Jeanette’s Famous Pulled Pork

This is a great party treat … serves at least ten hungry folks.

For the meat: Get one 5-7 pound pork shoulder (with the bone in). Put it in an oven bag along with 1½ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 2 tablespoons flour. Shake it to cover and add a good splash of water. Bake in a slow oven (250-300 degrees) for about 4 hours. When fully cooked, remove and let it cool. Then pull all the meat off the bone into shreds, discarding bone and any gristle only … not the fat.

For the BBQ sauce: sauté in a large stainless steel or enameled pot (important, do not use aluminum!), in one cup of canola oil, one chopped large onion and two minced garlic cloves until wilted. Add one cup ketchup, one cup water, one cup good cider vinegar, one cup of white wine, one cup dark brown sugar, 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce, one cup good prepared brown mustard, one tablespoon thyme, one teaspoon liquid smoke (optional, depending on where you are from), 3 tablespoons of salt, 8 grinds of black pepper, and the juice of one lemon. Bring BBQ sauce to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

Add the pulled pork to the sauce and simmer, partially covered for about one hour.

Serve with lots of big hard rolls (Northerners) or big soft rolls (Southerners,) a large bowl of coleslaw (in my mind, a must, to be put on the pulled pork) and the hot sauce of your choice (Tabasco or Frank’s) … and, of course, all the other party goodies like potato salad, french fries, and/or baked beans (including mucho ice-cold beer ... try "Presidente" from Puerto Rico). Enjoy ya’ll!

One Potato, Two … Three Potatoes, Four …

Potato salad can be leaden and sticky … or light and tasty. I like the latter. Here is my take:

Boil four or five large Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes in a copious amount of salted water. When fully cooked (use the fork test), drain out the water and, when just cool enough to handle, peel them and cut them into ½ to 1 inch cubes … placing them into a large colander to dry. While still warm, put them in a large bowl and pour a scant two tablespoons of good sharp cider vinegar over them ... or substitute the juice of half a lemon for half the vinegar. Now clean two celery stalks and two scallions and chop them into fine cubes somewhat smaller than the potatoes. Add this to the potatoes along with a palm full of capers, salt and pepper to taste, a good half cup of Hellman’s mayonnaise, and a heaping tablespoon of poppy seeds (or celery seeds or even caraway seeds, but poppy seeds are best).

Cover and place in the ice box (an Emeril affectation) until well chilled. Then and only then, mix well, being careful not to mash the potatoes (less likely when they are not warm). When ready to serve, if the potato salad is too congealed, add a few teaspoons of cold butter milk and mix lightly to loosen it up. Then grate a cleaned cold carrot on the top and serve with your favorite picnic favorites (fried chicken would be nice.)

Speaking of cold buttermilk ... it is one of the best thirst quenchers around.  Try drinking a glass of it on a hot summer afternoon and see for yourself.  This benefit was common knowlege to our grandparents but is gradually being forgotten.  Drinking bittermilk is also often looked down on because of the way it makes the glass look afterward ... and also because of its name.  Many believe buttermilk contains butter.  In fact, it is the opposite.  It is what remains after butter making.  Our grandparents knew this.  Few of us now do.