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Easy Pulled Pork Sandwich - In the Spirit of North Carolina

‘Cue is the great sacrament of our people.  No transubstantiation required.  It are what we are.

--North Carolinians

Barbeque is a subject of intense interest and loyalties in North Carolina, a subject about which everyone thinks they’re right and that everyone else wouldn’t know a decent plate of ‘cue from a cue ball.  

-- Dennis Rogers

 

The previous post encouraged culinary cheating -- a quicker, easier way to create traditional, complex dishes.  An inappropriate term?  Well, the language may be somewhat unrefined, but it’s accurate and the idea is solid.  However you say it, it’s much better than gastronomic abstinence.  Trying an easier version of a classic dish may not look or taste completely authentic, but it’ll still be delicious, and give a real sense of accomplishment.  And, wishing hard won’t get you a pulled pork sandwich.

North Carolina BBQ is serious cuisine with well-guarded secrets and highly debated, detailed methods.  The proper way means the whole pig, flavorful rubs, getting the wood to the perfect temperature, keeping the wood at the perfect temperature, gradually adding more ashed-over wood, spritzing down flare-ups, slowly cooking with indirect heat for hours & hours until the pork is so tender, it falls off the bone as the fork comes into proximity.  Real North Carolina ‘cue is the South’s magnum opus.  ‘Cueing a whole hog isn’t a beginner’s project, but with determination, and a few smaller projects under your belt, it can be done.

Easy Kansas City BBQ Ribs

Sure, I condone cheating.  If it’s between cheating a little and never attempting a dish because “the proper way” is too difficult or time consuming, I have no problem with shortcutting it.  The result may not be completely authentic, but at the very least, it’ll be a pretty tasty interpretation.

Case in point: Kansas City BBQ ribs -- rubbing, marinating, getting the wood to the perfect temperature, keeping the wood at the perfect temperature, gradually adding more ashed-over wood, slowly cooking the ribs with indirect heat for 5-6 hours, apple juice spritzing at regular intervals, slathering both sides with rich, tomatoey molasses sauce until the meat is so tender, it falls off the bone as the fork comes into proximity.  My God!  True KC ribs are undeniably sumptuous, and will cause some serious finger licking; but authentically recreating such a masterpiece is not easy and isn’t done by many.

I figured out how to get really tender, flavorful ribs with that lovely inherent smokiness, but without staying up all night holding a juice-filled spray bottle.  The method: rub it, smoke it, braise it and glaze it -- that’s it.  Plus, if the rubbing & smoking are done the first day, then braising & glazing the next; not only do the tasks seem more manageable, but, the rub & smoke permeate the meat more fully.  

Fried Chicken & Domaine Ste. Michelle 2002 Luxe Sparkling

My husband says I’m trying to kill him.  Mmhmm ... he’s a pussy.  No one gets out of this life alive, and there are worse ways to die than by gustatory ecstasy.  Not that fried chicken is gustatory ecstasy per se, but a tasty, farm-raised chicken, well-seasoned and perfectly fried, served with a chilled glass of really good Champagne, is fairly close to the pinnacle.  Now, if the same (now perfectly chilled) chicken is quietly plucked from the fridge around midnight and served in the dark with a really good Champagne and a movie ... well, I think that’s the actual definition of gustatory ecstasy.  I could be wrong -- you can look it up.

The Sparkling Wine:

Luxe is luxe.  It’s decadent, creamy and toasty with an almost warm lemon exuberance to it -- at least that’s what it tastes like tonight.  The lovely synergy between sparkling wine and fried food is the refreshing, palate-cleansing bubbles that cut through the dish’s richness.  I want to believe it clears the richness right out of the arteries too, but I can’t prove that.  You could look it up though.  

Spicy Shrimp & Dirty Grits with Chateau Ste. Michelle 2007 Eroica Riesling

After hours of shrimp ‘n grits research and recipe testing, I decided I likes ‘em like my men -- spicy, smoky and dirty.  There’s a zillion variations of this Low-Country dish, and quite honestly, I haven’t figured out the original.  From what I can tell, if shrimp, bell peppers, Tabasco, and some type of smoky, fat-rendering pork product are included, it’s a fairly genuine nod to tradition.

Broiled Grits with Smoky Bacon & Sharp Cheddar

Broiled grits is an excellent dinner party dish.  Made and topped in advance, this method lets you focus on your guests, not your grits.  When it’s time to serve, place them under the broiler for a few minutes to heat the grits and melt the cheese.  It’s also a great way to use up leftovers.

For an authentic touch, stir the grease from the bacon right into the grits at the end to dirty them up -- just don't tell your cardiologist.  If you don’t want the extra step of cooking bacon, a little chopped Kentucky ham is a delicious substitution.  

Grits is Good

Grits -- a simple peasant dish of warm, creamy cornmeal; occasionally dirtied, mostly buttered, always textured, never instant (that’s heresy).  They say, “A man full of grits is a man at peace.”  True... true.  I’ve found this dish, more so than any other, will induce a Southerner’s wistful thoughts of youth, breakfasts past, and usually their mother.  Grits are well-loved by many -- it’s a dish of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Braised Rosemary Chicken with Green Olives, Raisins & Capers

Braising is insanely easy and tastes even better the second day, which makes it an ideal dinner party dish.  A good braise depends on a flavorful braising liquid and a long, low simmer in the oven or on the stove top.  

Braising variations are almost endless -- experiment with different aromatic vegetables, herbs and spices, red or white wines, spirits, stock, and meat.  Side dishes are also numerous -- polenta, risotto, noodles, potatoes or other root vegetables, sauteed greens.

Braised Rosemary Chicken with Green Olives, Raisins & Capers

serves 4

Hangover Eggs

 

Atlas Shrugged & Russian Pelmeni: A Book Report with Food

 

Corn Dogs

Oh, for Pete's sake, don't give me that look -- everyone loves a good corn dog.  However, there are two main camps: ketchupers and mustardites (if you are an aiolian or “special saucier”, your just throwing your vote away).  I’m a nonjudgemental mustardite -- I likes it spicy.  Regardless of your position, this dog recipe is condimentally nonpartisan.  Fry up a batch for your holiday party.  There may be a few moderately judgmental glances at first, but trust me, they'll love you.