Perfect Pulled Pork, from Tim Love
Nothing says "cowboy cooking" like a pulled pork sandwich - and nobody does it better than Tim Love.
Love, the "master of meat" and of fine cowboy fare, showed "Early Show" viewers how to make great pulled pork and other delicious dishes.
Love, executive chef and owner of the Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and the Love Shack, both in Fort Worth, Texas, also shared recipes for Chili Cheese Grits, Potato and Spinach Gratin and Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates.
Recipes
Pulled Pork
INGREDIENTS:
1 gallon water
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
1 ten pound pork shoulder (Boston butt)
game rub (recipe below)
2 cans coke
METHOD:
Mix water, salt, and crushed red pepper to make brine for the pork. Brine pork in refrigerator for 6 hours. Preheat oven to 215 degrees. Remove pork from brine and pat dry. Season pork with rub heavily. Place pork in roasting pan and pour coke in bottom of pan. Cover with foil shiny side out and place in oven Roast in oven for 11 hours. Remove and serve.
*Game Rub:
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup pure chile powder, such as guajillo
4 tablespoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons fresh rosemary
METHOD:
Mix all of the ingredients in a jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Chili Cheese Grits
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup grits
3 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup cream
1 anaheim chile, pureed
1 cup shredded smoked cheddar
2 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD:
Heat cream, and chicken stock in pot. Add hatch green chile, salt, and pepper. Add grits at end and cook until creamy and smooth. Then add cheese and then eggs and stir in until fully blended (approx. 5 minutes) .
Potato and Spinach Gratin
INGREDIENTS:
8 baking potatoes thinly sliced
1 pound spinach
2 cups grated Asiago Cheese
1 quart heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
10 garlic cloves, shaved thin
METHOD:
Sauté spinach in butter until wilted. Place potatoes in rows in casserole dish until bottom of dish is covered completely. Sprinkle cheese, cream, salt and pepper. Make thin layers. Spread spinach evenly until covered. Repeat layering five more times. Cover top, layer with cheese and place garlic evenly over top. Cover with foil. Bake in 375 degree oven for 1 hour. Uncover then cook 20 minutes more until top has browned.
Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates
INGREDIENTS:
5 fresh dates, washed and split
10 slices of Applewood smoked bacon
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
10 whole almonds, smoked and salted
10 unflavored toothpicks, soaked in water
Oil as needed
METHOD:
Place sliced bacon on sheet pans lined with non-stick paper. Place in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Bacon should not be cooked thoroughly. Cool.
Place 1 tablespoon of blue cheese inside of date on split side. Place 1 almond on top of blue cheese. Wrap with bacon and skewer the date with the toothpick to secure the bacon. In a warm sauté pan, place oil and dates. Cook on all sides until bacon is completely cooked. Do not remove toothpick.
Place in a 350 degree oven and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.