Pulled Pork for Posterity

I must have one of those faces. I get hit up for money almost everywhere I go. Sure, I get hit up in all the usual ways. We get telemarketing calls from various Florida police and firefighter associations. We get folks going door to door--sometimes religious, twice selling steaks out of the back of an old Datsun (those were negatives both times). Folks sometimes ask outside of Winn Dixie; they ask when I'm walking between buildings when I'm at our downtown campus, and sometimes in stopped traffic (often heading north on Southside, near Old Baymeadows).

If I have money, I'll often share it. It all depends. I almost always give a buck or two to the organizations outside of the grocery store--usually youth athletics.

Today, I was picking up my wife's dry cleaning. When I was done, I pulled out and was ready to leave. Another car, getting ready to head into traffic, suddenly veered forward and blocked my way. The lady had her window down and was smoking one of those extra-long cigarettes. She wanted two dollars for gas and when I told her I didn't have it, she swore and gunned the Taurus forward.

What in the..?

Two dollars for gas will get you .6 of a gallon right now. In that car, enough for ten miles. But she was in a car, and it was moving forward! I've thrown in some money for gas when the folks are obviously stranded, but it struck me as bizarre that she had the dough for those smokes and she was...in a moving, operating car. If she needed to go ten miles, I imagine she could have gotten pretty close and then could have hoofed it the rest of the way.

I don't know why, but folks always ask me for money. I drive an aging truck and, during my off time, I spend most days in running shorts, sneakers and old Oregon Ducks t-shirts. Nothing about my appearance, I wouldn't think, would cause anyone to think, Yes! Ask him! He'll share some cash!

Sorry. Tangent...

At any rate, I wanted to record this pulled pork recipe so I can return to it when needed. Many barbecue purists will say that, outside of an occasional mop, no pork worth its salt should be cooked in liquid. To them I say, try this:

1/4 cup soy sauce
3 shakes worcestershire
2 cups catsup
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
a pinch of crushed red pepper
2 shakes garlic salt
1 coarsely chopped red onion
1 five-pound pork shoulder

This is a slow cooker recipe. The night before, you want to whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and then put the mixture in a large ziploc bag. Trim most of the small veins of fat (makes it easier to shred at the end) on the roast, but leave the big ol' fat-cap. Put the roast in the bag, turn to cover a few times and then refrigerate over night.

Leave yourself 8.5 to 9 hours to cook this thing. Just put the whole mixture in a 5-7 quart slow cooker, cover and let it sit all day. I started this one today at 7:30 and it was done at 3:00. When it's cooked through (it'll slide off the small bones in the roast no problem), pull it and put it on a cutting board. Put a tin-foil tent over it and let it sit for fifteen minutes. Shred with a couple of forks.

Throw that bad pork down on a big toasted roll and cover with sauce (e-mail me if you want the recipe) and a spoonful of cole slaw. Serve with greens, cornbread, baked beans, slaw and banana pudding.

Uh-huh!