Jambalaya

Is it Cajun style or Creole style? Well it's sort of a cross between the two. I didn't use tomatoes as you would in Creole style but I did add equal parts water and rice in the creole style. Cajun style jambalaya usually calls for twice as much water as rice. Nothing fancy here just simple goodness. The holy trinity married with the andouille sausage, shrimp and spices is really all you need for a great tasting jambalaya.

Cook the sausage over medium heat for 8-10 minutes then set aside. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pot and cook the vegetable until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the andouille sausage back to the pot, add the shrimp, stir in the spices and cook over medium low heat for another 10 minutes. Add the rice and water and bring to a boil. After a boil is reached reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is done.

What you will need.
1 Lb Andouille sausage
1 Lb Shrimp peeled and deveined
1 large onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 red pepper chopped
3-4 ribs of celery chopped
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp black ground pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
3 1/2 cups rice
3 1/2 cups water

Carolina Style Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches

Pulled pork in a 5qt dutch oven is easy and straightforward with a couple of minor exceptions. The first is to cook the pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 185F. At first thought you might think “Whoa that's 25 degrees higher than the USDA recommendation. Won't it be tough?” That might seem valid considering I usually cook pork at 150-155 but the higher temp allows the fat in the Boston Butt to render and tenderize the meat. The second thing is the resting time. Most would let it rest for about 15 minutes or so but I learned a technique from an avid BBQ guy about resting and when I say BBQ I mean slow cooking on a smoker. Wrap the Boston Butt in heavy aluminum foil and place it in a small insulated cooler with towels above and below the meat and let it rest for an hour or so.This step will continue the rendering and tenderizing process. Don't worry it will be steamy and warm when you pull it out of the cooler.
The Carolina style comes from the vinegar and mustard based BBQ sauce.

What you will need for six hungry people.
1 onion sliced
6 cloves of garlic slightly mashed with the back of a knife
1 – 18oz bottle of Carolina style BBQ sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
28 oz beef broth
½ tsp pepper
3 ½ lb Boston Butt
2 Tbs cornstarch and 3 Tbs water blended

Combine first seven ingredients in the dutch oven and stir well. Add the Boston Butt, cover and place in a preheated 275F oven. Cook for 3 hours, turning once halfway through. Remove the meat and let it rest for an hour in the cooler (see above). For the sauce, strain about 2 ½ to 3 cups of the cooking liquid into a saucepan, add the cornstarch water mixture and bring to a low boil for 4 to 5 minutes. After the meat has rested pull the pork into long shreds using two forks. Ladle the sauce over the pulled pork or pass separately.

For the slaw combine 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 2 Tbs sugar, 1/4 tsp celery seed and whisk until blended. Add 1/2 cup light mayo, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp ground pepper and whisk until smooth. Add a 16oz bag of Fresh Express 3 Color Deli Style Cole Slaw and stir to coat evenly.

Forget serving the slaw on the side. This is the way to eat BBQ!