Good afternoon, Dubbers. I hope everyone is doing well.

Except for Lou Holtz.

And Brady Quinn.

I hope those guys are enjoying Shooter McGavin’s breakfast recipe, to be honest with you. Speaking of golf, it’s Ryder Cup week! GO USA!

Each year I tried to do something different for the bye weeks and turn it over to the readers. We got some great recipes over the years, and this selection is American AF.

NorCal's Smoked Pulled Pork Chili

This is a simple recipe that is perfect for football game days, especially as the temperature drops outside.  The recipe serves 2-4 people (depending on how hungry they are) and can scale up to accommodate groups of any size.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 lbs of smoked pulled pork - adjust to your preference (see pulled pork recipe below)
• 10 oz can of Rotel (use "Chili Fixin's version if available)
• 15 oz can of pinto beans drained and rinsed

Spices (to taste):

Garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle powder, ancho powder, cumin, ground mustard.  Chipotle & ancho powders used instead of cayenne & american chili powder.  Add spices to taste; you really can't mess it up.

Steps:

1. Add all ingredients to a covered pot and let simmer, stirring occasionally.  That's it.
2. I'll usually add the ingredients before kick-off, sample with chips during timeouts, and eat at half-time.  Pairs perfectly with a cold Lagunitas IPA.

Notes:

• The chili goes really well with tortilla chips to scoop (Costco 2.5# bag of corn tortilla chips for the win) and a cold drink to help with the heat.
• I typically make double this (2-3 lbs meat, 2 cans of Rotel and 2 cans of beans) so I have plenty of leftovers to freeze for days I want a quick lunch for work.

Smoked Pulled Pork

Hat-tip to Meathead at amazingribs.com.  Pork rub and steps adapted from his site.

Probably the easiest and most forgiving cut of meat to smoke is pork shoulder butt.  You can go low and slow, or you can hit it hot and fast.  I use the "Texas Crutch" to keep the meat from stalling and drying out around 150F (due to evaporative cooling).

Ingredients:

• Pork shoulder butt (do not use a lean meat like tenderloin)
• Pork rub - brown sugar, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle powder, ancho powder, mustard powder, cumin  (amounts in descending order)
• Wood - apple, cherry or a blend of the two are my favorite for pork

Directions:

1. Trim the extra fat and coat liberally with your pork rub and smoke between 200-275F, or if you'd like as hot as 325F. 
2. Smoke until you hit ~203F internal temperature, which you'll notice the meat gets "probe tender". 
3. Spray occasionally with water or apple juice to keep moist and also increase smoke absorption. 
4. I recommend wrapping the meat in aluminum foil when it hits ~150F to avoid the "stall".  The meat has most likely absorbed as much smoke/flavor as it's going to after 2-3 hours and it the foil keeps the pork moist.  You can also finish the wrapped meat inside in your oven if you have other items to put on the grill. 
5. Once finished, pull the meat with bear claws and immediately serve (once pulled it'll dry out fast).  Save the juices/drippings to pour over the served meat or add to containers before refrigerating/freezing (crucial).  Put leftovers in 1-2 lb bags for a quick meal (pulled pork sandwiches, chili, etc...)

So, there you have it – one of the all-time greatest reader contributions! Hope everyone enjoys some delicious food and good times this weekend. 

Go Bucks!

Beat the bye week.

Previous editions of Tailgate Fare

11W Community Tailgate Cookbook