Pulled Pork Quesadillas

June 2, 2020 By

I really enjoy smoking pork shoulders. I like the whole process – adding the rub to the pork, getting my Weber Kettle ready, manning the smoker and obviously, eating the fruits of my labor. This is my go-to pulled pork recipe for making smoked pork shoulder (butt) on a Kettle grill if you don’t have a smoker.

With so much pork and only a two-person household, what do you do with all the meat? When I make a pork shoulder, I freeze some of the cooked meats for easy weeknight dishes. One of these easy dishes is pulled pork quesadillas that I serve with my Zesty Guacamole – it’s fast to make and so tasty.

There are several ready-to-serve pulled pork products you can get at the grocery store that would also work well in this recipe. I like to fold my tortillas in half to make my quesadillas (see picture above), but you could also use one tortilla on the bottom and one on top.

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup warmed BBQ sauce, home-made or store-bought
  • 1 ½ cups smoked pork shoulder, pulled or chopped
  • 4 6-inch white or yellow corn tortillas (could use flour also)
  • 1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese (could use Monterrey Jack or Colby)
  • ½ cup sautéed onions (optional but delish)
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • Garnishes: guacamole, sour cream, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, salsa, 1 lime cut in half

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, combine the warm BBQ sauce and the pork.
  2. Place the tortillas on a work surface and add an equal amount of pork, cheese and onion (if using) to half of each tortillas. Fold each tortilla over.
  3. Add a tablespoon of oil to a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add two of the folded quesadillas to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until deeply browned. Remove the cooked quesadillas from the pan and add to a plate then cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining two quesadillas.
  4. Cut each quesadilla into four pieces and serve with the garnishes and a squeeze of lime.

Makes 2 servings.

Filed Under: Cheese, Entrees, Mexican, Pork, Sandwiches Tagged With: , , ,
29 June 2019 The Shannon Rose’s Guinness BBQ Pulled Pork

The Shannon Rose’s Guinness BBQ Pulled Pork

June 29, 2019 By

Don’t have a smoker but love BBQ pulled pork? The Shannon Rose Irish Pub (http://theshannonrose.com) has a very tasty alternative that requires just an oven and some rich Guinness stout.

The Shannon Rose’s Guinness BBQ Pulled Pork, with slow-roasted pork simmered in Guinness BBQ sauce and topped with pepper jack cheese on a toasted brioche roll, is a customer favorite. Adding Guinness to the barbecue sauce creates a sweet and sharp balance, using the stout’s smoothness to keep it from being overpowering.

The Shannon Rose’s Guinness BBQ Pulled Pork

BBQ Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 oz shallots
  • 1 cup Guinness
  • 1 qt BBQ sauce
  • ½ cup honey

Dry Rub Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp paprika
  • 3 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp white pepper
  • 2 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander
  • 1 tbsp Cajun spice

Other Ingredients:

  • 8lb Pork Butt
  • 1.5-gal water
  • ¼ cup liquid smoke
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

BBQ Sauce Directions:

  1. Mince shallots and sauté over medium heat in vegetable oil until softened, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add Guinness and allow to reduce.
  3. Whisk in BBQ sauce and honey. Set aside.

Dry Rub Directions:

  1. Combine all the dry rub ingredients together.

Pulled Pork Directions:

  • Rub the pork butts with 1 cup of the dry rub, making sure all surfaces are covered.
  • In a deep pan, combine water, liquid smoke & vinegar and place in pork butts.
  • Cover with aluminum foil and cook at 300 degrees for 6 hours. Finished pork should be dark brown and pull apart with ease.
  • Remove from the liquid and let cool.
  • Once cooled, pull pork into bite-sized pieces.
  • Heat and mix the pulled pork with the Guinness BBQ sauce.
  • Assemble your sandwich by placing Pepper Jack cheese on the bun with a heaping scoop of pulled pork. Top with frizzled onions, coleslaw or your favorite condiment.

