Divine Swine

Oh Paula Deen, I do love you.

I have made many attempts at pulled pork over the last couple of years. Both of my children and I love pulled pork. Dude will eat it and enjoy, but not with the vim and vigor that the girls and I do.

There is a huge festival in our town called "Defeat of Jesse James Days" that happens the weekend after Labor Day every year. It brings in tons of visitors and it has really grown over the last 21 years that we have lived here.

They re-enact the famous bank robbery, there are arts and craft fairs, live entertainment, a midway, the rodeo comes to town, and there is food. Good food and bad food, but the town square shuts down and it become the food court for 4 days.

The Lions have a booth and serve the most delicious pulled pork sandwiches I have ever eaten in my life. Seriously, I think they put crack in it or something, because they are huge and I have eaten 2 in one day....along with the awesome grape Hawaiian shaved ice....but that is another story. They serve it two ways: plain or barbecue. I love plain the best. The flavor just shines.

While at the grocery store last weekend, they had a combo pack of loin pork on sale. It was $1.49 a pound and it had 6 pork chops, 6 Country style ribs and a roast in it. I so should have bought at least two. My cousin was on Facebook when I said I was cooking up a storm last weekend and he said his wife had pork roast going to make shredded pork and they were using his "favorite Southern Belle's" recipe. He has a thing for Paula Deen.

I looked up the recipe and hers cooks in the oven low and slow for around 4 hours. Because of my work schedule now, I would need to get up at the butt-crack of dawn to get it done or wait for the weekend. I didn't want to freeze the roast and thaw it and do it the next weekend, so I modified the recipe and used my slow cooker.

Here is my adapted version. Paula's can be found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/bbq-pork-sandwich-recipe/index.html

(yes, I STILL haven't figure out the link thing so it just shows a word and takes you to it-sorry)

Paula's Modified Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2 TBSP salt

2 TBSP black pepper

2 TBSP brown sugar

2 TBSP paprika

1/2 TBSP chipotle powder

4-pound pork loin roast (with nice fat layer on top)

1/2 cup apple juice

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp liquid smoke

1 tsp garlic powder

BBQ sauce

Combine in a small bowl the salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika and chipotle powder. Pat the roast with paper towels so it is dry. Press the rub mixture into the roast and place in a plastic zip-top bag and put in fridge for at least two hours (I did mine for about 4). After marinading, place the roast in a slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients except the BBQ sauce. Cook on low for 9 to 10 hours (I started it when I went to bed). When time is up, remove the meat from the slow cooker. Set aside to cool, then shred. While the meat is cooling, strain the juice from the slow cooker and pour back in. Stir in shredded meat, and squirt about 2 to 3 tablespoons of BBQ sauce in; stir and cover and cook for one more hour.

Serve on hamburger buns, topped with coleslaw (we didn't) and extra BBQ sauce.

This made about 8 sandwiches. Um, I ate 5 over 3 days....just sayin'