One Butt, Two Meals...at least

One of my favorite, most favorite comfort foods is slow cooked meat.  I'm sure I've mentioned that before.  I know I've had that dialogue many times with myself anyway.  So the other day, I pick up an 8lb Boston Butt.  Not exactly sure what I wanted to do with it, besides throw it in the oven and roast it low and slow for a few hours.  After about hour two, I started devising a plan to create a garlic shmeared Boston Butt scented candle so I could smell the aroma any time.  But then realized there would be no reward at the end. After about the fourth hour, I saved my butt from the gentle 325 degree heat of my "comfort food generator".

We let it rest and cool a bit, then we attacked the butt.  Can you tell I'm enjoying using that word? Anyway,   my sous Chef, Sidda, and I cut and trimmed the meat, ate a little, trimmed some more, ate a little more, ruined our dinner and threw it in the fridge until I decided what to do.  Of course the next day, the kids and I continued to snack on the pork, straight from the fridge.

I still have a small baggie full of butt in my fridge but so far we've made Cuban sandwiches with sriracha mayo (accompanied by broccoli cheese dipping soup). And later that evening, we cleaned out the fridge and made Pork Lo Mien.

Cuban Sandwiches with sriracha Mayo:

 Ingredients:


1/4 cup mayo
srirachi sauce to taste
1 tsp of lemon juiceLarge Loaf of Cuban bread
Olive oil to brush on bread before pressing
Roasted pork (or pork deli meat)
Thinly sliced deli ham
Swiss Cheese
Dill pickles, sandwich sliced
Yellow mustard

1. Combing first three ingredients adding srirachi to taste. 
2. Heat Grill pan or panini press
3. Spread mayo on one side of bread and mustard on the other
4. Assemble rest of ingredients onto the bread.
5. Brush both top and bottom of sandwich with olive oil and place on panini press or grill pan
6. If using grill pan, place a heavy bottom pan on top to press sandwich. Press until flattened and cheese is melted.

 Remember this?  My panini press :)

Pre-Press

Post-Press








"Clean out the Fridge, Pork Lo Mien"

Ingredients:

Sauce
1 Cup of your favorite teriyaki marinade ( I love soy van products)
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
pinch of red chili flakes to taste
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Lo Mien:
Oil to coat pan
1/2 medium onion chopped
One Carrot shredded
1/2 red pepper julienned
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup chicken broth to deglaze pan
1 Cup pork
1 box soba noodles or thin spaghetti noodles
Scallions and/or cilantro to garnish
Chopsticks

Instructions:
1. Mix all ingredients for sauce and set aside. 
2. Cook noodles according to package directions to al dente
3. Head oil in saute pan over medium heat
4. Add onions and cabbage and cook until cabbage is a bit wilted, maybe about 3 minutes
5. Add pork and saute until a little crispy and heated through
6. Splash a bit of chicken broth in the pan to scrape up the delicious pork bits
7. Add red peppers and carrots right before you add the noodles to help keep their crunch
8. When noodles are al dente, drain and add to veggie/pork mixture and toss to combine
9. Add your sauce and quickly toss to heat everything together
10. Garnish with chopped scallions and or reserved cilantro
11. Divide into separate bowls, add chopsticks and enjoy the chopstick/noodle entertainment.