Pulled Pork

At the end of the Summer of 2010, my parents came out from Arizona and I hosted a family cookout for the Lindows and Cronins, with a sprinkle of a few Lentinis. My friend Lora suggested that I make her Pulled Pork recipe since it is super easy (turns out, I think she got it from our other friend, Keryn). It was indeed super easy, and a big hit!

• 10 lbs. pork roast
  (Key Words: Rump Roast, Pork Butt, Pork Loin Roast Center Cut)
• 1 can Barq's root beer
• 1 bottle Jack Daniels Original BBQ Sauce
• 1 bottle Jack Daniels Spicy BBQ Sauce
  (I couldn't find the spicy so I just used another brand that was spicy)

DIRECTIONSPlace pork roast in crockpot and add the can of root beer.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
(I had it cook overnight. Lora told me to cook for 10 hours; Keryn's original recipe said 8.5 hours. It's a crockpot... you can't go wrong)
When done cooking, shred the pork and put back into juices remaining in the crockpot.
Add the bottles of BBQ sauce and cook on low for 1-2 hours.

(I actually made this on a Friday night/Saturday morning for a Sunday party. When I added the BBQ sauce, I turned off the crockpot and let it cool down, and then put it in the refrigerator. Sunday morning, I took the crockpot out of the fridge about two hours before party time. I let it come down to room temperature for about an hour before turning on and then cooking on low for about an hour or two. I brought it down to the "keep warm" setting during the party, and served with rolls from Framingham Baking Company. Some people ate the pulled pork on its own, some with the rolls)

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary and Thyme

It was Christmas 2004 and I was getting ready to host my very first Christmas dinner (well, ok, it was Christmas Eve, but it was Christmas for me). Not only was I cooking my first big holiday meal, but I had over 25 people coming. My friend Kerry recommended her pork tenderloin. Over the years, I have added a couple tweaks of my own, and I have always gotten raves. And for the record -- yes, we grilled outside on Christmas Eve!

• 1 ½ lb. pork tenderloin
• Sprinkle of Kosher salt
• Splash of Olive Oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp. McCormick Garlic-Pepper Blend
• ½ tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
• ½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
• Splash of soy sauce

DIRECTIONS
Rub the pork tenderloin with a splash of olive oil.(I say a splash because I keep my olive oil in a plastic squeeze bottle. I use enough to give a moist, oil sheen over the pork tenderloin -- maybe 2 tsp.)
Sprinkle Kosher salt over both sides of pork.
Mince garlic clove over the pork tenderloin, about half of the clove on each side.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a small dish and sprinkle over both sides of the pork.
Splash the pork tenderloin with a little soy sauce
(Like the olive oil, I keep it in a squeeze bottle -- just a quick splash, maybe 1-2 tsp.)
Grill for approximately 20-30 minutes, turning every 8-10 minutes, until 160 degree internal temperature.
(You can also bake in a 425 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes)Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.