Pulled Pork with Coleslaw and Potatoes

This week we ate a lot of leftovers and relatively "boring" meals that don't require recording. I tried to start using some of the frozen meat that we had and some of the potatoes were starting to get a little mushy, therefore, they need to be eaten. 

Yummers

I copped out with this meal and bought coleslaw mix because I just wasn't feeling it. I made my own dressing though. The pulled pork recipe didn't use any real onion or garlic, just dried spices and I had already pinned it on Pinterest a while ago. Also, since I slowcooked it, it made life a lot easier come dinner time. I talked to Faith too whilst I was pulling pork for 7 years.  The potato recipe I happened upon on Facebook, I think it was originally from Food52. The recipe was easy and ended with a pretty good result for a minimal amount of work. I appreciated how it was just salt with the potatoes, it really let the potatoes shine and the crispy cooked side of the potato was amazing. Overall, everything for this meal was good. 

Some things I would change for next time:

• The pulled pork was loin, which made it definitely a little more tough to eat, especially when reheated. I cut off some of the fat prior to cooking, but I didn't get it all off and when I was pulling the pork, I greatly regretted not cutting everything off. 
• The loin I used was around 3.3 lbs and I cut it in half to cut the cooking time which I think helped. I just eyeballed all of the spices as well and used water, not chicken broth.
• I also just monitored the temperature after around 3 hours to know when it was done. I didn't keep a super close eye on the time after that. 
• The potatoes called for a thin layer of salt on the pan, and I definitely overdid. I only used table salt and next time, I would use less. I kept using the nonsaltiness of the coleslaw to cut through the salty potatoes. 
• I peeled some of the potatoes since their skin was looking a little tough, but left most of them unpeeled like the recipe called for. 

Pulled Pork

Serves: 9 from a roughly 3 lb loin

Time: 4ish hours

Ingredients:

     1 pork tenderloin (1.2 to 2 pounds)

     1 teaspoon salt

     1 teaspoon smoked paprika

     1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

     1/2 teaspoon onion powder

     1 cup chicken broth or water

     1 cup BBQ sauce (store bought or homemade)

Steps:

1. Remove the pork tenderloin from the package, and place it on a cutting board.
2. In a small bowl combine the salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix to combine.
3. Rub your spice mixture all over the tenderloin, and then place it in the bottom of your slow cooker.
4. Add the water or chicken stock to the bottom of the slow cooker (don’t pour it over the pork, though, so that you don’t wash off your spice rub).
5. Add the lid and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or until the tenderloin is easy to shred with a fork.
6. Remove the pork from the crock pot, and shred with 2 forks. Return it to the slow cooker, and mix it with any liquid that might have remained in the bottom of the slow cooker.
7. Add your BBQ sauce, and stir to combine. Adjust salt and BBQ amounts to your liking, serve warm.

The Best Pan-Roasted Potatoes

Serves: 5 (the whole pan bottom was covered)

Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

     Small red bliss, yukon gold, or other waxy potatoes, 1 1/2 to 2 inches in size

     Olive oil

     Kosher salt (I prefer Morton Kosher salt here as it is more coarse than Diamond Crystal)

Steps:

1. Halve the potatoes and place the cut side down; halve each half again but keep these halves together.
2. Choose a cast iron skillet large enough to accommodate the halved potatoes. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan 1/8 inch deep in oil. Heat the oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Sprinkle a generous layer of salt into the oil all over the bottom of the pan, as evenly as possible in a thin layer. Place the potato halves onto the salt (keeping the pieces of second cut together so the potatoes look like just one half). Fry at medium heat (without peeking) until you are sure that the potatoes must be burning (they're not!), about 10 to 12 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. At 10 minutes, gently turn over a potato half to see if it is nicely browned; if not, continue cooking a few more minutes.
3. When the potatoes are nicely browned, turn the heat as low as possible and cover the pan. You will hear spattering noises as the potatoes start to steam, and they will continue to brown under cover.
4. Cook about 20 minutes covered. The potatoes are done when a sharp knife slips into a potato easily. Serve hot. Kept covered with the heat off, they will keep for 30 minutes or more. If you are letting them stand, drain off any excess oil from the pan. They are equally good at room temperature.

EAT