Classic Cubano Sandwich

No, you aren't seeing things. And yes, I made something with ham in it. If you know me, then you know that I am a #1 ham hater. Can't. Do. It. But I love my husband even more than my distaste for the pink-ish deli meat, so I took one for the team. And I am so glad I did, because this sandwich may just convert me. If you haven't seen the movie, "Chef" then a) you may be living under a rock and b) if you have Netflix (and who doesn't these days?) you can watch it for free! But to sum it all up, the main character makes these incredible-looking cubano sandwiches that got us feeling all of the #hangry feels. 

So I set out on a quest to find the recipe from the movie, and to my pleasure, the recipe that popped up in my Google search literally read, "Cubanos from the Chef Movie". Can it get any closer than that? My next quest was to prepare them and serve them up for hubby's 1/2 birthday. Yes, I am a freak who obsesses over half birthdays. It's just so fun and unexpected. So we celebrated being 29 and one half while chowing down on some festive cubano sandwiches. Not a bad weekend if I do say so myself!

Cubanos from the movie "Chef"
Makes 6

Ingredients:

• 12 slices of baked ham
• thinly sliced Roast Pork (I used this recipe)
• 6 tbsp. butte
• 6 Kaiser rolls, split
• yellow mustard
• 6 thin slices Swiss cheese
• 12 thin slices dill pickles

Heat a Panini/sandwich press over medium. If you do not have a press, feel free to use a large cast iron skillet (using a pot or large baking sheet with cans in it for the "press"). Add ham and pork to cook, turning once until warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from the press.

Generously butter the cut side of your rolls, and toast, cut side down, and press down until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a clean work surface.

On the bottom bun, place 2 slices of ham and 2 slices of pork, then a slice of cheese, and 2 pickle slices. Brush the cut side of the top buns with yellow mustard and close the sandwiches.

Generously butter the outside of the sandwiches and place back onto the press, close down and cook until the cheese melts and the outsides are gold brown, about 3 minutes. If using the skillet/pan method, cook for 3 minutes on each side.

Allow the cubanos to cool for a minute or so before slicing and serving hot.

Now turn on a sexy Miami playlist and get the party started.

Crispy Crockpot Carnitas Tacos with Mango Salsa

It's Taco Tuesday y'all! Is there any other reason that a day of the week starting with a "T" to share with you my BEST taco recipe to date? No joke. Crispy taco shells. Crunchy pulled pork. Sweet juicy mango salsa. Everything is right in the world. We had these three days in a row. No exaggeration. I am finding it hard to put full sentences together they are that good. Sooooo instead of rambling on and on. I'll just leave the recipe and some photos here for you and you can be the judge. 

Crispy Crockpot Carnitas Puffy Tacos with Mango Salsa

Carnitas:

• 3-4 lb. bone-in pork shoulder
• 2 tbsp. high heat oil (like canola)
• 12-oz. vegetable broth (can substitute for beer if you prefer)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 1/2 tbsp. salt
• 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Mango Salsa:

• 1 mango, peeled, seed removed, and chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 2 tbsp. red onion, minced
• 1 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro
• pinch of salt

Tacos:

• canola oil (enough to fill pot 2-3 inches full)
• 10 corn tortillas
• shredded Monterey jack or cotija cheese

Heat the high-heat oil over high heat in a large heavy duty cast-iron skillet. Season the pork shoulder on both sides with just a bit of salt and pepper. Sear pork in the hot oil, about 3-4 minutes on each side, until slightly browned all over.

Meanwhile, add in the rest of the pork ingredients from the broth all the way to the pepper into a crockpot. Mix together and place the seared pork shoulder on top. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 10 hours. I prefer to pop mine in right around dinnertime, and then when I wake up the next morning, like magic, the pork is cooked perfectly tender!

To make the mango salsa, simply mix together all of the listed ingredients until combined. Then place into the fridge until ready to use. Can be made up to 1 day ahead.

