Issue Date: January 27, 2001
Super Bowl strategy: Feed 18 fans for $40
This delicious game plan makes it easy for your home team.
ASIDE FROM Thanksgiving, America's No. 1 cooking holiday is Super Bowl Sunday. And none of us wants anyone we know to be alone on such a major feast day. Which is why it's so easy for Super Bowl party numbers to balloon quickly. I have been known to round up strays right up until the pregame festivities.
To avoid a harried shopping spree to accommodate last-minute invitees, I've developed a cheap, easy, down-home menu that can swell with the guest list.
The night before the game, I slowly roast a big piece of pork -- either a whole picnic shoulder or a shoulder butt roast. With that amount of meat, I can confidently serve pulled pork sandwiches to 18 to 20 guests. Freeze any leftovers for instant meals later on.
First, I brush the bulky roast with mustard and sprinkle it with a dry rub of pantry staples: salt, pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder and paprika. I put it in the oven, knowing the roast requires nothing of me for the next nine to 11 hours. As I sleep, the roast cooks safely at a low temperature, emerging the next morning with a rich mahogany crust and tender, juicy meat. After it cools, I pull the pork into bite-size shreds with my fingers (thus the name "pulled pork"). Then I moisten the meat with rehydrated pan drippings and bottled barbecue sauce.
Baked beans and a simple coleslaw made with bagged coleslaw mix are obvious side dishes.
With very little effort -- and only about $40 in groceries -- I can serve a bench or bleacher full of hungry friends and relatives.
Go to top
Super-Easy Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 9 to 11 hours
3 Tbs. brown sugar
3 Tbs. paprika
1 1/2 Tbs. garlic powder
1 1/2 Tbs. coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
8- to 9-pound bone-in pork shoulder butt roast (also sold as Boston butt roast or Boston-style butt) or a fresh picnic shoulder, rind removed with sharp knife or kitchen shears
1/2 to 1 cup barbecue sauce of your choice (optional)
18 large sandwich buns
Additional barbecue sauce or a selection of hot sauces, for serving
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. In a small bowl, mix sugar, paprika, garlic powder, pepper and salt to make a dry rub.
Line a shallow pan with foil. Pat the pork roast dry. Place it on a rack set over the pan. Lightly sprinkle the top and sides of the meat with additional salt, brush with half the mustard, then sprinkle with half the dry rub. Carefully turn roast over. Repeat the process with a little extra salt and the remaining mustard and dry rub.
Place pork in oven and roast until a meat thermometer registers 170 degrees (about 9 to 11 hours, depending on the roast's size and internal temperature at the start of cooking). When the pork reaches 165 degrees, you may increase the oven temperature to speed cooking, if you like.
Remove pork from oven. Let sit until cool enough to handle, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, scrape pan drippings into a small saucepan, add 1 cup water and bring to a simmer.
Cut pork into 1- to 2-inch chunks. In a large bowl, pull meat apart with fingers into bite-size shreds. Add the pork liquid and optional barbecue sauce; stir.
Can be covered and refrigerated up to 3 days. When ready to serve, warm in the microwave or in a covered pot over low heat. Serve with buns, barbecue sauce and hot sauce, if desired. Put leftovers in freezer bags and freeze up to 3 months.
Serves: 18.
Per serving: 417 calories, 38g protein, 25g carbohydrates, 16g fat (5g saturated), 7g fiber, 730mg sodium.
Go to top
Southern-Style Baked Beans
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes to 2 hours
8 slices bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced
3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar
2 tsps. dry mustard or 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a large pan, fry bacon until it is partially cooked and has released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.
Add onion and bell pepper to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, bacon and remaining ingredients; bring to a simmer.
(If there's not enough room in the pan, add beans and heat to a simmer; transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients).
Pour flavored beans into a greased 9-by-13-inch (or similar size) oven-proof pan (a large, wide casserole allows the beans to thicken nicely). Bake, uncovered, until the beans are bubbly and the sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the "juiciness" of the brand of beans you use.
Let stand to thicken slightly. Serve warm.
This recipe is easily increased or decreased. Use a 28-ounce can of beans for every six guests.
Serves: 18.
Per serving: 202 calories, 5g protein, 30g carbohydrates, 8g fat (3g saturated), 6g fiber, 619mg sodium.
Go to top
Creamy Coleslaw With Bell Peppers & Red Onion
Prep time: 30 minutes
3 16-ounce packages coleslaw vegetable mix
2 large carrots, grated
1 each: red and yellow bell pepper, cut into short, thin slivers
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced thin
1 1/2 tsps. celery seeds
1 3/4 cups mayonnaise
6 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper, to taste
In a large bowl, toss together all vegetables and celery seed.
In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Toss together the vegetables and dressing until thoroughly combined. Taste and correct seasoning.
Refrigerate 30 minutes to let flavors blend. Serve.
This recipe is easily increased or decreased. Use a 16-ounce package of coleslaw mix for every six guests.
Serves: 18.
Per serving: 70 calories, 1g protein, 13g carbohydrates, 2g fat (0g saturated), 1g fiber, 237mg sodium.
Photo by BRIAN LEATART for USA WEEKEND
|
