Dutch Oven R&R Pulled Pork

Being a Caveman and all, I love to put meat on the grill or in the smoker. That said, I must challenge the purists who insist that good Pulled Pork has to be cooked via one of those methods. This recipe will prove that this dish doesn’t always have to be made in the great outdoors.

INGREDIENTS

5-6 Pounds Bone-In Pork Shoulder Roast (Boston Butt)
1 Preparation BBQ Rub-a-dub
1 Preparation R&R BBQ Sauce
1 Medium Onion
4-5 Large Garlic Cloves

RECIPE

Make one preparation BBQ Rub-a-dub.
HINT #1: This rub was developed specifically for this recipe.

Completely cover entire Pork shoulder with rub. Place into large zip-loc bag and press rub into meat. Seal bag and place in refrigerator for at least 12 hours (I go for 24).

When done marinating, remove meat from fridge and let stand for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 300°. In the meantime, slice onion and then cut slices in half. Slice garlic cloves lengthwise.

Evenly spread half the onions and garlic in the bottom of a quality Dutch Oven. Place the Pork should on top of the onion and garlic slices, then cover with the meat with the rest of them.
Place lid tightly onto Dutch Oven and put into oven. Pork shoulder should cook for about 1.25 hours per pound. To be certain it is fully cooked, insert a meat thermometer (be sure it isn’t touching, or near, any bones). Meat should be done when it reaches 175°.

While meat is cooking, make one preparation R&R BBQ Sauce.
HINT #1: This sauce was developed specifically for this recipe.

When the meat is done, it should look something like this.
NOTE #1: See, purists. There is still a nice bark on the outside!

Scrape any loose onion or garlic slices off Pork shoulder into Dutch Oven (don’t worry if some sticks to the meat). Remove meat from Dutch Oven, place onto a raised edge plater (to catch any juices that may flow in the pulling process), and let stand for 15 minutes. Skim fat from juices that remain in pan and reserve any remaining liquid, onions and garlic.
Take two forks and start shredding meat, making sure to separate and discard any fat and/or bones.
NOTE #2: See, purists. The meat is still juicy and tender!

Place remaining meat, drippings, and onion/garlic scraps back into Dutch Oven with reserved liquid and ingredients. Pour in 2 to 2.5 cups of the R&R BBQ Sauce (depending on the size of the Pork Shoulder), and stir all ingredients together. Place lid back onto Dutch Oven and return to oven for 15 minutes.

Now you’re ready to serve up this succulent, juicy, tender, and delicious Pulled Pork. One option is to heat up some corn tortillas, whip up some Rockin’ Guac, and make some Tacos al Pastor. You can also steam up some rice and pour ladles of this marinated, slow-cooked pork on top. But, the overwhelming alternative of choice is to slice open a Kaiser Roll, slap on a heap of the Pulled Pork, top with some Cole Slaw, and drizzle with warmed R&R BBQ Sauce, as shown here. Also, served here with some Oven-Baked Cave Chips.
NOTE #3: See, purists. It still looks delicious!

If you are wondering whether it really tastes as good as it looks, just ask the Caveboy. He declared this stuff to be, during his one and only pause between bites, his “new, personal candy”. But, don’t take our word for it … try it yourself!

Prep Time = 20 Minutes
Marinating Time = 12-24 Hours
Cooking Time = 5-7.5 Hours
Serves 6-10

View the C3TV video version of this recipe here.

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Oven-Baked Cave Chips

This recipe was honored with a FoodBuzz Top 9!

Finally! A chance to share a recipe or two!! And, this one is yummy, yummy, in my tummy!!! Nothing better than homemade potato chips … especially when they are made in a somewhat healthy way. Best of all, they are easy as can be to make.

INGREDIENTS

2 Russet Potaotes
2 Cups Water
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Salt
Seasonings to taste

RECIPE

Scrub potatoes well and rinse with cool water. LEAVE THE SKIN ON!

Cut potatoes in half, crosswise. Slice thinly with food processor and slicing disk.
HINT #1: You can use a mandolin, or even a sharp knife, to carefully slice the chips as thinly as possible by hand. But, when someone like the Cave-in-laws give you a food processor for a gift, this is a great recipe to break it out for! Plus, it makes life a whole lot easier!! Be sure to put the flat cut side of the tater down into the processor for more uniform slices.

Place water and salt into a large bowl and whisk until salt is dissolved. Place potato slices into the saltwater and let sit for 20 minutes. Then, drain well in a colander.

When potatoes are completely drained, place back into large bowl, add olive oil, and toss gently until all slices are evenly coated.

Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly coat two cookie sheets with non-stick spray. Arrange slices in a single layer on the cookie sheets. Place into oven for 12-15 minutes (depending on your oven and altitude).

