Slow-Cooker Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

After a total of nearly 18 hours at the theater in two days, Liv and I returned home Saturday night around midnight utterly exhausted.  Our girls rocked the stage!!  I saw most of her solo through my tears of emotion, but what I saw was enough to know that she had done well.  My husband had flown across the country and made it just in time to see her take the stage.  My dad called my mom in rehab (hip replacement) so she could listen on the cell phone and the laughter and applause from the audience was carried across the Verizon phone network to her little room 30 miles away, bringing tears to her eyes as well.  An hour later as they announced awards we were thrilled to hear she scored well that evening and received a second in her category. 

Liv's Solo - she dances to Sarah Jessica Parker's "Shy" from Once Upon a Mattress

The next day had us heading back to the theater for the group numbers where the girls once again lit up the stage.  I feel a bit of "ownership" for each of the girls and my heart was bursting with pride as I sat behind an older couple during the small group tap number and listened to them laugh out loud, comment that they loved the costumes and say that this was one of the best numbers they had seen all day.  Yep... those were MY girls!

In less than two weeks we get to head out and do it all over again.  Liv is ready to start packing her bags!!

With both Liv and myself a bit limp the following day we spent a good amount of time sitting on the couch watching tv together.  My son joined us for a while and soon our stomachs were grumbling.  With Daddy back on the travel road, I had earlier turned to the slow cooker, filling it with chicken, onions and spices and let it "do its thing" while we got our energy back.

Before I knew it the house was aromatic and dinner was ready.  Tender chicken was shredded and returned to the somewhat spicy tomato based sauce flavored with Frank's RedHot Sauce, cider vinegar, and garlic.  Served with a bowl of sliced oranges and a side of slaw we all enjoyed the meal and decided to leave the dishes for the next day.  An early night was had by all...

Carolina Pulled-Pork Sandwiches

Well used recipes that are splattered and marked up are the best.  That is exactly the case with this pulled pork recipe that I have long since forgotten where I got it from.  The page was slyly torn out of a magazine at some doctor's office, for which I felt guilty for a while.  Now that I look back at how many times I've made these tasty sandwiches and how the simple flavors bring me back to happy times, I'm glad I took that recipe even if it did mean that someone else didn't get to see it!

My notes say that I first made this recipe in 1999... I remember the day perfectly.  I was 8½ months pregnant and for some unexplained reason I prepared a feast for all the neighborhood kids and adults for my son's 3rd birthday party.  Thank goodness my mother was there to help me as I seem to remember my feet swelling to the size of small watermelons shortly after lunch was served.  I don't think I moved for 3 days afterwards and definitely didn't cook again for weeks.

Ketchup is not an ingredient or condiment that I use often.  Frankly, I think it's a tad "yucky".  However... Carolina Pulled Pork calls for what I think is a fairly large quantity of ketchup, and I admit that I keep a bottle on hand simply for this recipe.  Aromatics, spices, pork, and a touch of apple cider vinegar combine in a stock pot with the ketchup, bubbling away for about an hour producing a savory scent that makes your stomach growl in anticipation.  The measurement of apple cider vinegar is perfect, adding just a bit of tang but not overpowering the other ingredients.  Feel free to adjust the cayenne pepper to your taste, although we have found that if you reduce it too much the sauce really loses it's punch, becoming a bit bland.  

Carolina Pulled Pork is often requested by my husband and freezes wonderfully for those nights when he asks for it, but I haven't thought ahead.  On our recent vacation, bowls of this pork were frozen along with our Mexican Casserole for our Feast in the Desert.  Thawed in the fridge and warmed in the microwave or on the stove it makes for an easy, portable dish that is always well received.  My husband has even used the pork in spiced up quesadillas for a quick, tasty lunch.  

Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich
looted from a dentist's office magazine
We prefer to double this sauce~

¼ cup butter
1 - 2 large onions, chopped
3 -5 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbs mustard (recipe calls for powdered, but I use dijon if I don't have powdered on hand!)
1 Tbs paprika (I use 1½ tsp sweet + 1½ tsp hot)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups ketchup
3 Tbs brown sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
pepper
1 whole 5 lb pork roast
soft buns

Place pork roast in a crock pot, cover with water and cover with the lid.  Cook until pork is very tender and falls apart when pulled with a fork.

In a large pot melt butter.  Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.  Add mustard, paprika, cumin and cayenne;  cook for 1 minute.  Add ketchup, sugar, vinegar and water.  Simmer, covered for about 30 minutes.  Uncover and simmer for 30 minutes more.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  (Can be made 2 days ahead;  refrigerate, covered.  Heat before using.)

After the pork is cooked, place in a large bowl.  Shred.  Add sauce and mix until combined.  Spoon heaping amounts onto toasted buns and watch for smiles of pleasure!! 

Note:  I usually double the sauce as we prefer our pork to be "saucy".