Once cooked, remove the pork from the crockpot and place into a tupperware container in the fridge if you are not using right away. Drain the liquid though a find mesh sieve, catching all of the onion, garlic, and any pork remains, then toss, reserving the liquid.

When ready to crisp up the carnitas, lay the shredded pork onto a single layer on a baking sheet. Pour about 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid over the top and broil in the oven for a few minutes, until the edges are crispy.

To make the crispy tacos, heat the 2-3 inches of oil over medium heat. To test when the oil is ready, simply drop a small piece of tortilla into the oil and if it fries up right away, you know that it is ready. Careful not to turn the heat up too high, because the oil can easily burn.


Drop the first corn tortilla into the oil and wait for it rise back to the top and begin to puff slightly. Then with a pair of metal kitchen tongs, hold the sides of the tortilla down, creating a shell shape/fold, and hold there for 20-30 seconds until the tortilla holds the shape on its own. Remove to a paper towel to drain off the excess oil and repeat with the remaining tortillas.

To assemble the tacos, simply place the crispy carnitas in the center of the puffy tacos shells and top with mango salsa and shredded cheese.

Then invite me over so we can share!

Slow-Roasted BBQ Pork Ribs

This recipe is dedicated to my sister-in-law Rachel. She has been known to throw down a rack of ribs a time or two, which you wouldn't have guessed by her petite frame. It's her road trip meal of choice, and the last meal I made for her before she moved out of our house and headed east to the windy city, Chicago to begin the next chapter of her life. Slow cooked to perfection, then finished off on the grill, gives them the crunchy, fall-off-the-bone texture that we all know and love. With minimal ingredients, you can achieve restaurant-worthy ribs for a fraction of the cost, and claim any and all bragging rights at the dinner table. 

 Slow-Roasted BBQ Pork Ribs

Ingredients:

• 2 full racks of pork ribs or 3 half racks
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups BBQ Sauce of your choice

In a bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, garlic powder, onion, powder, paprika, and pepper to make the dry rub. Cover both aides of the ribs with the dry rub, and the wrap tightly (individually) in tin foil. Place in the fridge overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place the foil-wrapped ribs on a baking sheet and cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Remove from heat and discard the foil and juices.

Heat grill over high and place the ribs on the hot grate. Slather with BBQ sauce and flip after 5 minutes. Cook another 5 minutes and remove from the grill.

Serve hot with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

Green Chili Pork Stew

Remember a few weeks ago when I attended the Macayo's Mexican Grill & Cantina dinner, and wrote about it on AZFoodie? Well I forgot to mention that after stuffing our faces with delicious dish after dish, we left with a goodie bag, complete with a can of Macayo's own Green Chile Enchilada Sauce, as well as the recipe for their infamous Green Chile Pork Stew. After making this at home, I decided that it couldn't be a secret anymore and that I had to share it with you all! The pork cooks down in a sweet and spicy green sauce until fork tender, making this the perfect meal to eat as it, or get uber creative and put it in burritos, serve over rice, or even make a breakfast out of it! I would love to see how you make this your own meal. Be sure to tag me on instagram at @hotdogfoodblog with the hashtag #hdfb. 

Green Chili Pork Stew

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. pork shoulder (boneless), cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 tbsp. high heat oil, such as Avocado Oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. cumin
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 poblano chiles**
• 1 16.-oz. can Macayo's Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (found in the Mexican food aisle)
• 4 oz. salsa verde
• cabbage, cilantro, onion for garnish (optional)
• tortilla chips for serving

**Roast the chiles over high heat on the grill, or under your broiler in your oven, until all sides are charred and black. Remove from heat and place into a ziplock bag to steam. This will make it easy to remove the skins. After resting for 20 minutes, remove from the bag and peel off the charred skin. Remove the stem and the seeds, then chop the peppers. This can be done up to 2 days in advance.

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. 

Season the pork pieces with salt and pepper all over. Add the pork to the pot and cook, browning on all sides. Add in the cumin and red pepper flakes, continue to cook for another 3 minutes, until no pink remains.

