Recipe | Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork with Cucumber + Dill Slaw

Hello?  Is anyone still out there?  I have excuses that I will spare you from reading about, but time and the right mindset for blogging have been sparse this past month.   In the meantime, I thought I would pop in quickly to share a couple recipes that are worth adding to your arsenal for spring and summer. Since they are easy, they are perfect for weeknight dinners, but they would also be ideal for casual outdoor entertaining. Everything is made ahead of time and stores well, you could even make it all a day in advance, dare I say it even tastes better the second day?  I made this for dinner earlier in the week and both boys requested we have it again soon.  It's perfect outdoor, picnic feeling food, great for those first warm days when you can finally eat outside again (briefly, before the mosquitoes and humidity of summer descend upon us Midwesterners!).  I wish I had more meals like this one.

Recipe | SLOW COOKER BBQ PULLED PORK

(adapted from Chow)

3.5-5 pounds of pork shoulder, trim outside layer of thick visible fat (buy from a good butcher, makes all the difference!)

2 medium yellow onions, sliced thinly

4 garlic cloves, minced

3/4-1 cup chicken broth or stock

2 TBS dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 TBS kosher salt

Place onions and garlic in bottom of crockpot, pour chicken stock over.  Make a dry rub by mixing sugar through salt together in a small bowl and rubbing over all sides of the meat.  Place meat in slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.  Remove meat and shred with 2 forks.  Remove and discard liquid from slow cooker.  Return meat and add favorite BBQ sauce (I used Stubb's Sweet Heat), you'll need about 2 cups, I just added the entire jar.  Mix well and keep warm if you are getting ready to serve it.  Otherwise refrigerate in a closed container.  Left overs would freeze well too.  I served it on potato buns from Fresh Market.

Recipe | SLAW WITH CUCUMBERS + DILL

(source, Smitten Kitchen Cookbook)

1 medium green cabbage, about 2 pounds, cored and shredded

1 large seedless English cucumber, sliced as thin as possible

2 TBS chopped fresh dill

1/2 cup white wine vinegar (I used Champagne vinegar)

2 TBS kosher salt

4 tsp sugar

1/2 cup cold water

Toss cabbage, cucumber and dill together in a large bowl. (It makes a TON, but settles down as it marinates)  Whisk the vinegar, salt and sugar in a small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve,  Stir in the water.  Our the liquid over the salad and let it marinate, tossing occasionally.  1-2 hours if you can.  It is great the next day too!