Taking Matters Into My Own Hands

One thing I just can't seem to find in California is a proper pulled-pork sandwich. And man, a good one is so hard to beat. It's one of those foods I eat every chance I get when I'm back South. The tangy, luscious meat . . . the cool, creamy cole slaw . . . the crunchy sour pickles . . . the warm bun. . . . .Ugh, I'm completely salivating now. Cruel, cruel, cruel.

Out here, there are a few spots where I can find a "Hawaiian" pulled-pork sandwich which is often smothered in BBQ sauce and topped with pineapple and slaw tossed in poppy seed dressing, but that understandably doesn't cut it. At times, I just can't wait until my next trip home for my fix, so must take matters into my own hands.

While nothing can beat a pig slow-roasted over a pit, this crock pot version is much more manageable. It's one of the easiest and tastiest recipes I make. No matter how much meat I make there is literally not a trace leftover. People are constantly asking for this recipe so I figured it's high time to share it with you.

In the South there's often a great debate on what constitutes proper BBQ. Those in South Carolina would assert that chopped pork with a mustard sauce is the only way to go, and my friends in Texas would vote for sliced beef brisket in a tomato-based BBQ sauce. Well, where I'm from it's absolutely pulled-pork dressed in a pepper vinaigrette. I'm not here to start a fight, but I am here to tell you that this is delicious, if not addictive, no matter how you define BBQ.

If you don't believe me, cook up a batch of this meat and then layer it on a bun with French's mustard, cole slaw (honestly, KFC has some of the best), and dill pickles. Perfection in your hands. Just make sure to have plenty of napkins around! Oh, and don't plan to have any leftover.

Southern-Style Pulled-Pork

Ingredients

5 lb pork shoulder or butt (boneless is fine)

2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup ground pepper

1 cup water

Bottle of favorite BBQ sauce

Hamburger buns

French's mustard

Dill pickles

Coleslaw

Directions

Place the meat in a crock pot and add 1 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup pepper and enough water to fill half of the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-10 hours (or on high for about 4 hours). The meat should easily pull away from the bone or shred if there is no bone.

Pour off all liquid, transfer meat to a chopping board, and shred the pork, throwing out the pure fat sections. Return meat to the crock pot and add 1 cup BBQ sauce, 1 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup pepper. Cook on low for another 2-3 hours (or on high for an hour). As long as there is enough liquid in the pot, it's virtually impossible to overcook the meat.

To make your sandwich, spread mustard over the bun, pile on some pork, and add pickles and slaw on top. Yields: 8-12.