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Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Sweet Coleslaw

Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Sweet Coleslaw

Do you know one of those backyard-food-people? One of those people who have attempted to fry a whole turkey in their backyards at great personal peril? Or one of those who owns and employs a device that smokes meat in their backyard all day? Who makes their own beef jerky? What?!

You know one of those people, I’m sure. I know a few. I can’t poke too much fun at them because I do so love the fried turkey my sis- and bro-in-law made, and I’m crazy about the smoked pork butt my dad makes for special occasions. I appreciate those backyard food pioneers.

Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Sweet Coleslaw

I also can’t poke too much fun at them because this past weekend, I became one of those people. Masterbuilt sent me their Electric Digital Smokehouse and asked me to try it out. Mike and I wanted to fire it up over Labor Day weekend; alas, it rained. So this weekend it was!

Disclosure: Masterbuilt sent me this electric smokehouse for free so I could try it out. Opinions I share with you are always honest and authentically my own.

I think Mike and I were both skeptical when the smokehouse arrived and we saw how complicated it seemed. It felt a little fussy to put together and it’s certainly not the tool you’d use to churn out a quick weeknight dinner. Now that we’ve actually used it, though, we’re both kind of hooked. And I think we’ve gotten the right perspective: using the smoker is more of an experience, a crafting process, a hobby. You experiment with different wood chips, rubs, meats, cooking times. It feels like developing a special recipe. It’s not just about cooking meat — there are faster ways to do that. It’s about perfecting meat. I can get into this!

And after the setup, it turned out using the smokehouse was a cinch: you preheat it, load your wood chips through an easy loader built into the smokehouse, stick your meat in, set the timer, and wait, adding more chips as needed. As our pork was smoking, Mike started brainstorming what else we could smoke and I started wondering how hickory wood chips might change the flavor of the meat. We were all set to give the smokehouse away after trying it, but neither of us is mentioning it going anywhere anymore!

Since we’re in an apartment complex, we used our new smoker down in our paved courtyard. We were worried that it might produce enough smoke to prompt neighbors to call the fire department, but we needn’t have worried. The smoke really wasn’t so bad. The aroma of smoking pork actually prompted a decidedly positive response from neighbors, instead!

You know what I loved about the smokehouse? It seemed clean and simple. There’s a digital display where you easily set the temperature and timer. There’s a remote control. There’s no gas or anything — it just plugs in an outlet. There’s a window to see inside without having to open the door and smoke yourself. There’s the wood chip loader in the side for the same reason. I just like that it didn’t have to feel like I was stuck in a charcoal pit to join the ranks of the smokeheads (is that what you call people who do this? I hope I didn’t just accidentally make some sort of drug reference. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.)

Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Sweet Coleslaw from Masterbuilt Electric Digital Smokehouse
Masterbuilt Electric Digital Smokehouse after smoking

I also love that after letting it smoke away outside all day with minimal effort on our part, we have enough food to last all week. Pork sandwiches, pork wraps, and pork enchiladas all around! And we could’ve fit plenty more veggies and roasts in the smoker if we’d wanted.

The best part about the smoker, though, wasn’t the quantity but the quality of the resulting meat. This pork was juicy, falling off the bone, and flavorful. No barbecue sauce needed here: the best-ever barbecue rub did all the spice work! We stuffed onion rolls full of juicy, tender meat topped with sweet coleslaw. I put some pimiento cheese on mine for good measure (Mike said I was gross.)

Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Sweet Coleslaw

Ultimately, I never would’ve forked out the money to buy this smokehouse on my own — but all the more reason I’m glad Masterbuilt sent one over and made me a believer. It’s a considerable investment with models running from $229 to $389, but if you have the money, this appliance certainly pulls its weight. I can’t wait to try it again! What meat should I smoke next, you guys?!

One year ago: German Chocolate Cheesecake
Two years ago: Gooey Cookies & Cream Bars
Three years ago: Bittersweet Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies
Four years ago: Peach Crisp Pie

Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Sweet Coleslaw

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking using a rub by Chris Schlesinger
Yield: a billion servings or pork. Or at least, like, 15.

How I love great pulled pork! This recipe uses a smoker, but you could also smoke your pork roast any way you’re used to smoking (my dad does his with his grill). The key is not to jump the gun in pulling it out — really let it smoke until it’s falling apart. Oh, and don’t forget to use the great spice rub!