About The Shannon Rose

The Shannon Rose Irish Pub provides a chef-driven menu using fresh, high-quality ingredients, blending Irish pub classics and new tavern favorites. For its thirsty guests, The Shannon Rose Irish Pub features more than 30 beers on tap – including Guinness, Harp and Smithwick’s – and a wide selection of premium scotch malts and Irish whiskeys.

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Entrees, Pork, Sandwiches Tagged With: , ,
22 October 2018 Pesto and Roasted Zucchini Panini

Pesto and Roasted Zucchini Panini

October 22, 2018 By

We love panini at our home and try to make them for lunch every few weeks. My guy loves them loaded with meats like cold cuts or grilled chicken (here’s his blackened chicken version), and I think the vegetarian versions, like this Pesto and Roasted Zucchini Panini, are also fantastic.

We served this Pesto and Roasted Zucchini Panini with a side of roasted cauliflower tossed in a mixture of red wine vinegar/Parmesan and garlic and it was delish.

If you don’t have a panini press (it’s a great investment), you could use a grill pan and weight the panini down with another pan to ensure you get a great crisp bread exterior.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Ciabatta rolls
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 medium zucchini, cut crosswise into ½-inch rounds
  • ⅓ cup basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
  • 1 ounce roasted red peppers, chopped
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

  1. Halve the rolls long ways/horizontally and rub the olive oil over the exterior.
  2. In a medium nonstick pan over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil. Add the zucchini rounds in an even layer and season with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Turn off the heat.
  3. Spread the pesto on the inside of the rolls. Top the bottom pieces of the rolls with the zucchini rounds, roasted pepper, Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Place the roll tops over the toppings.
  4. Heat a panini press or, alternatively, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a grill pan over medium-high heat.
  5. Add the panini to the press and grill 5 minutes. If using the grill pan, make sure to use a second pan over the panini to press them down for a crisp exterior, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the panini to a cutting board and carefully halve on an angle.

Makes two sandwiches.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Entrees, Italian, Sandwiches, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , ,
7 September 2018 Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Pickled Slaw

Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Pickled Slaw

September 7, 2018 By

In celebration of September’s National Family Meals Month™, ShopRite launched a campaign aimed at bringing families together to the dinner table – one healthy meal at a time.

To kick off the celebration, ShopRite awarded the winner of its Family Meals Month Recipe Contest, which was held earlier this year and encouraged customers to submit their favorite healthy family meal recipes, at its Ramsey store on Monday, August 27.

Hawthorne resident Erin Fallon, who shops at the Ramsey store, is the grand prize winner of the contest and was onsite to receive her prize of a $2,500 gift card.

Here’s Erin’s winning “Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps” recipe for you to try at home.

Pickled Slaw Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rice wine vinegar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon celery seed
  • ¼ head red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cucumber, thinly sliced

Ground Chicken Ingredients:

  • 1 large carrot, shredded
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • ½ small onion, grated
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 pound lean ground chicken
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 head Boston lettuce

Pickled Slaw Directions:

  1. Combine vinegar, sugar and honey in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix and remove from heat. Add salt, pepper and celery seed and add vegetables to hot liquid, mix well. Place in large resealable plastic bag and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Ground Chicken Directions:

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add ground chicken, salt, pepper, allspice and ginger, soy sauce and honey, cooking over medium heat. When most of the liquid evaporates or it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, it’s done. Remove from heat and mix in cilantro.
  2. Separate and wash lettuce leaves. Serve chicken and slaw inside lettuce cups. 

Serves 4.

Filed Under: Asian, Chicken, Entrees, Sandwiches Tagged With: , ,
18 August 2017 Pulled Pork on a Weber Kettle Grill

Pulled Pork on a Weber Kettle Grill

August 18, 2017 By

I’ve been smoking pork shoulder/butt for a few years on the Weber kettle grill since I don’t have a smoker (yet). The pork is always super moist, flavorful and delicious, but a couple weeks ago, I decided to try the method by “MNLang” he posted on Instructables – wow, amazing!!

Smoked Butt

I followed the instructions very closely and I must admit, it was some of the best pulled pork I’ve had, and god knows I get around a pork butt.