When chips are golden brown and crispy, remove from oven. Immediately place into a bowl and lightly season to taste, toss gently.
HINT #2: If chips haven’t cooked evenly, remove the browned ones and return the rest to the oven for another couple of minutes until done.
HINT #3: For these, I used Garlic Salt for seasoning. But, you are only limited by your imagination as to what you can use. Dried Italian Herbs, Onion Powder, Parmesan Cheese, Cayenne Pepper, even the cheese seasoning from a box of mac & cheese will work well on these.

Serve as a side dish to your favorite sandwich, hamburger, hot dog, or just as a delicious snack. Enjoy!

Prep Time = 30 minutes
Cooking Time = 12-15 Minutes
Serves 4

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

New Axe Campaign

Axe body spray has launched a new national ad and webisode campaign featuring the voice of someone we all know and love … ME! 😆
Check out the TV ad:

And, the first three webisodes:

Gotta love Trey and Julius! 😆

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Road Trip Hit: Ranch Hand BBQ & Grill (Newbury Park,CA)

Another installment of Road Trip Hits. Taking a page from Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, this ongoing series features some of those little known paragons of road-trip rations.

Okay, so this technically wasn’t a “road trip”. Just a quick lunch stop between picking up the Cavegirl, who gets out of school at 1:30, and corralling the Caveboy, who gets out an hour later. But, Ranch Hand BBQ & Grill (NOTE THEIR NEW ADDRESS: 1015 Broadbeck Drive Suite A Newbury Park, CA 91320 805-375-4252) is truly your typical road-house type of establishment (also known by such names as “greasy spoon” or “hole in the wall”), offering tasty, hearty food at a reasonable price.
Having spent the entire morning and lunch hour in a voice over session, I hadn’t had a chance to eat a thing yesterday. Since my stomach was talking louder than I could speak, I thought it might be a good idea to appease the belly-beast. Ranch Hand has been on my radar to try ever since we moved into the neighborhood. Though, it was always an afterthought as I would drive by and say, “Oh! We should have gone there!!” after munching at some other local spot. Yesterday, however, that little light bulb went off over my head as I drove to the school and I eagerly awaited my introduction to the local Q-house.
As we walked in, I noticed the old authentic Western saddle by the door … nice touch. There was one small table and two chairs outside, but a few more tables with chairs inside – enough to seat several families at once. The guy behind the counter, Chris, was very nice and couldn’t have been more kind to the Cavegirl, giving her a lollypop and one to take home for her brother. Behind him, the lunch special board had seven or eight options on it. Being that I’m always looking for a deal, this seemed like the way to go. The only problem was choosing between all the possibilities like the Pulled Pork sandwich, 1/2 a BBQ Chicken, Burger, etc. I opted for the Tri-tip Sandwich special, which also included one side-dish (I went with the Coleslaw) and a refillable fountain drink, all for $7.95.
As we sat and waited for the food to be prepared, I noticed that the walls were covered with notes and drawings from previous customers. I knew instantly, that this was a very Cave-friendly place. Chris also came by our table and asked the Cavegirl all about her school and her favorite things to do, which made the wait seem to go by in an instant.
When the food did arrive, I was pleased by the amount of meat that was piled onto the soft, fresh sandwich roll. Too often these days, places will slap one slice of meat on each half of the sandwich and call it good. This one was packed several layers high – the perfect amount! As you can see, it also had a nice basting of their proprietary sauce. I took that first bite … oh my, was it good! The Tri-tip was amazingly tender, full of wonderful flavor, and complimented by the zesty sweetness of the sauce. I offered the Cavegirl a bite … BIG mistake! As she proceeded to eat almost half of my sandwich despite the fact that she had finished off a full lunch just over an hour earlier. 😯
I then took a bite of the slaw and was pleasantly surprised by the unique sweet tang it possessed. I then started piling a little onto each bite of the sandwich and then topping it off with a little squirt of their homemade BBQ sauce in the spicy variety and I was absolutely in gastronomic heaven. While it really complimented the Trip-tip unbelievably well, I imagine it must be otherworldly when combined with some of their Pulled Pork which, I am told, is as good as anything you can get down in the BBQ Belt
All together, it was one of those sandwich experiences you just never wanted to end. In one of the late Warren Zevon’s last interviews, just before his impending passing, he said, “Enjoy every sandwich”. If he had gotten the chance to taste one of these he might have added, “… as long as it’s a Tri-tip sandwich from Ranch Hand!”
After some fact digging with Chris, it turns out the owner, Arnold, and his family used to live in the Santa Ynez valley, the place where grilling this cut of beef originated. In fact, they apparently had a BBQ joint there for years where he learned his trade and, obviously, learned it well. I can’t wait to go back and give the Pulled Pork, chicken, ribs, House Chips, mac salad, and deep fried Twinkie a try … but not all at once! 😉 The Cavegirl can’t wait either, as you can see by the delight the Ranch Hand BBQ & Grill left on her face. The only drawback is that they don’t really offer anything vegetarian other than their side dishes and a house salad. So, the Cavewoman is out of luck on this one. You’d think, especially being a So Cal establishment, that they’d throw a Veggie Burger or Grilled Cheese sandwich on the menu. But, until they do, at least the Cavekids and I have a new Road Trip Hit right in our own backyard. Gotta love that!