Next, add in the green chile enchilada sauce, salsa verde, and chopped poblanos. Stir to combine, then cover and lower heat to a low simmer. Cook until the pork is cooked through and the flavors have combined, at least 45 minutes, and up to 2 hours. The longer it cooks, the more intense the flavors will get.

Garnish with sliced cabbage, chopped onion and cilantro. Serve hot with tortilla chips.

*This post was not sponsored by Macayo's, and all opinions are my own. 

Bahn Mi Ramen

Hi, my name is Rhea and I am a bahn mi addict {everybody in unison: Hi Rhea}. It's true. Don't believe me, check out my recent posts about bahn mi sandwiches and bahn mi hot dogs. There's just something about those pickled carrots and crunchy cucumbers that suck me in every time. Now, I've gone on to create bahn mi ramen bowls, complete with crispy shredded pork and topped with all of the toppings. So many that you can't even see the noodles nestled underneath of them. Not sorry about it one bit. 

You know what else I'm not sorry about? My 3-day weekend hiatus that I am about to embark on. I'm leaving the Arizona sun for the California coast, for none other than my bachelorette weekend. Technically our wedding isn't for another 6 months, but finding a weekend for 11 girls to get away proved to be a difficult task, and this one just worked, so we're rolling with it. ut if you don't find yourself at a bachelorette party this weekend, the next best thing to do is to make this ramen. Trust me.

Bahn Mi Ramen

Ingredients:

• 4 packages ramen, flavor packets saved for another use
• 2 cups shredded pork (I used leftovers from this recipe)
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. tamari (can substitute soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar

Pickled Carrots:

• 1 large carrot, peeled with vegetable peeler
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 tbsp. sugar

Garnish:

• thinly sliced cucumber
• chopped green onions
• 1 small avocado, thinly sliced
• 4 soft-boiled eggs**
• fresh cilantro

Prepare the pickled carrots at least 4 hours before, or even the night before. Simply toss the peeled carrots with the sugar and vinegar, and place in the fridge for 4 hours or so.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the ramen noodles for about 5 minutes until softened, but not mushy.

Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the shredded pork to the hot oil. Add in the tamari, rice vinegar, and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the pork is crispy and aromatic.

Once the ramen is cooked and the pork is crispy, fill 4 bowls with the ramen and top with the pork. garnish with the pickled carrots, cucumber, green onions, avocado, cilantro and a soft-boiled egg.

**To soft-boil the eggs, simply bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Reduce to a rolling simmer and add in the eggs. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the eggs from the heat and add to a bowl of ice water and allow to cool for 1 minute. Carefully place the eggs on a dish towel and crack the shell with the back of a spoon. Gently peel off the shell, and serve immediately.

Peach Bourbon BBQ Sauce Slathered Spare Ribs

The second that peach season came to be this year, all Andrew kept saying was, "let's grill peaches", or "we should grill some peaches". Well, this isn't that, but I did marinate a rack of ribs in this satiating sauce and then finished them off on the grill, with you guessed it, even more sauce! So technically, I put peaches on the grill. But instead of in raw fruit form, I cooked them up with some delicious bourbon, molasses, and brown sugar, to make a perfectly smoky and sweet BBQ sauce. That's the same, right? These ribs are tender and delicious, so much so, that 1 rack just wasn't enough for 2 people. I mean it was, but my stomach is an endless foodie trap, so make sure to make plenty if you are entertaining for a crowd! 

Peach Bourbon BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. avocado oil
• 1 cup chopped white onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 chipotle in adobo, chopped
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup pitted peaches, chopped
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add in the onions and season with salt and pepper. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 12 minutes. 

Add in the garlic and chipotle and cook for another minute or so until fragrant. Now add in the mustard, sugar, peaches, bourbon, vinegar, and molasses. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until fragrant and thick, about 20-25 minutes. 