Ingredients:
1 (6.5-pound) Boston Butt pork roast
Best Barbecue Rub
a few cups of hickory or mesquite wood chips
1 head cabbage
1 carrot
1 onion
6 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise to taste
buns of your choice

Directions:
The night before you plan to cook your pork, make your slaw: shred the cabbage, onion, and carrot in the food processor. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Pour in shredded veggies and mix well. Cover this and let it sit out while you prepare your pork. Then put it in the fridge (or let it sit out; nothing in it is perishable yet) overnight.

Also the night before, prepare your pork. Trim off some of the fat cap if there is one (I left about half of the thickness on). Generously rub your roast all over with the best barbecue rub. You won’t use the whole batch of rub that you made; you’ll probably use about half of it. Since you’ll want to save the rest, don’t put your raw-porky-hands into the rub’s container, but instead use a spoon to dispense the rub onto the pork before rubbing it in. Place the rubbed pork into a metal pan that you know will fit into your smoker, cover it, and let it sit overnight in the fridge.

Early in the morning before your pork dinner, put wood chips in your smoker and preheat it to 225 degrees for around 30 minutes (or according to manufacturer’s instructions.) Uncover your pork and place it into the preheated smoker, smoking it for around 8 hours (that’s how long it took for our 6.5-pound roast). Replace wood chips in your smoker as needed throughout the day, and also mix your cole slaw every now and again. After 8 hours of smoking, cover the pork roast with foil and cook for another hour.

When pork is almost ready, add 1-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise to your cole slaw and mix well. Chill until ready to serve. Heat or toast your buns. When pork is ready, shred it with two forks and mix it in its juices. Pile it high on a bun, top with sweet slaw, and enjoy!

September 9, 2013 by Julie Ruble | 18 Comments

cakes

Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake

Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake

So this morning, I was eating my breakfast Sasquatch, which is kind of like a giant Slim Jim (don’t look at me like that), and pulling out of the gas station when a man ran up to my car waving his arms. There was clearly something wrong with my car, and he was clearly trying to tell me about it.

I considered leaving the window up and driving blissfully to school, ignoring whatever horrible issue had arisen, hoping I didn’t explode along the way. That seemed like a much easier plan than rolling down my window and listening to whatever $8,000 problem this good samaritan was doubtless trying to alert me to.

Nevertheless, I set my Sasquatch down (ahem) with a sigh and rolled down the window. “Ma’am, you have a flat tire. On the back right.”

Of course I do. OF COURSE I DO. Because it takes me 10 minutes to get to work from the gas station and I had 10 minutes until I needed to be there. Because I had my 9th graders first period, I’ve only had one class with them in the past 3 weeks, and we had a ton to do. Because I particularly liked my outfit today and had been having a good morning so far. SO OF COURSE I HAVE A FLAT TIRE.

Naked Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake

I thanked the man (it was super nice to run after me into the road, after all), pulled back into the gas station, and called Mike. I probably should have then sat in my car and waited, but I started to think about what a wuss I was going to seem like when Mike arrived. I knew he was going to use the can of Fix-a-Flat in my trunk, and I knew there were directions on the can. What was to say I couldn’t fix the tire before he got there? Just the fact that I was a girl? That I was wearing an especially awesome outfit? Pshh! I could totally do this.

So while Mike was en route, I began hopping around the gas station parking lot like a jack rabbit (in heels), shaking the can vigorously for the full 30 seconds it prescribed. Then I attached it tightly — er, I thought it was tight, anyway — to my tire and pressed the nozzle…

Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake

…only to be showered with a foaming, spluttering waterfall of Fix-a-Flat, which (it turns out) smells a lot like a mixture of gasoline and motor oil. In case you ever wondered.

I looked down at my awesome outfit, which was now coated in an awesome automotive product. And I said, to no one in particular because I’d kind of lost it by that point, “I’m going to cry now. Just a little bit. But I’m definitely going to cry.”

Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake

When Mike pulled up, he found my car abandoned in the lot with the canister of Fix-a-Flat hanging unceremoniously off of the back tire. I was in the gas station bathroom mopping myself off. When I got back, I took his car to school and he took mine, canceling his own class to deal with the mess. As I write, he is currently sitting in the tire place and I am sitting in my classroom inhaling probably-toxic fumes off of my awesome outfit.

