Name: Simple Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Peach BBQ Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups slow cooked pork shoulder, shredded; 1 cup ketchup; 1/2 recipe peach white wine sauce; 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional); 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional); 4 hamburger buns (I used potato rolls); dill pickle chips, coleslaw, etc., for serving

Leftover BBQ Pork Sandwich & Peach BBQ Sauce

January 24, 2017

Leftover bbq pork shines when you pair it with a quick peach bbq sauce and pile it on a soft, fresh bun for this simple sandwich!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosure statement.
Leftover bbq pork sandwiches with peach bbq sauce = not a meal that I ever planned to make. Actually, my plan the day that I made these was to turn the slow cooker pork shoulder I’d made a couple of days before into Cuban sandwiches. The problem? I’d purchased a loaf of Cuban bread from the Publix bakery on Friday and by Tuesday it was completely dried out. The struggle is real, y’all.

Mind you, I already had these onion rings (recipe coming soon…these onion rings were fantastic and baked) in the oven, so I was pretty much committed at that point and needed to make something that I could throw together in the 10 minutes left on the timer. Then I remembered that I still had about half of the peach white wine sauce that I made to go with the pork shoulder and a pack of potato rolls in the freezer, and suddenly it all made sense. If I stirred a little ketchup into the sauce, I could make a simple barbecue sauce and avoid throwing away that delicious peach sauce…perfect!

These sandwiches came together in less than ten minutes. Don’t you love it when a meal comes together like that? It’s pretty exciting. For the two of us, this one pork shoulder made six meals (Cuban sandwiches and pork ragu with polenta coming up later this week, and more in the freezer!). Of course, for a larger family, you’ll need to cook a larger pork shoulder to get that many meals…but is that really a bad thing? There’s really nothing better than being halfway to dinner being done before you even get started. Look for more of these make-ahead style meals coming soon!

I hope you’ll make these leftover bbq pork sandwiches with peach bbq sauce!

Shared on Weekend Potluck on The Country Cook!

Mary

Yield: 4 servings
Simple Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Peach BBQ Sauce
5 minPrep Time:
10 minCook Time:
15 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients
2 cups slow cooked pork shoulder, shredded
1 cup ketchup
1/2 recipe peach white wine sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
4 hamburger buns (I used potato rolls)
dill pickle chips, coleslaw, etc., for serving
Instructions
Place the shredded pork, ketchup, peach white wine sauce, liquid smoke (if using), and cayenne (if using) into a medium saucepan. Set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through.
Divide the pork among 4 buns. Top with desired toppings, such as pickles or coleslaw. Serve while hot.
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https://chattavore.com/leftover-bbq-pork-sandwich-peach-bbq-sauce/

Pork Ragu with Polenta

January 23, 2017

This pork ragu with polenta is a delicious, warming, rib-sticking way to make over leftover pork shoulder or other pork you might have around.
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosure statement.
Pork ragu with polenta is a meal from The Make-Ahead Cook from Cook’s Illustrated. It started out as this slow cooker pork shoulder with peach white wine sauce, which I also turned into pulled pork sandwiches with peach bbq sauce and later Cuban sandwiches (which I’ll post later this week). (P.S. I love making over leftovers).
Make-ahead meals are perfect to have up your sleeve when you feel like I have lately-that “never going to not be tired again” feeling. It seems that I get this feeling every couple of months. I don’t think that it helps that it feels ridiculously cold (and I know, I know, I can’t really complain…it’s not that cold here compared to many other parts of the country) and that I am way over Daylight Savings Time (come back, summer!).

When I come home from work, I pretty much head straight to my basement to do a Fitness Blender workout of some sort (because I am trying desperately to fit back into the clothes that did fit me before I changed to this more sedentary job) then back upstairs to get dinner started.

Being able to whip something up from an already made meal is pretty fantastic, especially when it is as warm and rich as this pork ragu with polenta.

The quicker I can get dinner on the table, the quicker I can get to being lazy on the couch (well, and writing these recipes for you guys!). I’m looking forward to making more make-ahead meals to share with you!

Mary

Yield: 4 servings
Pork Ragu with Polenta
This recipe is adapted from the book The Make-Ahead Cook by Cook's Illustrated.
10 minPrep Time:
30 minCook Time:
40 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients
For the Ragu
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry red wine
2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
3 cups shredded pork shoulder
1/4 cup chopped basil
For the Polenta
4 cups water
salt & pepper
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coarse-ground polenta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the onion is soft and beginning to brown. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds.
Stir in the wine and cook until almost evaporated. Stir in the tomatoes, with their juice, and the water. Mash with a potato masher to break the tomatoes into small pieces. Stir in the shredded pork and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the basil and salt and pepper to taste.
While the pork mixture is simmering, bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt then slowly pour in the polenta, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low and cover.
After five minutes, whisk the polenta to remove any lumps. Cover and continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt and pepper to taste. Divide among bowls and top with the ragu and grated cheese. Serve immediately.
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https://chattavore.com/pork-ragu-with-polenta/

Homemade Cuban Sandwiches

January 20, 2017

Homemade Cuban sandwiches are a perfect way to use up any leftover pork roast you might have in your fridge. They’re a classic!