UPDATE: I have since found out that they do indeed offer a veggie burger for the herbivore crowd … it’s just not officially on the menu because meat is their obsession. But, if you ask for one, Arnold swears he’ll gladly throw a veggie burger on the grill for you!

UPDATE #2: They updated their menu when they recently moved to a bigger and better location … and the “Garden Burger” is now proudly on it! Plus, they’ve added a stone pizza oven … and their Zah is gooooooood!!

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

A Night To Refresh

With all that has been going on in our Caveclan lately, I just haven’t had the time to post up many recipes, reviews or tips. For that, I do apologize. I hope to get a few things up in the coming week or two.
As for my Cavemom-in-law, she is far from fine, but definitely on the improve. I’d like to thank all of our friends and family (terrestrial and cyber) who have continued to offer words of encouragement, healing prayers, and rejuvenative thoughts during this family crisis. One thing that I have discovered during this 30 day nightmare is that while we expend boundless amounts of energy helping our loved one to convalesce, we also need to take the time to heal ourselves from the stress and strain of the situation. With that in mind, I headed out for a late-night Ninja fishing session on Tuesday. It turned out to be just what the Cave-Doctor ordered … it was an epic night of fishing and fun. If you’d like to read the about entire experience check out the Ninja Buzz post on my new fishing blog Caveman Catching. I hope you enjoy it!

Cure For The Common Salmon

The family emergency continues, making it difficult for me to post as often as usual. But, I’ve got another one here that will knock your loincloth off! Some call this Lox, Gravlox, or (mistakenly) Smoked Salmon. Though, it is really Cured Salmon … and, it is really good! Simple, too!!

INGREDIENTS

1 2-3 Pound Fillet Fresh Salmon, skinned
1 Cup Sea or Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup White Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Fresh Ground Peppercorns
1 Bunch Fresh Dill

RECIPE

In a medium bowl, place salt, sugars, and pepper. Whisk together until fully blended and the brown sugar is no longer clumpy.
HINT #1: I used a five-flavor blend of peppercorns that included white, black, green and pink peppercorns and Jamaican pepper. Though, using plain old fresh ground black pepper will work just fine, too.

Place the salmon fillet centered on a piece of plastic wrap that is more than twice the length of the fillet itself. Cover the fillet with half the salt mixture, and then half the dill bunch.

Carefully turn the fillet over (It helps to pat down the ingredients into the fillet first). Then, cover the other side of the salmon with the rest of the salt mixture and dill.
Now, wrap the salmon as tightly as possible with the plastic wrap.
Place wrapped filet onto a sufficiently large plate or platter to catch any juices that my run off during the curing process. Place into refrigerator for 24 hours, making sure to turn it over at the halfway point.
HINT #2: If you wrap it tight enough, you won’t have to stack any blocks or anything else that other recipes seem to call for. I also like to re-wrap the fillet with a second piece of plastic wrap to help achieve the necessary tautness.

After 24 hours, remove the fillet from the fridge and carefully unwrap it. This is what it should look like!

Remove the dill and as much of the salt mixture as possible. Under cold running water, rinse the rest of the dill and salt from the salmon. Pat it dry with a paper towel.

With a very sharp knife cut the fillet, on an angle, into very thin slices. Layer the each slice on top of the previous one.
Now, you need to make a decision. Eat it right away? Refrigerate it until later? Or, freeze it for future use in the next 2-3 months? It’s hard not to try some right away, so go ahead and have at it. But, I like to wrap it up in some fresh plastic wrap and refrigerate it another 24 hours … it just seems to give it an extra bit of flavor curing.

When you are ready to serve it, you can place it on toast triangles with a little Goat Cheese and capers, put it in a salad, or go the traditional route pictured here: with a bagel, cream cheese, and slice tomatoes and onions.
HINT #3: You can add many other ingredients during the curing process. Paper thin slices of lemon; zest of any citrus; fresh tarragon or parsley; fennel, caraway, or coriander seeds; or just about anything else you may want to experiment with. Be creative and have fun!

Prep Time = 15 minutes
Cure Time = 24 Hours
Serves 6-8

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.