So here’s what I have to say about all that:
1. I am thankful for an awesome husband.
2. Please send cake.

One year ago: German Chocolate Cheesecake
Two years ago: Gooey S’mores Bars
Three years ago: Bittersweet Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies
Four years ago: Peach Crisp Pie

Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, adapted from one provided to St. Louis Today by Fred and Audrey Heimburger of Heimburger Bakery.
Yield: would easily serve 4-6 people

This was beyond fantastic. The gooey, fluffy texture of this cake along with the subtle lemon flavor was a downright ethereal combination. You’re gonna freak out when you taste it!

Crust Ingredients:
1 cup cake flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Filling Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
powdered sugar for dusting

Toppings Ingredients:
fresh raspberries
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 heaping tablespoons powdered sugar
lemon zest

Directions:
NOTE: If you don’t have a skillet, I believe you can bake this in a greased 9-inch square baking dish (I’d use a glass one if you have it, and check it early and often. Remove when there’s some jiggle left.) Let us know how it goes if you try it this way for all the other skilletless people!

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together cake flour, zest, and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together. Press the mixture into the bottom (this step is a lot harder than it sounds, but be patient and use the back of a spoon to help spread/press the mixture down. I also stuck mine in the fridge for a bit to make the butter less sticky) and up the sides of a 10-inch cast iron skillet.

Make the filling: Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow (about 2-3 minutes). Mix in the egg until just combined. Alternate adding the flour and evaporated milk, mixing after each addition. Mix in the corn syrup, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Pour the filling into the crust and sprinkle the top with icing sugar.

Bake and assemble the cake: Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until cake is nearly set (mine was probably ready around 30). Some jiggle is fine — do not overcook! It’ll finish setting up as it cools. Sprinkle some more powdered sugar on top. Let the cake cool in the skillet for 2 hours. In the meantime, beat heavy cream and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar together in a bowl to stiff peaks. Pile heaps of fresh raspberries into the center of your cooled, set gooey butter cake, top with a mountain of freshly whipped cream and lemon zest, and serve.

September 5, 2013 by Julie Ruble | 21 Comments

other

Brûléed Twinkie Ice Cream Sundae

Brûléed Twinkie Ice Cream Sundae

Awesome things about being married so far:

1. You come home from work and find that someone else has done the dishes.

2. There’s always someone to re-watch Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with you.

3. Having someone taller than you around means someone can reach the blankets on the top shelf of the closet.

Brûléed Twinkie Ice Cream Sundae

4. Cuddling is available 24 hours a day.

5. Errands aren’t as tedious and boring when there’s someone else who will run them with you.

6. Marrying someone who cooks means that you can get dinner made for you on occasion (Mike’s specialty right now is salmon.)

Brûléed Twinkie Ice Cream Sundae

7. Sitting on the couch each evening becomes a date.

8. When you go to work or the gym alone, you can think about how nice it’ll be to see your husband when you get home.

9. You get to pool talents. If he’s the best with budgeting, that’s his job. If you’re the best at setting Twinkies on fire and sticking them in a bowl of ice cream, that’s your job.

Brûléed Twinkie Ice Cream Sundae

10. Knowing you (God willing) have years to spend (and eat Brûléed Twinkie Ice Cream Sundaes) with your best friend.

One year ago: End of Summer Berry Cobbler
Two years ago: Fauxstess Cupcakes
Three years ago: Ina Garten’s Lemon Loaf Cake and Raffaldini Vineyards
Four years ago: Dobos Torte

Brûléed Twinkie Ice Cream Sundae

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 2-3 servings depend on how much ice cream you use

Celebrate Twinkies’ comeback by setting them on fire and sticking them in ice cream.

Ingredients:
2-3 Twinkies (full disclosure: I couldn’t find Twinkies, so I used Cloud Cakes)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk (or other liquid of your choice)
ice cream (I used Birthday Cake ice cream, but pick your favorite flavor)
white chocolate chips (or toppings of your choice)
sprinkles (or toppings of your choice)

Directions:
Pour coconut milk in one small, shallow bowl. Pour sugar in another. Set these up as an assembly line. Dip each Twinkie briefly in coconut milk to coat before rolling them in sugar to coat and placing them on a plate. Use a kitchen torch to “brûlée” the Twinkie until the sugar is bubbly and caramelizing.