Carefully transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Be careful for the mixture will be extremely hot. Allow to cool to room temperature before placing into an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Peach Bourbon BBQ Spare Ribs

Ingredients:

• 1 rack St. Louis style spare ribs
• salt and pepper
• 1 batch Peach Bourbon BBQ Sauce

Season the ribs all over with salt and pepper. Place into your slow cooker and pour in enough BBQ sauce to cover the ribs, then turn over to coat the other side. Turn you slow cooker on low and cook for 6 hours, until extremely tender.

To finish the ribs off, preheat grill to medium-high heat and place the rack of ribs onto the hot grill. Slather with some more BBQ sauce, before turning over to the other side, coating them in more sauce. Cut each individual rib and serve hot. 

Pulled Pork Tostadas with a Runny Egg

This is my fancy way of having leftovers served as breakfast for dinner. Piled high with tortillas, pork, and a runny egg, I get to have the best of both worlds. Last week I made this brown sugar pulled pork for sandwiches, and then again in this crispy tortilla stack. It's like an oversized nacho plate. All that's missing is the cheese. Now, come to think of it, I should have added some shredded cheese in those layers. Won't you say you'll do that, please?! Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, so don't miss this recipe. It's sure to be a hit! 

Pulled Pork Tostadas with a Runny Egg

Ingredients:

• 3 6-inch corn or flour tortillas (your preference)
• non-stick cooking spray
• 1 cup shredded pulled pork (recipes here, here, and here)
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 egg, cooked over-easy

In a small bowl, toss together the jalapeno, onion, and cilantro. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, spray with non-stick cooking spray and toast the tortillas until crispy, flipping onto both sides as they cook. Once they are nice and crispy, place the first tortilla on a plate. Top with 1/3 of the shredded lettuce. Then on top of the lettuce, place 1/3 of the pulled pork, and garnish with 1/3 of the jalapeno cilantro mixture. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, until you have 3 layers of tortillas, lettuce, pork, and jalapeno. Top with the egg and serve hot. 

Brown Sugar Pulled Pork

Isn't friendship amazing? I know, what you're thinking, what does a pulled pork recipe have to do with friendship, but seeing as this blog is also my diary, sometimes I just have to get a little personal with you guys. I'm going to take you on a long journey, in a short amount of time. I have talked about Andrew and I's wedding planners, from Konsider it Done, before. But they are anything but just wedding planners to us. I have known Kris since our wild and crazy college days, singing and dancing at a local piano bar. Kris, well she was a bit of a nomad, and moved plenty of times throughout the years, and when she made her trek back to AZ after a stint in LA and Texas, she was looking for a place to live. I just happened to be going back to school after college and living in my parent's basement (trust me, it was much cooler than it sounds). My parents gracefully let her move in with us, where we shared many laughs, and coincidentally enough, that is when I started this here blog. Fast forward a bit, and Kris and I moved out of the basement and into a townhouse with Kris' little sister that I bought in Phoenix. Us 3 girls, just living life, cooking together, watching The Bachelor marathons together, and living paycheck to paycheck. Life was good. Or so we thought. Fast forward a bit more, and now Kris is married to her husband and business partner, Tyler. Kris' little sister and I are both engaged and life is even better than any of us could have imagined. These days we are replacing our dinners in the basement with hosting dinners at each other's houses, sharing life and wedding tips, recipes, and a whole lot of laughs. Like I said. Isn't friendship amazing? And so it this pulled pork. But I don't need to tell you a long run on story about that, because it's just a fact. For an added kick, try serving this pork on a pretzel bun with some of this blackberry honey mustard.

Brown Sugar Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. pork shoulder 
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1/2 cup bbq sauce
• 6 oz. light beer

Mix together the sugar, mustard, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub all over the pork and then place it into a crockpot. Pour the liquid smoke, bbq sauce, and beer over the seasoned pork. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

The pork should easily shred with a fork, or take the easy way out and transfer the meat to a stand mixer on low. You can thank me later.

