BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (and Memphis-style Coleslaw)

3 lb. boneless pork shoulder

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Smoked paprika or liquid smoke

1-1 1/2 bottles BBQ Sauce (I prefer Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce)

About 12 high-quality rolls

Memphis-style Coleslaw

Thick-cut dill pickle slices

Rinse pork roast well in cold water and trim of excess fat. This is important because sometimes, boneless pork shoulder (and bone-in pork shoulder, for that matter) can take on kind of an icky fishy odor and a lot of that smell is in the juices and the fat. Pat dry. Sprinkle roast with seasonings and place in your slow cooker. Add about 1/2 inch of water and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

When the roast has cooked, drain liquid and then return to the slow cooker and shred. Pour enough sauce over the meat so it's well-incorporated but not soupy. Return the lid to the crockpot and heat through.

When ready to serve, slice rolls and add meat. Top with coleslaw and a few slices of dill pickle.

Nearly die of sheer happiness!

Memphis-Style Coleslaw
recipe from Ourbestbites.com

1 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Dijon or whole-grain mustard
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 heaping tsp. Kosher salt (or an even 1/2 tsp. of table salt)
1 Tbsp. grated onion
2-2 1/2 tsp. celery seed (absolutely essential for classic coleslaw flavor)
1 16-oz. bag shredded cabbage with carrots (stay away from the very fine shreds because they'll get too soggy)
1/2 minced green bell pepper
1 carrot, peeled and grated

Combine mayo, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, onion, and celery seed. In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, carrots, and green pepper.
Toss with dressing and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours and up to about 3 days.

Yummy Lemon Pepper Pork Chops

We have pork chop issues in our family. Bret likes just plain old pork chops bbq'd and I like them to have flavor and tender. So basically cooked in the crockpot with something yummy. I've been searching for a few years for a recipe we all can agree on. In the mean time our family has been pork chop deprived. Today I found it. I made it for dinner tonight and everyone loved it. Here's how it goes:

How ever many pork chops you need for your family
Square of foil for each pork chop...big enough to wrap and seal pork chop.
Put a little butter and olive oil in the middle of each piece of foil.
Sprinkle lemon pepper on both sides of each pork chop. Place pork chop on top of oil and butter. Put a little more butter and olive oil on top of pork chop. Pour 2 tsp. of worcestershire sauce on each pork chop. Sprinkle with a little garlic salt or minced garlic and a little salt. Wrap up each pork chop and place in baking dish. If you don't put it in a dish, you will probably have a huge mess in your oven. Bake 400 for 35-45 min.

Cafe Rio Salad (Pat gets credit for finding this yummy one)

Pork

3 pounds pork roast (butt or shoulder)
3/4 cup coca cola
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
3/4 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
2 limes, juice only
1 cups tomatilla sauce (see recipe)

Place the pork in a crock pot. Top with garlic and coca cola. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until you can shred it with a fork. When pork is tender, remove it from crock pot and shred. Return meat to crock pot and mix in the remaining ingredients for the sauce. Cover and simmer on low until ready to serve.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

2 large jalapeño peppers (I use 1 or 2 and I take out most seeds)
3 cloves garlic
2 tomatillos
1 handful cilantro
2 limes, juice only
2 cups milk
2 cups mayonnaise
2 packages Hidden Valley ranch salad dressing mix

Blend all ingredients except mayonnaise in blender until smooth. Whisk in the mayonnaise and chill until ready to serve.

(I fry large flour tortillas in really hot oil and then drain them on a paper towel [in a bowl so they harden in a bowl shape], or you can buy the tortilla bowls that are already shaped that you bake. We make a salad with romaine lettuce, the pork, black beans, Mexican rice, cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, or anything else you want to add. We also crumble lime tortilla chips in the salad. Top with the dressing. What's the word in Spanish for this is so freakin' good?)