Place a few servings of ice cream in a bowl and top with brûléed Twinkies (slicing one in half makes for a pretty presentation), white chocolate chips, and sprinkles. Put a few spoons into the bowl and serve!

August 26, 2013 by Julie Ruble | 18 Comments

other

Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sundaes

Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sundaes

“Just jump; I won’t let you fall.”

Do you remember standing on the side of the pool with floaties wedged onto your skinny upper arms, weighing the life-and-death decision before you? Your dad, who you’d always been able to trust, was now holding his arms out and asking for a huge leap of faith. Every cell of your body knew, instinctively, not to jump into the deep end of that pool. You couldn’t swim. What if you slipped right through your dad’s hands? But again, here was your dad’s voice, full of certainty. He loved you. He would never let you get hurt.

Maybe you were actually one of those kids who threw yourself willy-nilly into the deep end of the pool with ne’er a thought for your safety, but I was the kid above: paralyzed, carefully evaluating my chances of success before moving an inch.

Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sundaes

I’m still that same overly conscientious kid in some ways, but in other ways, I’ve changed considerably. One nice thing about moving forward so quickly these past few weeks (marriage, a new city, a new job) is how it has inspired me to look back. As I carefully set up my new classroom last week in preparation for the dozens of bright kids I knew were coming, I repeatedly found myself reflecting on the gifts my previous school, Woodlawn, gave me. One of the most revolutionary, for me, was the willingness to jump into the deep end.

My first year at Woodlawn, I remember having a healthy dose of skepticism about any new undertaking. Was the new integrated project we were discussing too big, too convoluted to pull off? Could we really pull together the portfolio presentation we were envisioning? Would all the pieces really fall into place for the film festival we wanted to put together? Every cell in my body told me the answer was no. Don’t jump. You’ll slip. Your head will go under. It’s not a sure bet.

Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sundaes

But my colleagues were always all in: throwing floaties into the wind, jumping straight off the high dive. Their certainty — just like my dad’s voice from the pool when I was a kid — won my trust. Their confidence was infectious. I made a choice; I jumped, too.

And it was magical. We all had faith and willingness, so projects grew and branched off into other fascinating projects. The quality of our endeavors — and our students’ experience — usually surpassed what we had first imagined. I learned over time to always, always jump.

Now here I am at a new school with new wonderful colleagues and new wonderful students, and I’ve got big ideas. Big projects, big undertakings. I find myself hesitating on the side of the pool again. But this time, I have the memory of all those amazing times at Woodlawn when the beautiful outcome always turned out to be so worth that scary leap in the end.

* * *
Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sundaes

Even as we move forward, the past can be such a comfort. One comfort food from my childhood that I’ll always love are brown sugar Pop-Tarts. I used to eat these straight from the microwave (yes, microwave, not toaster. Because I’m weird.) every single morning. In this recipe, I’ve turned Pop-Tarts into dessert! To make Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sundaes, a buttery brown sugar glaze is mixed into vanilla ice cream along with hunks of Pop-Tart. It’s a nostalgic and delicious treat.

One year ago: End of Summer Berry Cobbler
Two years ago: Peanut Butter Pie
Three years ago: Wacky Candy Cupcakes: Ferrero Rocher and Reese’s Cup
Four years ago: Lemon Blueberry Cake

Brown Sugar Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sundaes

Recipe by: Adapted from Cuisinart with glaze inspired by Epicurious
Yield: 5 cups, or 10 servings

Remember eating Pop-Tarts every morning before school? Now you can relive your Pop-Tart memories with dessert. These sundaes were so amazing!

Ice Cream Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
pinch salt
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Brown Sugar Glaze Ingredients:
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 brown sugar Pop-Tarts, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes, plus more for garnish

Directions:
Make sure your ice cream maker’s bowl is frozen per manufacturer’s instructions. In a medium bowl, beat together the milk, sugar, and salt until the sugar is dissolved. Add the heavy cream and vanilla, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or overnight.

Mix brown sugar glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until they boil, stirring constantly. Boil for about 30 seconds to be sure brown sugar is dissolved. Pour into a heat-proof bowl and let cool completely before chilling overnight with your ice cream base.