Green Chile Pork Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I'm back with another pork-filled recipe. And I'm quite proud of this one in particular. It's nothing fancy, and takes about 5 minutes to throw together once you have all of the ingredients ready to go. You could even assemble these, freeze them, and then take them out for future dinners. Yeah, do it! Do it! I charred the outsides of some poblano peppers, steamed them until the skin came off, then stuffed them with the most savory green chile chipotle pork. Melt some cheese and enchilada sauce on top and we have ourselves a dinner for champions. As a side note, if you have never had poblano peppers before, they are not spicy like a jalapeno, and are usually dark green in color. You can usually find them near the bell peppers in your local market.

Green Chile Pork Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients:

• 4 poblano peppers
• 2 cups shredded green chile chipotle pork
• 4 slices pepperjack cheese
• enchilada sauce for topping

Fire up your grill or broiler and cook the poblanos until charred black on all sides. Remove form the heat and place into a large zip lock bag. Close up the bag and let the poblanos steam for about 20 minutes. Remove from the bag and scrape off the charred skin with a spoon or your hands, leaving you with soft green poblanos.

Cut off the stem and slice down the center of the poblano, careful not to cut all the way through, allowing you to open it up. Scrape out the seeds and place 1/2 cup of the pork along the center of each poblano. Close it back up and place onto a baking sheet sprayed with a bit of oil, seam side up. Top with a slice of cheese and broil in the oven or on the grill for 2 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Top with the enchilada sauce and serve.

Freezer Meatballs

It's Friday. I've got my future-sister-in-law in town. Two of my girlfriends from Iowa are flying in this morning.  My best friend just had her baby girl on Tuesday. It's my birthday this weekend. And I'm getting the girls together for some wedding dress shopping tomorrow. I'm basically the luckiest girl in the world right now. If I could only freeze this moment in time and just stay in it forever, I probably would. Like a Saved By the Bell time-out. Zac Morris style. You know what else I could freeze? These meatballs. Horrible segway, I know.

Meatballs are basically considered a food group in my household. They come in all forms, with a variety of meats, add-ons, and even sauces to go with. I realize now that photographing raw meat is not appealing whatsoever, so bare with me here. The point is that you make these raw meatballs, freeze them, and then cook them when you're in need of a quick last minute meal. This recipe made 3 batches for me, so I froze two of them and cooked the third, slicing the meatballs and tossing them onto a pizza. Divine.

Freezer Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 slices bread
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 2 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 lb. 85/15 ground beef
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook the onion for about 4 minutes until softened. Add in the parsley and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for another minute. 

Remove from heat and toss in the sage and basil. Let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, soak the bread in the milk in a small bowl. Set aside. 

Once the onion mixture has cooled, place into a large mixing bowl. Add in the egg, parmesan, beef, and pork. Squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and crumble into the bowl. Using your hands, mix all of the ingredients together until well combined. 

Form meatballs using your hands, slightly larger than a golf ball. Place into airtight containers and freeze for up to 6 months.

To cook, thaw overnight in the fridge. Heat up 1-2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the meatballs an all sides until brown. Pour a cup of marinara sauce into the skillet, cover and bake at 350 degrees F in the oven for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. 

Green Chile Chipotle Pork Nachos

Yesterday I shared with you my new go-to pulled pork recipe. It's smoky, it's sweet, and it's got a bit of kick to it. Now, take that gorgeous pulled pork and pile it atop a heaping pile of nachos and you've got yourself a meal made for a king. Yes, I said meal. This is filling enough to call dinner. Trust me. I did the research. This recipe makes enough to feed 4-5 people, so if you are looking to please a larger crowd, simply double the recipe. Every chip was covered in cheesy pork heaven, and the fact that you can barely see the chips in the pictures just proves it. 

Green Chile Chipotle Pork Nachos

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of your favorite tortilla chips
• 6-8oz. shredded Colby jack cheese
• 1-2 cups shredded Green Chile Chipotle Pork
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro
• sour cream
• guacamole

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place tortilla chips on a baking sheet or in a large oven-proof skillet. Sprinkle the cheese all over the chips, then top with the pork. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove form the oven and top with the tomato, green onion, jalapeno, and cilantro. Serve hot with sour cream and guacamole.