Here are his instructions: http://www.instructables.com/id/Pulled-pork-on-a-Weber-kettle-grill/

Once I had my cooked/smoked pork, I made several dishes with it, including fabulous pulled pork sandwiches lightly dressed with my World’s Best BBQ Sauce. I also made some pulled pork quesadillas with grilled onions, sharp Cheddar and Jack cheeses, cilantro and salsa verde.

I hope you try this technique if you have a kettle grill. It’s definitely not a “set it and forget it” method, but it produces some of the best smoked pork you’ll be able to make without a smoker.

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Entrees, Pork, Sandwiches Tagged With: , , ,
2 June 2017 Grilled Turkey Wrap – Not Really a Recipe

Grilled Turkey Wrap – Not Really a Recipe

June 2, 2017 By

This is the third post in my new series called “Not Really a Recipe”. These will be non-recipe posts that just give ideas on how to fix meals that are tasty and require very little work.

I make wraps for lunch all the time. I fill them with tasty things like avocado, artichoke hearts, heirloom tomatoes and more…the options are endless. I do get to a point where I’m sick of the same old wraps so when that happens, I grill them in my Panini press!

Today I used spicy humus as my ‘glue’ instead of fatty mayo and topped it with sliced turkey, sliced provolone cheese, dried cranberries and pickles. All the ingredients were tucked inside a sundried tomato wrap. Little veg oil on each side, 2 minutes in the hot Panini press and voila – a crunchy on the outside and melty on the inside hot wrap!

Hope this helps break up your monotone lunches a bit!

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Sandwiches, Turkey Tagged With: ,
26 May 2017 Double Avocado Toast – Not Really a Recipe

Double Avocado Toast – Not Really a Recipe

May 26, 2017 By

This is the second post in my new series called “Not Really a Recipe”. These will be non-recipe posts that just give ideas on how to fix meals that are tasty and require very little work.

This dish is perfect for lunch, brunch or cut into slices for an appetizer. The dish is made using grain-filled bread that’s buttered and lightly toasted then topped with my Zesty Guacamole recipe, slices of avocado, cilantro leaves and edamame. Right before serving, I squeeze some lime juice on. Simple to make and boasting big, perfect flavors.

Let me know if you try this!

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Breakfast, Mexican, Sandwiches, Snacks, Starters, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , ,
12 April 2016 Pig & Prince Restaurant Duck Fat Grilled Cheese

Pig & Prince Restaurant Duck Fat Grilled Cheese

April 12, 2016 By

Today is National Grilled Cheese Day, a day dedicated to celebrating a national favorite: the grilled cheese sandwich. Chef Mike Carrino, of popular restaurant Pig & Prince Restaurant in Montclair, NJ, has masterfully created an elegant and delicious twist on a classic sandwich – the Duck Fat Grilled Cheese.

Duck Fat Grilled Cheese _ pig and princeThis elevated take on the ‘old reliable’ of sandwiches is sure to please die-hard grilled cheese lovers.

Duck Fat Grilled Cheese

  • 8 – ½ inch slices of artisanal rosemary sourdough
  • (or your favorite type of rustic bread)
  • 12 slices of muenster cheese
  • 12 slices of cypress grove, midnight moon cheese
  • 8 large slices of tomato
  • House made boursin cheese (see recipe below)
  • 16 slices of duck bacon (regular pork bacon can also be used)
  • 4 tbls melted butter
  • 4 tbls rendered duck fat (duck confit fat would be best)

Housemade Boursin:

  • 16oz cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup soft butter
  • 3 cloves garlic (microplane)
  • 1 tbsp chopped herbs
  • ¼ tsp chopped dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp chopped dill
  • ¼ tsp chopped basil
  • Salt and lemon to taste

In a medium bowl, mix all the boursin ingredients together until fully incorporated.

To assemble the grilled cheese:

  1. Spread some melted duck fat on the inside of the bread with a pastry brush.
  2. Smear your homemade boursin on the inside of each slice of bread.
  3. Layer 3 slices of Muenster on one side of the sandwich bread and 3 slices of Midnight Moon on the other side of the sandwich.
  4. Lay the tomato on the Midnight Moon side and then the duck bacon (or bacon) on top of the tomato.
  5. Place Muenster side on top in a large skillet, on medium heat, pour in melted butter and the remaining duck fat.
  6. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes each, moving often to keep the heat equally distributed.
  7. Remove from pan and allow to sit one to two minutes before cutting.

