Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

I have been hearing about cooking pork in a slow cooker with pop for ages now and have been completly intrigued ever since. I finally gave it a try this past weekend and wow was it delicious! The soda pop works not only to give the meat some nice flavor (no it doesn't taste like pop, just flavorful) but it also works as a tenderizer.  The pork came out of the slow cooker super juicey and completely falling apart. I hardly had to really "pull it" apart, just gently separate.  A nice bonus is that it is a very inexpensive meal as well.  It only cost me $6 for my 2 1/2 pound pork butt at Whole Foods Market!  Sure, this cut of meat is a bit fattier, but that also makes for a more flavorful final product.  Once cooked, the fat easily separated from the meat when I was pulling it apart.  We all agreed that this recipe is a winner and will be added to my meal plan rotation.

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker
adapted slightly from Mama Foodie


2 1/2-3 lb pork butt (also known as a pork shoulder)
24 oz. (2 cans) Dr. Pepper (or any caramel colored soda pop, each will provide a slightly different flavor)
1 medium onion, cut in quarters and then again in half
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dry ground mustard
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on personal taste.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
bbq sauce of choice
rolls or buns of choice

Place the chopped onions in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Place the pork butt on top of the onions and add the garlic, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the Dr. Pepper on top and cook on high for 4-5 hours (or on low for 8 hours).

Very carefully, because the pork will be hot, remove the meat from the slow cooker and place on a large cutting board.  Using two forks, shred the pork by pulling away from each other.  The meat should be very tender by this point.  Place the shredded pork back into the slow cooker and continue to cook for an additional hour.

Drain the remaining juices and toss the meat and onion mixture in the bbq sauce of choice.  I don't have an exact amount listed- just add a bit at a time until you get to your desired sauciness!

Top onto lightly toasted buns and enjoy!  Goes great with a good slaw and some oven fries.

Fridays, Feasting With Friends- Featuring Kristian Campana

"One of the delights of life is eating with friends, second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends." ~Laurie Colwin 'Home Cooking' 

Kristian Campana

Here's the scenerio: the weekend is upon us, the weather looks promising and goodness, wouldn't it be fun to have something FUN to do?!  Well, look no further then Ohio Festivals:Exploring Ohio's Festivals one funnel cake at a time and Adventures of a Trapped 300 Pound Man: Entertaining my inner obesity through food, Ohio festivals and fun! These two blogs are really all you need to find out all that is happening throughout the beautiful state of Ohio.  To say that Kristian loves festivals would seriously be an understatement- He has taken festival hopping to a whole new level!  But wow, does he live a fun life!  Kristian travels all over the state in search of the wackiest, most delicious, and just plain entertaining festivals Ohio has to offer.  Follow along on his journey vicariously or print off the festival schedule, hop in the car and see for yourself- there is a lot of fun waiting to be had!

Oh and be sure to give your congrats to Kristian, he is a newlywed!  Last weekend, he married the love of his life, Julia and they are having the time of their lives celebrating in style on their honeymoon.  Congratulations Kristian!  I am so happy for the two of you!

Also, thank you so, so, so much for your recipe of the Mozzarepas!  Every time I go to New York City I absolutely have to get one of these things at their weekend flea markets.  They are my favorite! Serious Yum! Now I can make them myself here at home- I am super excited!  Yay!

What is your favorite thing to cook?
Medleys of any sort...it could be some concoction where I mix pork, sweet potato and apple. Or it can be an omelet filled with refrigerator leftovers. This also includes pasta sauces consisting of various ingredients (I don't make traditional red sauce) and sushi as well.

How about your least favorite thing to cook?
Fish dishes. And I love fish. But it has to be cooked just right and I get nervous about over/under cooking it.

What is your favorite local restaurant and what is one you are dying to try out?
Favorite - I absolutely love Pacific East. And since it's an hour drive from me, it's always a special treat.
A second restaurant a little closer to home would be India Garden in Lakewood.

To Try: I'd really like to try L'Albatros

Music and food go together so beautifully. You are hosting a dinner party, what would be on your playlist?
Hmm...I'd want nice melodies that didn't get too loud so that we could still talk. I think I'd go with something like Zero 7, Air, Joan as Police Woman, and Cat Power.

What would you choose to be your last meal on earth?
A fine assortment of sushi, baked scallops topped with a steamed egg custard I used to get in Columbus, raw oysters, and maybe some coconut shrimp.

For dessert, I'd be happy with a snoogle and a corner piece of cake from Kiedrowski's bakery (Amherst). Maybe even a well-frosted sugar cookie.

What are you currently reading?
Lately, I've just been reading food blogs and astrological websites. I've been getting pretty good at reading charts and figuring present aspects. Maybe I'll pick up a side job.

What is your favorite Kitchen Gadget?
Although I don't use it too often, I love the double boiler for making custards and ice cream. It has saved me a lot of unnecessary stress.

Do you have a signature go-to dish?
I make green bean salads a lot in the summertime. I'll pickle thinly sliced cucumbers before adding them for extra flavor.

I also make sushi or mozzarepas (corn pancake sandwiches filled with melted cheese) for pot lucks or parties.

