our favorite slow cooker recipes. The night before I make a batch of dough for sandwich rolls, and with some baked beans and veggies, dinner is a breeze.
Recipe adapted from Paula Deens’ BBQ Pork Sandwich
BBQ Pork Sandwich
Dry rub:
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 tablespoon cayenne
4 pound shoulder pork roast
2 cups apple juice
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
6 soft hamburger buns
Directions
Mix the dry rub ingredients in small bowl. Sprinkle rub all over the pork roast, pressing into the pork. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight. If you forget to do this, it really is no biggie, the meat still turns out fantastic.
Combine liquid ingredients and the garlic powder in a medium bowl and pour into slow cooker. Cook on low for about 11 hours hours or high heat for about 5 hours.
Shred the pork with a fork or tongs into bite-size pieces.
Serve on hamburger buns topped with barbecue sauce.
Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she and her family moved to Redding 11 years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and husband Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.
Copyright 2009 Andrea R. Charroin. Visit her blog at bakerslove.typepad.com
