Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork & Cilantro-Jalapeno Coleslaw

Two crock-pot meals in one week! Life has gotten easier on Indigo Street.
This recipe came from The Pioneer Woman, and it was freaking deeeeelicious! Michael said it was the most flavorful pulled pork he's ever had, the house smelled delicious, and I might make it the next time we have company over.

Crock-pot meals are so easy I really don't think they need the play-by-play with photos. I spent about 20 minutes prepping everything in the morning (it could have been cut down to 10.. but it was the morning, I was moving slow), and another 15 minutes doing the finishing touches before serving. In order to make this as easy as possible, I prepped everything for the coleslaw in the morning and stored everything separately (dressing, cabbage/jalapenos, cilantro- all in separate tupperware) so I could toss it together before eating. Definitely make this. And make a ton of it- the leftovers are amazing.

Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork

• 1 large Onion, peeled & quartered
• 3-5 lbs. Pork Shoulder Roast 
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 can Chipotles in Adobo (I used a 12.5 oz can- you can use a 7 oz can if you prefer things more mild)
• 2 cans Dr. Pepper

1. Place the onion quarters in the bottom of the crock-pot. Generously salt & pepper the roast before placing it (fat-side up) on top of the onions. Pour the can of chipotle peppers (including the sauce) over the roast, add the brown sugar, then pour in the two cans of Dr. Pepper. 
2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, turning 2-3 times during the cooking process (I wasn't home- mine was never turned, no biggie).Continue to cook until the pork is falling apart (use two forks to test). If the pork is not falling-apart tender, cook it for another hour.
3. Remove the entire roast from the crock-pot and place on a large cutting board. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
4. While the meat is resting, skim the fat from the liquid in the crockpot. Discard the fat.
5. Shred the meat with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the liquid in the crock-pot, and keep warm until ready to serve.

Cilantro-Jalapeno Coleslaw

• 1/2 small head of cabbage, sliced thin
• 1/2 small head of purple cabbage, sliced thin
• 1 whole jalapeno, halved & sliced thin (including seeds & membranes)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•  2 cups cilantro leaves, barely chopped

1. Toss together the sliced cabbage and jalapeno slices in a large bowl. 
2. In a small bowl, mix the milk, mayo, sugar, vinegar, salt and cayenne pepper together. 
3. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for one hour (or not- I didn't). 
4. Before serving, mix in the cilantro leaves.

To Serve:

Michael's Preference: Tuesday Night
Split a kaiser roll in half. Lightly butter and grill until golden brown. Top with shredded pork and a little juice, and coleslaw.

My Preference: Leftovers on Wednesday Night
Heat up a flour tortilla- preferably the delicious kind that you brown yourself on the stove (such as TortillaLand or My Nana's). 

Sidenote:

I knew I would have a ton of leftovers, so I mixed together half the coleslaw on Tuesday so I could have 'fresh' coleslaw on Wednesday. Hate soggy coleslaw.

Fig Spread

Fig Spread

• 6 ounces Calimyrna dried figs, stemmed and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces.
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. Bring the water, sugar and figs to a boil in a small saucepan.
2. Reduce the heat, and simmer- covered- until the figs can easily be pierced with a knife and most of the liquid has evaporated. About 20 minutes.
3. Allow the figs to cool slightly before transferring to a food processor or blender. Add the lemon juice and puree until smooth. If the spread is too thick, you can add water, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

French Dip Sandwiches

French Dip Sandwiches

Original recipe from bakingbites.com

• 3 1/2 lbs. Beef Chuck Roast
• 14.5 oz. Beef Broth
• 10.5 oz. Condensed French Onion Soup (I used Campbell's)
• 6 oz. Red Wine
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)
• salt & pepper
• 4-6 Bolillo Buns or French rolls
• Provolone cheese, sliced

1. Trim excess fat off the chuck roast, season liberally with salt and pepper.
2. Pour the beef broth, soup, wine, and garlic into a crockpot. Place the roast into the liquid.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until very tender. Remove the beef from the crock pot, allow it to rest on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes, then cut into thin slices. Place all the sliced meat back into the crockpot for another 30 minutes (I skipped this part because I was STARVING).
4. Lightly toast the bread, top with cheese, and divide the beef evenly between the rolls. 
5. Skim the fat from the crockpot, then spoon the beef juice (au jus) into ramekins. Serve each sandwich with it's own ramekin of au jus.
6. Dip. Bite. Chew. Delicious.