Easter Dinner - Southern-style BBQ

Beautiful Tulips in DC - Easter Weekend 2009

Living in New York, far from my home in Wisconsin, there are certain holidays that are always celebrated with family, namely Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Everyone flies or drives home to be with one another, enjoying home-cooked dinners, a bottle of wine or two, and of course sharing stories, both old and new.

For one reason or another, other major holidays do not hold the same place as Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and other great American holidays are hard for people living a flight away from their home.  While I become a little down that I'm not home, firing up the grill with my family or childhood friends, there is a bright side to these holidays.  In places such as New York, there are many others also not able to make it home.  As a result, little "families" are formed, coming together to share their individual family traditions, foods, and stories.  

Starting last year, we have hosted a couple of our good friends in New York for a Midwestern style Easter dinner.  We baked a honey ham and buttermilk biscuits, steamed green beans, and of course served a cheesy casserole (diced potatoes, cream sauce, and cheese).  Another Midwestern tradition was the twelve layer Jello salad, which is six different Jello flavors made two ways (one plain, one with either a dab of sour cream or evaporated milk), and poured onto one another in a 12" x 9" glass pan.  It takes time and lots of patience...but it's beautifully delicious.

This year, we had the same little "family" over for Easter dinner, except one of the two friends was traveling in Europe for work...so he had to celebrate from afar.  The three of us enjoying a Southern-style BBQ meal.  Our friend brought over a refreshing spinach salad, served with a creamy poppy seed dressing, with fresh strawberries and red onions tossed in.  

Pork Shoulder Braised with Apples, BBQ Spices, and White Wine

I slow-roasted a lovely cut of pork shoulder, which I later shredded and coated in a homemade smoky barbecue sauce.  I served the BBQ pork on kaiser rolls with a creamy cole slaw.  On the side, we enjoyed another classic America holiday dish (common in the Midwest), green bean casserole and a healthy grapefruit-red onion-cucumber quinoa.  And like any good BBQ meal, we had homemade BBQ baked beans and cold beer. 

BBQ Pork Sandwich topped with Creamy Cole Slaw; sides of green bean casserole & quinoa

For dessert, we served angel food cake, topped with my mom's classic cinnamon cream sauce.  Yum!

Happy Easter and Passover (belated at this point) to everyone!  I hope you were able to enjoy a meal with your friends and family, either at your childhood home or wherever you call home.

Recipes

BBQ Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder Sandwiches

Ingredients:

3 to 4 lb. boneless pork shoulder, brined, rinsed, & dried

4 cloves garlic, smashed

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, sliced

1 apple, sliced

1 cup water

1 cup dry white wine

BBQ spices: 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp celery seed, 1 T chili powder

1-2 cups barbecue sauce, or more to taste

1 cup cole slaw or fresh red onion slices

4 kaiser rolls

Directions:

1. If you have time, brine the pork for 3-4 hours; remove from brine, rinse, and pat dry.  If not, it will be okay...but brining will produce a more moist final product.

2. Preheat oven to 275 F.

3. In a large round casserole dish, place onion on the bottom.

4. Mix BBQ spices together, then rub into the pork.

5. Place the pork onto the onions in the dish.

6. Pour water & wine into the dish, careful not to pour it directly onto the pork (this would wash off some of the BBQ spice rub).

7. Add the garlic, apple, and bay leaves around the sides of the pork, placing them in the liquid.

8. Cover with aluminum foil.  Bake for 6-8 hours, or until the pork is very tender and falls apart easily.

9. Remove from the oven, and place pork in a large bowl.  Using a fork, shred the meat.  Remove any large pieces of fat while shredding.

10. Place shredded pork into a large pot, add 1/2 cup of the liquid in the roasting dish.

11. Add 1 cup barbecue sauce.  Mix well.  Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.

12. Add more barbecue sauce to taste.  Add salt or other spices (e.g. cayenne for more kick) to taste.

13. Serve on kaiser rolls, topping with cole slaw or fresh red onion slices.

Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

1 slice bacon, roughly chopped

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T. tomato paste

2 cups ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 T. red wine vinegar

1 T. dry mustard

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp chipotle pepper powder

1/2 tsp ancho chili pepper powder

1/2 tsp ground oregano

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp black pepper

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Salt, to taste

1 T. Olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat a large sauce pan to medium; add oil

2. Add bacon; fry for 1-2 minutes

3. Add onion

4. Saute for 4-5 minutes, or until onion softens

5. Add tomato paste; stir into onion-bacon mixture

6. Add vinegar; stir

7. Add all the other ingredients; stir very well

8. Simmer on low for 25-30 minutes

9. Taste the sauce and adjust to your taste

10. Once its to your liking, turn off the heat and place in a food blender

11. Puree until smooth

12. Place in a glass bowl and refrigerate until chilled

Creamy Cole Slaw

Ingredients:

6 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups shredded carrot

1/2 cup mayo

2 T. vinegar

1/2 T. brown mustard

1/2 tsp celery seed

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl

2. Taste and adjust mayo, vinegar, mustard, salt & pepper to taste

3. Chill for at least an hour before serving

Green Bean Casserole (French's recipe)

Ingredients:

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can Cream of Mushroom Soup

3/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 lb. fresh green beans, cut in 1" pieces and steamed

1 1/3 cups French's Fried Onions

Directions:

1. Mix soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2-qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.

2. Bake at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot.

3. Stir. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

The Potato Salad Debate

Like a spicy homemade chili or a carefully crafted pasta sauce, potato salad is something everyone makes slightly differently.  People have made these dishes time and time again, passing recipes onto their children (and grandchildren).  This conditioning results in passionate debates of using or not using certain ingredients. 