Green Chile Chipotle Pork

It's nice to know that my future husband loves food just as much as I do, and therefore thinks about food on a consistent basis. For about 2 months Andrew has been requesting that we make some epic green chile pork nachos. Like I would ever turn down a request for nachos? And being the the foodie lover that I am I set on a mission to create the perfect pulled pork recipe to pile atop chips and freshly shredded cheese. But before we could assemble the sky high plate of deliciousness, we needed to make the pork first. I am giving myself a pat on the back for this recipe, because it is my forever go-to pulled pork recipe. It's sweet and a tiny bit smoky from the chipotle. Plus, the addition of enchilada sauce and green chiles in the end really bring it home. Do that pork shoulder justice by making this pulled pork recipe. You'll never look back!

Green Chile Chipotle Pork

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lb. pork shoulder roast
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
• 2 cups coca cola, separated
• 1 tbsp. chipotle in adobo sauce
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 4-oz. canned diced green chiles
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup red enchilada sauce
• hot sauce to taste (optional)

Start by whisking together the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper together.

Place the pork, 1 cup coca cola, coconut aminos (soy sauce), chipotle sauce, and 2 tbsp. of the above spice mixture into a sturdy zip lock bag. Place in the fridge to marinate for 12-24 hours. 

After the pork has marinated, drain the marinade into the sink and place the pork into a crock pot. Add in the other cup of coca cola, 1 4-oz. can of green chiles, the brown sugar, and the remaining seasoning mixture. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until the pork is easily shredded with a fork.

Strain the pulled pork and discard the excess liquid. Put the pulled pork back into the crock pot, add in the second 4-oz. can green chiles, enchilada sauce, and the hot sauce to taste. Cook for another 30 minutes. Serve hot on top of nachos, in burritos, taco salad, you name it!

Pulled Pork Bahn Mi Sandwiches

I recently had my first taste of a classic Vietnamese bahn mi sandwich. In the middle of moving a couple of weeks ago, Andrew and I were famished. My cousin owns a couple of Which Wich sandwich shops in Chandler and Gilbert, so we decided to stop in and get some nourishment. I normally stick to my regular buffalo chicken sandwich, but upon walking up to the counter to order, a massive sign advertising their new Bahn Mi sandwich caught my eye. Toasted french bread. Pulled pork. Jalapenos. Carrots. Cucumbers. Cilantro. Sriracha mayo. How could I not order this thing of beauty? So we ordered 2 and devoured them in no more time that it took to make them. For days we talked about how incredibly delicious they were, and ultimately decided we needed to try our hands at making them at home ourselves. Can I just tell you that we fell in love all over again? For something so simple in theory, they taste so gourmet, and they make amazing leftovers for the next day!

Pulled Pork Bahn Mi Sandwiches
Makes 4 

Pulled Pork:

• 2 1/2-3 lb. pork shoulder
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup bbq sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. cumin

Sriracha Mayo

• 4 tbsp. mayo
• 1 tbsp. sriracha

Pickled Carrots

• 2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar

Sandwich

• 1 french baguette, halved horizontally and cut into fourths
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

In a crock pot, add the pork shoulder, broth, bbq sauce, onion, cinnamon, oregano, and cumin. Cook on low for 8 hours, until the pork is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork. Remove the pork from the crock pot and shred in a large bowl. (Hint: if you have leftover pulled pork, be sure to make these)

To prepare the carrots, simply whisk together the vinegar and sugar, then toss the carrots and set in the fridge to pickle while the pork cooks. When ready to serve, just drain out the vinegar from the bowl.

To prepare the sriracha mayo,whisk together the mayo and sriracha and place in fridge until ready to serve.

To assemble the sandwiches, toast the baguette until crispy and warm. Slather some sriracha mayo onto each bottom piece of bread. Top with a large helping of the pulled pork. Then layer the cucumber, jalapeno, pickled carrots, chopped cilantro, and bread top to finish. Serve warm.