When ready to make your ice cream, turn on your ice cream maker and pour the vanilla mixture into its frozen bowl. Let the ice cream churn until thickened (mine takes about 20 minutes but it depends on your ice cream maker’s instructions). Spoon the ice cream out into an airtight resealable container and freeze until firmer (I skipped this step and stirred in my glaze right away and it mixed all the way into the ice cream. It was still super tasty, but it didn’t have the “marbled” look I was going for. So freeze the ice cream until firmer if you want it to be marbled.) Stir in Pop-Tart pieces and brown sugar glaze, mixing just until the ice cream is “swirled” with the glaze. Serve with whipped cream, caramel sauce, and Pop-Tart stick garnish.

August 20, 2013 by Julie Ruble | 13 Comments

cookies, other

Gooey Carmelitas

It’s the detritus that gets me: the rainbow of miscellaneous crap lying everywhere after I’ve packed a bajillion boxes.

Listen, I can pack boxes all day long. My obsessive-compulsive brain relishes the opportunity to play real-life Tetris with my possessions, categorizing them and nestling them together in a perfect cube. I can handle that.

But all of this CRAP. What even is all this stuff? On my counters and in my cabinets there is a veritable jungle of odds and ends: a lint roller, baggies, a leaf (what?), a random assortment of screws and hardware-looking-thingies, a hair band, a button that probably matches some a clothing item I own, a billion notes and receipts and coupons and CORDS. WHAT THE CRAP DO ALL THESE CORDS GO TO?!

What IS this stuff? It makes me lose my ever-lovin’ perfectionist MIND. What box do I put it in? It can’t go with the kitchen stuff. It can’t go in a box of clothes. I could have a giant miscellaneous box, but isn’t that the moving equivalent of a junk drawer — something I’ve guarded myself against developing for years?

I’m getting down to that point, though. I’ve packed all the clothes, all the dishes, all the turtle supplies, all the toiletries (even, funny story, the toilet paper — which I then realized we weren’t quite finished with. Oops.) I’ve packed all the categories. And I’m up to my eyeballs in the detritus. Since we have but a few precious hours until morning comes and the movers arrive, I might go crazy and start flinging things into a junk-box sooner than I expect.

At least I take comfort in the knowledge that most of you out there are sitting in a comfy chair in a fully unpacked home, and that hopefully someday within the next week or so, I will join you (in having a fully unpacked home, that is; not in your home. That would be weird. Unless you’re making carmelitas, in which case, I’ll be over in a few.)

These carmelitas are the maximum in ooey gooey chocolatey goodness. Heated up with a drizzle of chocolate and caramel and a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, they really are the bee’s knees. I need to stress eat one or two (eight.) right about now!

One year ago: Sausage & Toast Breakfast Strata in Baked Tomatoes
Two years ago: Apple Cinnamon Cream Cupcakes: NOT Back-to-School Cupcakes!
Three years ago: Old-Fashioned Burger Stand Burgers & Easy French Fries
Four years ago: Chocolate Cheesecake Stuffed Cupcakes with Ganache

Gooey Carmelitas

Recipe by: Adapted from Our Best Bites
Yield: 20 carmelitas

These are gooey, chocolatey, caramelly, and amazing! They’re quick and simple to make, and served warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, they’re to die for.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (or you can use all light)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 Ghirardelli dark chocolate bar (I used 86%)
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)
store-bought caramel sauce, warmed according to package directions

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang that will help you to pull the bars out later. Spray the paper a little with cooking spray.

Beat butter in a large mixing bowl until fluffy. Add brown sugars and cream until fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour slowly, mixing until just combined, and then stir in the oats. Press about 2/3 of the dough into your prepared pan, covering the bottom. Sprinkle chocolate chips, pieces of the chocolate bar, and nuts (if using) over the top. Pour caramel sauce over top just until the bars are all nice and drizzles (you probably won’t use the whole jar).

Take pinches of the rest of your oat mixture and flatten them into “shingles” in your hands, laying them over top of your chocolate and caramel filling until it’s roughly covered. Bake the bars for 22-25 minutes or until top is light brown. Don’t overbake them. Let the bars cool in the dish until they are room temperature. Lift them out and onto a cutting board and slice (I like to drizzle them with melted chocolate at this point). You can store them in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve them — and at that point, I recommend heating them up and adding a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!