Nosh & Slosh: An Early Spring Barbecue

Spring, you are such a tease.

You fan the flames of desire for warmer weather, and then you dash our hopes with a late-winterish spot o’ snow. We dig out our sandals one day, only to climb back into boots the next. (And the thing is, we should be used to your whims by now. Once a tease, always a tease.)

We GenQ-ers found ourselves playing right into this come-hither-spring thing last weekend, when a random batch of sweet potato fries had us dreaming up the menu for a quick faux spring BBQ. We added a simple pulled pork and trimmings, and a cocktail (of course!), and felt an instant warm glow.

So, invite your stitchy pals over for an all-day sew-fest with your best and brightest spring prints. It might be cold outside, but the temperature inside will be rockin’.

Sweet potato fries

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 450. Cut peeled sweet potatoes into ¼-inch square strips and soak in cold water for 1 hour. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. (For a bit of extra crunch, toss the fries in some cornstarch or a mixture of cornstarch and white rice flour before adding oil.) Add just enough olive oil to lightly coat (1-2 tablespoons at most) and toss with your hands to distribute oil. Spread across parchment-lined baking sheet, being careful not to keep them too close together. Bake for 10-15 min., turning at least once. Let cool for 5 minutes on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Add salt to taste.

Smoked paprika mayonnaise

½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

Mix ingredients. Dip fries. Make yummy noises.

Not Your Mama’s Cole Slaw
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

1 bag pre-chopped cabbage
4 large carrots, scrubbed or peeled and shredded
1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 cups (16 ounces) mayonnaise, low-fat is fine, as is swapping half with yogurt
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) blue cheese (optional)

Prepare the vegetables: Halve the cabbage halves and cut out the cores. Slice the cabbage as thinly as you can with a sharp knife. Alternately, you can use a mandoline to cut the thinnest slivers or use your food processor’s slicing blade (lay the cabbage horizontally in the feed tube) to do the job in just seconds. Transfer chopped cabbage into a large bowl, discarding any very large pieces. Stir in the shredded carrot and parsley, reserving a few tablespoons of parsley for garnish.

Make the dressing: Mix the mayonnaise, mustards, vinegar, celery seed, salt and pepper in a smaller bowl. Stir in blue cheese, if using. Toss the cabbage mixture with dressing to taste and adjust seasonings as needed. (Note: This makes a lot of dressing, so if you’re like some of us, and don’t like to drown your slaw, the rest is great for salads or dipping raw vegetables.)

Carolina Pork BBQ

3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast, cut in 2 1/2-inch chunks and trimmed of visible fat
2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/3 cup grated onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 1 1/2 cups bottled barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns

In a large zipper-style plastic bag, combine pork, 2/3 cup of the vinegar, onion, garlic, 2 teaspoons of Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Refrigerate over night or up to 24 hours. Turn bag a few times.

Transfer pork and marinade to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Drain in colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup of skimmed cooking liquid.

In a large bowl, using 2 forks, shred pork. Add reserved cooking liquid, 1 cup barbecue sauce, and remaining vinegar and Tabasco. Stir until moistened, adding more sauce until desired consistency is reached. Serve on buns (toasted, if you’re channeling Martha) with coleslaw. Feeds  8.

Minted Vodka Lemonade
(Recipe courtesy of Earlene Todd)

1 cup packed mint leaves, chopped
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup vodka
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice  (It’s worth the effort. Really.)
Crushed ice
Water or sparkling water
Lemon slices and mint sprigs

Combine chopped mint and sugar in large bowl. Stir in lemon juice and vodka. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Strain mixture into pitcher. Fill 8-ounce glasses with crushed ice. Pour mixture over ice, diluting with water or sparkling water if too strong. Garnish with lemon slices and mint sprigs. Serves 6-8.