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I have decided to really try to document my cooking, because I am not naturally adept at coming up with recipers (Rachael Ray and my mom have taught me all I know!} and with the wonder that is pinterest, all these amazing recipes are at my finger tips..in beautiful colorful photographs.  So, I make my weekly grocery list from my pins, and cook my little heart out.  TJ has never been happier.

First up, a slow cooked Pork Shoulder (the original recipe I found on SimpleBites calls for a dutch oven slow cook, but I don’t have one of those, so in the crockpot for about 3 hours on high did the trick nicely, although cooking time will vary) in apple cider, and home made barbeque sauce!  Something was a little off with my sauce though, I think I didn’t put enough brown sugar, and it needed a little more kick, but I mean, it is homemade barbeque sauce, how awesome is that?  I would do it again and again.

Here is the link to the Simplebites site where I came across the recipe – Click here – and I do believe it was quite successful!   I put blue cheese sprinkles on my sandwich at the end, because I had them, and it needed them, and it was delicious.    Recipe below the pictures. 

Recipe: Braised Pork Shoulder

—From Poor Girl Gourmet: Eat in Style on a Bare-Bones Budget
by Amy McCoy/Andrews McMeel Publishing

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (4- to 5-pound) pork shoulder (see Note)
• 2 medium yellow onions, cut crosswise into ¼-inch rounds
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh
• 4 cups apple cider

1. Warm the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Season the pork shoulder on all sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork shoulder on all long sides (don’t worry about the short ends, you’ll be wrestling pork shoulder and oil, and it’s not necessary), 3 to 5 minutes per side.
2. Remove the pork shoulder from the pot and transfer it to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium. Place the onions in the pot and cook until they are softened and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mustard and thyme, stirring to combine. Return the pork shoulder and any accumulated juices to the pan, and add the apple cider.
3. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, cover, and cook at a gentle simmer until the meat does what? Falls off the bone. That’s right, people. At that point, the meat is also fork-tender, meaning it does not require a knife to be cut. To achieve this will take 3 to 3½ hours. Pull yourself some pork from the pot, put it on a plate, top with a bit of the cooking liquid or Tangy Barbecue Sauce (recipe below), and start thinking about pulled pork sandwiches, even as you enjoy the braised pork.

Recipe: Tangy Barbecue Sauce

—From Poor Girl Gourmet: Eat in Style on a Bare-Bones Budget
by Amy McCoy

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, very finely chopped
• ½ cup distilled white vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Sauté the shallot and garlic until softened and the shallot is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the vinegar, sugar, and honey, and stir until the sugar and honey are dissolved. Add the tomato paste, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to combine. Add the chili powder, salt, and pepper, and give it a good stir.
3. Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 18 to 20 minutes. Okay, now, dole it out—first onto reheated pork shoulder leftovers, and then, later this week, onto any other protein that you want to jazz up with delicious barbecue taste.