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosure statement.
I’ve written about Cuban sandwiches before, nearly four years ago when I first started writing recipes on this blog. Those were dark days, at least in terms of my photography, so sometimes I like to look back, cringe briefly, and think about how far I’ve come (and still have to go, but I’m doing okay for myself).
I have absolutely no Cuban heritage. I have no idea what the history or the origins of a Cuban sandwich is and at the moment (7:30 on a Friday night after what I can only refer to as a week) I am not feeling much of a desire to research its origins. I do know where I first heard about it…Alton Brown‘s Food Network show Good Eats, which I watched religiously for many, many years until it was taken off the air.

At the time that I first heard of Cuban sandwiches (or Cubanos, as they are sometimes called) I didn’t even really like pickles or yellow mustard, but I remember being intrigued and knowing that I had to try them. I loved them and honestly I think that the more pickles the better (which probably surprises you guys…you had no idea that I loved pickles, did you?). I remember Philip telling me about going to lunch with his team from work once and one of the ladies ordering a Cuban sandwich without the pickles. What the WHAT? Don’t you dare. Okay, do it if you must. But don’t tell me about it.
It’s kind of fun (for me, anyway) that I had this scheduled on the blog this week because we watched the movie Chef the other night. In the film, Jon Favreau is a chef who’s lost his passion and, subsequently, his job and, at the prodding of his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara) starts a food truck where he makes great street food…like Cuban sandwiches. In fact, the name of his truck is Cubanos. The movie was surprisingly good. And what I love about these homemade Cuban sandwiches (besides, of course, the fact that they are super-tasty) is that they come together so quickly, with leftover slow cooker pork shoulder and deli ham and cheese that, yes, are directly out of the package.

I hope you’ll give homemade Cuban sandwiches a try!

Shared on Weekend Potluck on The Country Cook!

Mary

Yield: 4 sandwiches
Cuban Sandwiches
10 minPrep Time:
10 minCook Time:
20 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients
2/3 loaf Cuban bread (or a French baguette)
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1 cup shredded roast pork (I used leftover pork shoulder)
8 thin slices deli ham
4 slices Swiss cheese
dill pickle chips or slices
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the bread into four equal pieces then slice each piece in half crosswise.
Spread mustard on the cut sides of the bread. Divide the ham among the bread bottoms then top with ham, cheese slices, and as many dill pickle chips as you like. Top with the bread tops.
Wrap the sandwiches in foil (I like to wrap each on individually) and place on a baking sheet. Place a heavy pan, bacon press, etc. on top of the sandwiches and press down. Place in the oven and bake for ten minutes.
Remove the heated sandwiches from the oven and remove from foil. Cut in half and serve immediately.
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https://chattavore.com/homemade-cuban-sandwiches/

Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder & Peach-White Wine Sauce (Plus Instant Pot Adaptation)

January 16, 2017

Slow cooker pork shoulder with peach white wine sauce is so easy and delicious, and it will give you tons of leftovers to make into other tasty dishes! Instant Pot pressure cooker instructions included.

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosure statement.

Blogging is a funny thing. I’m a very introverted person. I don’t love parties or really even having people over very often (though that probably has more to do with how messy my house is except for the two months in the summer that I get to be a full-time blogger). If you met me and we didn’t know each other you might think I was kind of awkward and you would definitely think I was shy. I’m not awkward nor am I shy, but I definitely give off these vibes until you get to know me.
Growing up I wanted to be an actress. I think that’s what I wanted to do until probably about 10th grade, when reality set in and I realized that making a living as an actress was a pretty lofty goal. I like to be on stage, though, and as difficult as it can be for me to carry on a conversation with someone I just met, I have no problem with public speaking. I guess this is kind of a form of public speaking, and I definitely have no problem with this. I’m not a private person, just an introvert.

When I started my blog back in 2011, one of the things that I never even thought of was that I would become part of a blogging community. It’s been very interesting to “meet” people online and have those online acquaintances gradually turn into friends. One of my blogger friends is Jessie Weaver. She’s my most frequent commenter and I can always count on her to give me a great suggestion (or, ahem, command) for a recipe. It’s to her that I owe panko-crusted sriracha drizzled pork sandwiches and summer squash soup. I ran into her once in Enzo’s and we recognized each other instantly. It was a little surreal to have an encounter like that with a friend…that I’d never met before. We finally got a chance to have dinner this past week, a cured meat drenched affair at Beast + Barrel (I got a Pimm’s cup and an executive chef salad, both of which I highly recommend). And it wasn’t awkward at all, because, oddly enough, even though I’ve only met Jessie once before, I know her.

