Among my friends and family I’m renowned for this dish. It’s good all year around!!
It’s a scientific fact that honey makes food taste better. Honey is largely composed of gluconic acid, a completely safe and natural flavor enhancer. According to the National Honey Board, a federal research and promotion board under USDA oversight, honey “balances and enhances the flavor profiles of other ingredients used in a recipe.”
The use of honey as a healthy and flavorful alternative to refined sugars has exploded in popularity in recent years. Raw honey is organic, easily digested, adapts to all cooking processes and lasts virtually forever.
Raw honey is also an integral part of the local food or “locavore” movement. Nationwide, small farms, farmers markets and specialty food makers are popping up and thriving as more people seek locally produced, seasonal foods. More than half of consumers now say it is more important to buy local than organic, according to market research firm Mintel. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan called the local food movement “the biggest retail food trend in my adult lifetime.”
Enjoy this recipe and feel good about it!!
Spicy Honey Barbecue Pulled Pork
Yield: 10-12 servings
Ingredients:
1 Boston Butt roast, about 5-6 pounds
Wet Rub:
1 cup honey
1/2 cup garlic, granulated
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup paprika
2 tablespoons onion, granulated
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
Sauce:
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Dash ground red pepper
Directions:
Stir together all rub ingredients in a bowl. If needed, trim the fat back to about 1/8 inch thick on shoulder. Smear meat generously with rub, massaging it into the meat. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and chill overnight in the refrigerator.
Stir together all ingredients for the sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, 40 minutes.
Divide sauce into separate containers for basting and serving at the table. Refrigerate table sauce and reheat for serving.
Heat oven to 200 degrees Farenheit. Place meat in a Dutch Oven and add 1 cup water. Baste with 1/2 of the barbecue sauce. Cover tightly and cook for 4-5 hours or until pork is very tender.
Remove pork to a large cutting board or platter, cover with sauce from pan and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Pull, slice or chop to serve. Serve in buns with barbecue sauce and coleslaw.
Coleslaw
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
6 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 cup honey
Salt and pepper
Directions
In a large bowl, combine cabbage and carrots. In a smaller bowl, make dressing by combining mayonnaise, vinegar, celery seed, honey, salt and pepper. Toss dressing into cabbage mixture and let chill.
Homemade Buns
Yield: Makes 28 buns
Ingredients
1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 (1/4-oz.) envelope active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 3/4 cups milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup honey
3 teaspoons salt
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, bread flour or whole wheat flour, divided (I use King Arthur’s)
Directions
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, and let stand 5 minutes or until mixture bubbles.
Meanwhile, heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until 100° to 110°.
Stir together warm milk, eggs, and next 3 ingredients in bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer, blending well. Add yeast mixture, stirring to combine. Gradually add 5 cups flour, beating at medium speed, using paddle attachment. Beat 3 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand 1 hour.
Uncover dough, and add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, beating at medium speed 5 minutes. (Dough will be sticky.) Transfer to a lightly greased large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
Punch down dough. Turn dough out on a well-floured surface, and roll into 28 (2 1/2-inch) balls (about 1/4 cup dough per ball). Place balls in 4 lightly greased 9-inch pans (7 balls per pan). Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
Bake rolls at 400° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops with butter.
Note: To freeze, place baked buns in zip-top plastic freezer bags, and freeze up to two months. Let thaw at room temperature. Reheat, if desired.
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