Happy National Grilled Cheese Day!

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Sandwiches Tagged With: , , ,
3 October 2014 National Taco Day – Villalobos Carne Asada Taco

National Taco Day – Villalobos Carne Asada Taco

October 3, 2014 By

Chef Adam Rose

Chef Adam Rose

Villalobos Chef/Owner Adam Rose shares his tasty recipe for the already-popular Carne Asada Tacos in celebration of October 4th National Taco Day.

Carne Asada Taco

  • 1 lb. cleaned outer skirt steak
  • 4 oz. chopped cilantro
  • 8 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon ground chipotle morita
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 8 tortillas
  • 1 Spanish onion, chopped for garnish
  • 3 limes quartered

Instructions:

  1. Take cleaned skirt steak, place in shallow pan. Season with cilantro, olive oil, morita, salt & pepper to create a marinade. Cover and let rest for two hours.
  2. Remove skirt steak and grill each side for 5 minutes. Remove from grill and let rest 2 minutes.
  3. While meat is resting, place tortillas on the grill to heat.
  4. Chop steak, assemble on tortillas, and top with the garnish of chopped onion and limes.

Makes 8 tacos.

Best,

Veronique

Filed Under: Beef, Entrees, Mexican, Sandwiches Tagged With: ,
15 November 2013 Beef Short Rib Leftover Ideas

Beef Short Rib Leftover Ideas

November 15, 2013 By

Short ribs are at the top of my list of winter comfort foods. The lowly-simmered, decadent beef with its rich sauce and deep flavors warm the body and the soul.

When I take the time to make Make Ahead Short Ribs, I often double the recipe so I have leftovers. While it’s easy and delicious to simply reheat the short ribs and have them with mashed potatoes, here are two of my favorite ways to use leftover short ribs.

Short Rib Soup

Short Rib Soup

Short Rib, Mushroom and Barley Soup

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 pound beef bones (ideally with marrow)
  • 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped into small dice
  • 2 carrots, chopped into small dice
  • 3 celery ribs, chopped into small dice
  • 1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 32-ounce cartons of beef broth
  • 1/4 cup dry Marsala wine or white wine (optional)
  • 3/4 cup barley, rinsed in cold water
  • 2 cups shredded leftover beef short ribs
  • 4-inch long piece of Parmesan rind

Directions:

  1. Pour the oil in a large, heavy pot over high heat, and heat up for 30 seconds.  Add the bones and cook for 2 minutes, or until browned.
  2. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the bones in the pot, reduce heat to medium heat and cook the vegetables for 4 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook an additional 3 minutes.
  3. Add the spices, the broth and the wine, if using.  Bring the heat to low and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes.
  4. Add the barley, short rib meat and the Parmesan rind, if using, to the pot and simmer partially covered for another 30 minutes over low heat.
  5. Remove and discard the bones and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Short Rib Panini

Short Rib Panini

Short Rib Panini

Ingredients:

  • 2 Portuguese rolls, or other favorite bread
  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 cup shredded leftover short rib
  • 4 slices Gouda cheese, or other melting cheese like Fontina
  • 2 tsp. Balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup mâche or arugula

Directions:

  1. Warm a Panini press or heavy skillet over medium heat.
  2. Cut the rolls horizontally and brush them with the oil.
  3. Add 1/2 cup of short rib to each roll then top with 2 slices of cheese each. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the meat and cheese.
  4. Place the sandwiches on the Panini press, close and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. If using a skillet, simply weight the sandwich down with a second skillet and flip the sandwich after 1 minute or until the first side is golden brown.
  5. Divide the mâche or arugula between the two sandwiches, cut on an angle and serve.

Makes 2 Panini.

If you have clever short rib leftover ideas, please share them!

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Beef, Entrees, Mushrooms, Sandwiches, Soups Tagged With: , , ,
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