What is your favorite thing about the Cleveland area?
Its history of immigration. It affects our restaurants, grocery stores and supplies tons of great ethnic festivals. It helped make me who I am.

Do you have a favorite meal from your childhood and do you cook it today?
There's a scalloped potato and ham casserole that I absolutely loved. I haven't thought about it in a long time, but it really sounds good now and it's easy to make.

Top 3 Movies of all time?
Matrix
Amelie
Tampopo

From left to right: Getting ready for the meatball eating contest at the Dean Martin Festival, Pawpaw Contest judge photo with the giant pawpaw, and the Dublin Irish Festival

What was your happiest moment in life?
There are actually a few moments that stand out:
1.) making a wish at a Japanese temple to find my soulmate
2.) learning that, before he died, a college professor got to read my letter and loved it
3.) driving down Route 2 during a fall overcast day and realizing that things were going to be OK
4.) Getting my first reply from the tons of letters I sent to Italy to find family - it changed my life forever.
5.) being with my girlfriend and family at my 100th festival last year and really feeling like I accomplished something
6.) learning that my wish in 1.) came true

I guess I'm just a happy guy!

Where do you do your grocery shopping?
I'm all over the place. Overall, I go to Giant Eagle, but I'll try to go to Marc's for cheaper produce and certain groceries and maybe Heinen's for fish and some things. If I can make it to some local farm market, then that's even better.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure when it comes to food?
I'm such a sucker for potato chips. I can't even keep them in the house.

Can you tell me about what you are most proud of?
Reconnecting my family's Italian heritage, the entire Ohio Festivals Project and the children's book I wrote and illustrated.

Do you have Culinary Resolutions that you would like to accomplish this year?
I think I would like to make grape ice cream (not sorbet). I had some in Geneva once at their Grape Festival and it was like a grape creamsicle. I loved it.

One word that best describes you is:

Effervescent

the newlyweds! 

And now can you please share one of your favorite recipes? 

Mozzarepas (or Arepas with Mozzerella cheese)
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup freshly boiled corn on the cob (2 cobs)
1 1/4 finely ground yellow corn meal
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Mozzarella or Provolone (sliced)

After boiling 2 cobs, use knife to cut corn off and then grind in blender. You should have a nice pulp. Mix the yellow cornmeal (pass through coffee grinder to make finer if necessary), flour, sugar, salt and shredded mozzarella and mix well.  Add the corn pulp to the mixture and stir to combine well.

Bring milk to a boil as you add the butter (be careful not to burn milk).

Make a well of the mixture in the bowl and gradually add the hot milk mixture while mixing.

Get to a good pancake batter consistency. If you end up not needing to add the rest of the milk, so be it. If it's too thick, then add more milk.

Heat a lightly buttered griddle or pan and spoon batter to make small pancakes. Flip when golden brown.

you can add the cheese once it flips and then add the second pancake when done. Or you can just cook them all, make sandwiches with the cheese and nuke them in the microwave to melt the cheese.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds- Two Ways, Savory and Sweet

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are one of my favorite snacks this time of year.  One taste makes all the work of separating seeds from the pulp completely worth it.  I have tried lots of recipes over the years, but this is probably my favorite.  A bit salty, a bit garlicky, and with just a hint of heat from the Worcestershire sauce and seriously so, so good.  They are awesome just by the handful, but also taste yummy sprinkled on soups and salads or anywhere you would like a bit of a crunch.

I have also added a nice Cinnamon Sugar version.  You soak the seeds in apple cider, bringing out the sweetness of the pumpkin flavor.  By tossing it with a buttery, cinnamon sugar topping, the heat from the oven makes the sugars caramelize, giving them an almost candy coating.  I love salty and sweet snacks together, so if you have enough seeds to make both flavors do it and serve them side by side.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds, cleaned and rinsed
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter OR olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (I like using corse salt)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper (about 20 grinds from the pepper mill)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Seperate the seeds from the pulp of the pumpkin.  Don't worry about getting all of the pumpkin strands off, it adds extra flavor to the roasted seeds.  I just love when I get a seed with pumpkin still attached- yum!  You just want the seeds clean enough so you can easily toss them.  Once rinsed, lightly dry and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter, Worcestershire Sauce, salt, pepper, garlic salt, and garlic powder and whisk until well blended.  Add the pumpkin seeds and toss, throughly coating in the butter mixture.  Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer onto a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour, checking them often and tossing occasionally, until butter topping has dried and the pumpkin seeds are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool and dry-out the rest of the way on the cookie sheet on top of the stove.  Store in an airtight container.

Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Cider Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds, cleaned and rinsed
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter OR olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Pour the apple cider in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Add the pumpkin seeds and boil on medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain the seeds and pour them in a large mixing bowl.

Pour the melted butter or olive oil into the bowl, along with the salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Mix well to coat and spread pumpkin seed in a single layer onto a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour, checking them often and tossing occasionally, until butter topping has dried and the pumpkin seeds are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool and dry-out the rest of the way on the cookie sheet on top of the stove.  Enjoy!

Store in an air-tight container.