This weekend we celebrated America’s birthday and the official start of summer. The Fourth of July is always an exciting day filled with great company, food, and of course crisp beer. In addition to the traditional hot dogs and hamburgers that we love to eat, one of our employees, Monica, treated her guests to something special- Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Here's how she did it. 

The perfect pulled pork takes time and patience, so it is always good to plan ahead. Its best to use a slow cooker to cook the pork and a good rub. Monica made her rub out of brown sugar, cumin, mustard powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Before adding the pork to the slow cooker, cook it in a skillet with olive oil. The key to not losing any of the flavors released by the pork while on the stove is to pour the liquid and any drippings into the slow cooker with the meat. Add tomato paste, vinegar, and water, and let the pork cook for 8 hours on low. 

Of course Monica also made her own slaw to go with the pork. She shredded some cabbage and added a sauce made up of mayo, sugar, buttermilk, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper to cabbage and let it sit in the refrigerator for four hours.

Once the pork is finished all thats left is pulling it off of the bone and mixing in your favorite barbecue sauce, this should be pretty easy considering the long cooking time. Toast up some buns and pour up a beer in your Eparé Double Wall Beer Glasses and your guests will be delighted.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 lb. Bone-in Pork Shoulder
• Brown Sugar
• Cumin
• Mustard Powder
• Paprika
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Tomato Paste
• Vinegar
• Barbecue Sauce
• Coleslaw
• Toasted Buns 

Directions:

1. Combine 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of mustard powder, 2 teaspoons of paprika in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook the pork until it is brown on all sides.
3. Add a cup of water to the drippings in the pan and transfer the liquid and the meat to the slow cooker.
4. Add ½ cup of vinegar, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, and 2 cups of water to the pork and cook on low for 8 hours.
5. Once the pork is cooked, boil the liquid from the slow cooker and add salt, pepper, and vinegar.
6. Chop up the pork and mix in the cooked liquid. Add your favorite barbecue sauce and serve on toasted buns with coleslaw. Pour a tall glass of beer and enjoy!