Obviously one of the best things ever is to be sitting on a beach in Hawaii drinking a Mai Tai and eating some fresh Poke.
But hey! You can have that experience here at home!
Alaska has some gorgeous beaches (less crowded too) and fabulous seafood and for that one day a year…maybe July 28th…when the weather is perfect, you too can make your very own Poke and sit on a beach with a bottle of Alaskan Summer Ale. Knowing with absolute certainty that this is actually the best thing ever.
We are big eaters of all things smoked in my family. From my dad’s mouthwatering smoked salmon all the way to my husband’s fall-off-the-bone pork ribs. This is the recipe my husband used to use for pulled pork before we sold our smoker, but it’s just as good (if not easier) when made in the slow cooker.
Start off the night before with your thawed pork shoulder (pork butt). For this recipe we used two 1.5-2 lb. shoulders. Rinse them off and pat them dry with a paper towel. In a bowl combine all of the dry rub ingredients and then using your hands, rub that baby up. Don’t be afraid to really work the rub into all of the crevices. Once they are thoroughly covered, place them in a baking dish covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
If you are lucky enough to have a toddler wake you up at 6am, you’ll be able to put the meat in the slow cooker bright and early. We cooked this one on ‘low’ for about 9 hours, rotating the meat once half way through. No liquid was added to the crock pot, only the meat covered in the dry rub.
After your 9 hours are up, take out your meat and let it rest for about twenty minutes so it cools off a little. Using two forks, the meat will pull apart easily. Remove any large clumps of fat or connective tissue. Take your freshly pulled pork and place it in a baking dish. Now crank your oven up to 500°F, and let the meat broil for about 10-15 minutes. This allows you to get some wonderfully crispy bits on top.
Money shot. Look at all that meaty goodness.
At some point during the day you’re going to want to make the BBQ sauce. It’s pretty easy, just combine everything in a saucepan on the stove and let it cook on medium-low for about 20-30 minutes. Stir it often so that it doesn’t burn, and don’t let it reduce too much. Just cook it long enough to let all of the spices and powders rehydrate and dissolve. After you have cooked it and then let it cool put it into a storage container or a large condiment bottle and put it in the fridge. Leave it there for at least 4 hours letting all of the flavors meld together.
Serve the pulled pork by smothering it with BBQ sauce, with or without a bun (I like a crispy English muffin), and some creamy, tangy coleslaw on top.
This is a recipe I borrowed from my mom, because even though I have never been to South America, she has been to Argentina many times where chimichurri is king. A green sauce as traditional as salsa verde or pesto, this sauce uses up all of that parsley your garden has been producing all summer. Traditionally served with beef this sauce adds an herbaceous richness to halibut. The heat from the sauce can be tempered with the accompaniment of a dollop of lime-sour cream.
We are both born and raised in Alaska, land of the midnight sun and fishing at 2am. We love to find new ways to use fresh ingredients or put a modern spin on an old Alaskan classic. We hope you will enjoy tasting Alaska.