Anyway, like I was saying…I can always count on her for a great meal suggestion. The latest one was a peach pork loin a la Alleia, which, as she said, is “magically delicious”. I stumbled across a recipe for oven-roasted pork shoulder with peach sauce in America’s Test Kitchen’s book The Make Ahead Cook. A lot of you have indicated that you’d like to see more make-ahead or slow cooker meals on Chattavore, so I morphed this into a slow cooker pork shoulder with peach-white wine sauce. Um, yeah. So easy and amazingly tasty.

And it comes with bonus meals! In the upcoming days, look for posts about easy meals that can be made with leftovers from this fantastic slow cooker pork shoulder pork shoulder!

Shared on Meal Plan Monday on Southern Plate!

Mary

Yield: 4 servings plus lots of leftover pork
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder with Peach-White Wine Sauce
This recipe is adapted from Make Ahead Meals by Cook's Illustrated
20 minPrep Time:
8 hr, 30 Cook Time:
8 hr, 50 Total Time:

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Ingredients
For the Pork Shoulder
4-5 pound pork shoulder
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup kosher salt
For the Peach Sauce
2 cups sliced peaches, frozen or fresh, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups dry white wine or Vermouth
2 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
Instructions
Rub the pork: Combine the sugar and salt in a small bowl. Cut a crosshatch pattern into the fat cap of the pork. Rub the sugar/salt mixture all over the pork. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place on a large plate and refrigerate overnight.
Cook the pork: remove the pork from the plastic. Brush away excess rub. Place into a 4 or 5-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove the pork to a cutting board and tent with foil. Pour the juices into a measuring cup or fat separator. Skim off the fat or use a spoon to remove the fat from the juices. Reserve 2 tablespoons juice.
Place the juice, peaches, wine or Vermouth, 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, sugar, and thyme into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to a thick sauce, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining vinegar and the mustard.
Serve the pork topped with the peach sauce. Save extra pork for other uses.
Notes
It's easy to adapt this recipe to the pressure cooker function on your Instant Pot. Just cut the pork into 4-6 pieces before applying the rub. Place in the Instant Pot and set to the "meat" setting for 45 minutes. Allow the Instant Pot to depressurize naturally. Shred the meat then follow the directions as listed to make the sauce.
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https://chattavore.com/slow-cooker-pork-shoulder-peach-white-wine-sauce/

This recipe made enough leftovers for me to make three-that’s right, three-more meals from it.

Turkey and Dressing Pot Pie

November 14, 2016

In this season of giving thanks, turkey and dressing pot pie is a great way to use up leftovers in a novel way that you might not have thought of before.

Is it really almost Thanksgiving again? It does not seem like a year ago when I was brainstorming Thanksgiving dishes and creative ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers. But, alas, it is almost here. And honestly, the timing couldn’t be better.

I know that Election Day is not held in November because of Thanksgiving, but I’ve never thought until right now about how apropos that timing is. Think about it: it doesn’t matter which side of the aisle you’re standing on, Presidential election seasons are tough, this one especially so. I found myself in stark disagreement with quite a few people who mean a lot to me, and that can be difficult.

So, it’s nice after the stress of what feels like a very long political battle (and yes, I know that the battles aren’t over, and never will be, but at least the election part of the battle is over) to step back and take stock of all of the things that we have to be thankful for. I am really trying to evaluate my own personal priorities, to be a better person – a better wife, daughter, sister, friend, co-worker, stranger on the street. Life can be tough, and sometimes when I feel beaten down by the stresses of my life (political or not), it’s very humbling to just take a few minutes to remember all of the wonderful things about my life.

Honestly, it feels a little silly to transition from being pretty serious (something I don’t do here often) to talking about turkey and dressing pot pie. So, I won’t say much about it. Suffice it to say that I am thankful for you guys and so glad that you trust me to tell you what to cook and where to eat.

And I hope you trust me when I say that your leftover Thanksgiving turkey and dressing belongs in this turkey and dressing pot pie.

Shared on Weekend Potluck on The Country Cook.

Mary

Yield: 4-6 servings

Turkey and Dressing Pot Pie

10 minPrep Time:

30 minCook Time:

40 minTotal Time:

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Ingredients

1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups shredded turkey
salt, to taste
2-3 cups leftover dressing (stuffing)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the potatoes and carrots in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Boil until tender. Drain and set aside.
While the potatoes and carrots are cooking, place the butter in a 10-inch skillet and set over medium heat. Sauté the onion in the butter until tender and beginning to turn translucent. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir. Cook for about one minute. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and cook until thickened.
Add the turkey to the mixture and salt to taste. Stir in the potatoes and carrots. Crumble the dressing over the top of the mixture (if you don't want to make it in the skillet, you can transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate before adding the dressing).
Bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can use shredded chicken for this as well.

https://chattavore.com/turkey-and-dressing-pot-pie/