Hard Rock Cafe Pig Sandwich

Take a big honkin' bite out of one of these and you'll soon know why it's the Hard Rock Cafe's most popular sandwich. According to the menu the pork is hickory smoked for 10 hours. But since we're impatient hungry people here, we'll cut that cooking time down to under 4 hours using a covered grill and carefully arranged charcoal.

Just sprinkle wet hickory chips over the hot charcoal arranged around the inside edge of a grill (such as a round Weber), and let the smoking begin. You can certainly use an actual smoker if you've got one, and go the full 10 hours with this puppy. But while you're still waiting for your sandwiches, the rest of us will have already dragged our full, round bellies over to the couch for a nap.

By the way, make your marinated cabbage a day ahead of time for this recipe, if you have the foresight.

Marinated Cabbage

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

4 cups thinly-sliced cabbage
4 cups hickory smoking chips

Spice Rub

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 boneless pork loin roast (3 to 4 pounds)

vegetable oil

Sauce

2 15-ounce cans tomato puree

1 cup white vinegar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (hickory)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
8 Kaiser rolls

1. Make the marinated cabbage at least one day prior to building your sandwiches. Like cole slaw, this garnish needs some time to develop in the fridge. Combine the vinegar and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the cabbage, stir, cover the bowl and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the sandwiches.

2. Put the wood chips in a bowl and cover with water. Let the wood soak for at least 1 hour. Light the charcoal after it has been arranged around the inside edge of your grill. You don't want coals directly under your pork. When the coals are hot, drain the water from the wood chips and sprinkle the chips over the top of the coals. You should now have smoke.

3. Combine the spices for the rub in a small bowl and mix well.

4. Rub some vegetable oil over the surface of the pork roast. Sprinkle the spices over the entire surface of the roast.

5. Place the roast in the center of your grill and put the lid on. Let the pork cook for 3 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 175 to 180 degrees.

6. As the pork cooks, make the sauce by combining the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Let the sauce simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, then cover and remove from heat. Set this aside until your pork is ready.

7. When the pork is done, remove it from the grill and let it sit to cool for 15 to 20 minutes or until you can handle it. Now you want to tear the meat along the grain, making bite-size strips of shredded pork.

8. Put the shredded pork into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 cups of the sauce to the pan and stir. Keep the rest of the sauce for later to serve on the side. Cook the pork for 15 minutes or until it is heated through.

9. Grill the faces of the rolls and stack about 1 cup of pork onto the bottom half of each roll. Add a rounded tablespoon of marinated cabbage on top of the pork, add a tablespoon or so of extra sauce on top of that, then cap off each sandwich with the top half of the roll. Serve with clones for the Hard Rock's cole slaw and baked beans on the side, if desired.

Makes 8 sandwiches.

Good Reasons Italian Dressing

Serving Size : 1
Categories : Dressings

Recipe
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 Tbls Garlic Salt
1 Tbls Onion Powder
1 Tbls Sugar
2 Tbls Oregano
1 Tsp Pepper
1/4 Tsp Thyme
1 Tsp Basil
1 Tbls Parsley
1/4 tsp Celery Salt
2 Tbls Salt
1 Env. Cup Of Soup Cream Of Chicken Mix
1/4 C Cider Vinegar
2 Tbls Water
2/3 c Oil

Combine all dry ingr. Store covered at room temp. For dressing: Mix vinegar, water, oil and 2 oz of the dry mix. Shake well. From: GLORIA PITZER "EATING OUT AT HOME" (CB018) *Also good as a italian spice blend

Dakota Smashed Pea & Barley Soup

Got one of those cool hand blenders? You know,the kind of gadget that used to be pitched on those annoying yet compelling late-night infomercials? It comes in handy for this recipe, which requires the split peas to be smashed into a smooth consistency,just like the original. If you don't have a hand mixer, a standard blender works just fine. This soup is very tasty and very low in fat. And the barley gives it a special chunky consistency and added flavor that isn't found in most pea soups.

Recipe's Ingredients:
2 cups split peas

6 cups water

2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth (4 cups)

1/3 cup minced onion

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon white pepperdash dried thyme

1/2 cup barley

6 cups water

2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)

1/2 stalk celery, diced (1/4 cup)

Garnish

chopped green onion

1. Rinse and drain the split peas, then add them to a large pot with 6 cups of water, chicken broth, onion, garlic, lemon juice, salt, sugar, parsley, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 75 minutes or until the peas are soft.

2. While the peas are cooking, combine the barley with 6 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 75 minutes or until the barley is soft and most ofthe water has been absorbed.

3. When the split pea mixture has become a thick soup, use a handheld blender to puree the peas until the mixture is smooth. You may also use a standard blender or food processor for this step, pureeing the soup in batches. Alternately, if you like, you may skip this step, keeping the soup rather chunky. It's still good this way, just not as smooth as the real thing.

4. Drain the barley mixture in a sieve or colander and add it to the split pea mixture. Add the carrots and celery and continue to simmer the soup for 15 to 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Stir occasionally. Turn off the heat, cover the soup, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Garnish each serving with a little chopped green onion.

Makes 8 servings.