“Oh, you need to use cider vinegar to make a good potato salad.”

“No, no…you should use white wine vinegar…it’s sweeter.  It’s better.”

“Vinegar?  Yuck.  Lemon juice is the best ingredient.  It’s not as overpowering.”

These debates can never be resolved…the loyalty to a mother’s or grandmother’s recipes is immune to challenges.  That being said…I’ll give you my recipes for potato salad.  But feel free to play with these recipes and make them your own.  Adjusting recipes to your taste is the best way to start advancing your cooking skills.  And everyone’s tastes are different, so I would encourage you to add more pepper, reduce the level of salt, or even add some new ingredient, such as paprika or fresh horseradish.

To take the idea of potato salad a bit further, I am going to touch on my favorite three variations on this classic side dish.  The first will be a traditional recipe…mayo, vinegar, potatoes, and a few other ingredients.   This variation is served chilled.  And it’s what you’ll find at almost any grocery store, restaurant, and cafe around the country.  I enjoy it at a good BBQ, with a grilled sandwich, etc. 

The second potato salad is also somewhat traditional but I’m guessing its popularity varies by region.  From my Wisconsin roots, I have come to love a well-made German potato salad, and enjoy it as an alternative to the traditional mayo-based recipe.  The German potato salad removes the mayo, but adds delicious, delicious bacon.  Yes, bacon.  Yum.  It’s frequently served warm, although it can also be served chilled.

The third variation was one that I came across at a restaurant called Plein Sud, located off Chambers Street in Tribeca (NYC).  Their brilliant chef, Ed Cotton, decided to add truffle to a traditional potato salad recipe.  Quick side note…Cotton has worked at a variety of amazing restaurants in Boston, Las Vegas, and New York, and he was the runner-up in Top Chef, Season 7.  Back to the food, the combination of the pungent truffle with the creamy, slightly tart potatoes was delicious.  I did my best to recreate the recipe at home, and it turned out very well.  It’s actually easy to make if you already have truffle salt or some other truffle flavoring in your spice cabinet.  And it’s delicious (if you like truffle that is…the flavor is a bit polarizing).  I have served it with roasted chicken or braised pork chops.

Truffles, if you're not familiar with them, are a fungus, similar to mushrooms.  They grow underground, often in wooded areas, dependent on trees for their existence.  More specifically, truffles and similar types of fungi have developed a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with the roots of vascular plants (i.e. trees).  Another interesting aspect of truffles is how people find them.  Hogs, and sometimes dogs, sniff the forest floor, searching for these delicious fungi.  Apparently, female hogs (sows) are naturally talented at this task since there is a chemical in truffles similar to the pheromones of the male hog (boar).  

Try one, two, or all three recipes.  And when you disagree with one of my ingredients, please, post your comment and we’ll debate it. 

Enjoy!

Traditional Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (or other potato if your choosing), cut into bite-sized pieces

¼ cup mayonnaise, or to taste

1 to 2 T white vinegar, to taste

1 tsp yellow or brown mustard

1 celery stalk, diced (optional)

1 T. parsley (optional)

Dash of cayenne (optional)

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until soft, about 15-20 minutes.  Drain.

2. In a large bowl, mix  together all ingredients, stir well.

3. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

German Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. baby red potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces

¼ lb. raw bacon, sliced into ¼” pieces

2 T. olive oil

2 T. white rice vinegar, or more to taste

4 T. freshly grated horseradish (optional)

¼ cup onion, minced (preferably Vidalia or red)

1 T. parsley, minced

1 tsp caraway seed

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook bacon in medium skillet until cooked through, but not too crispy.

2. Boil potatoes in salted water until soft, about 15-20 minutes.  Drain.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the onion, olive oil, vinegar, parsley, caraway seed, and horseradish (if using).

4. Add potatoes and bacon, stir.

5. Add salt & pepper to taste, stirring well.

6. Serve warm or cold.

Truffle Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (or other potato if your choosing), cut into bite-sized pieces

¼ cup mayonnaise, or to taste

1 to 2 T white vinegar, to taste

1/2 tsp brown mustard

1 celery stalk, diced (optional)

Truffle salt, to taste (or other truffle flavoring ingredient)

Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until soft, about 15-20 minutes.  Drain.

2. In a large bowl, mix  together all ingredients, stir well.

3. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.