Recipes To Make Your July 4 Picnic Shine
July 4 is almost here! Are you scrambling with last-minute picnic prep? Serve up Smoked BBQ Pork Shoulder (from the team at Houlihan's Restaurant + Bar in downtown Hershey, PA) with Chocolate BBQ Sauce and Grilled Vegetables (from the team at Hershey Entertainment Complex).
Smoked BBQ Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
3 T sweet paprika
3 T dark brown sugar
2 T kosher salt
2 t dry mustard powder
2 t garlic powder
2 t onion powder
2 t ground black pepper
2 t ground white pepper
2 t cayenne pepper
1 bone-in, skinless pork shoulder (about 6 lb.)
2 C apple juice
2 C pear nectar
Equipment
Bullet smoker, slow smoker or pellet grill
Hickory and apple wood chunks (logs or pellets)
Food syringe
Spray bottle
Thermometer
Directions
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl to create the dry spice rub.
Mix 1 C apple juice with 1 C pear nectar, and add 2 T of the spice rub. FIll the syringe with this mixture and inject throughout the pork. Take your time injecting the marinade. Place the remaining juices into spray bottle.
Let the pork rest for a few minutes, then apply the remaining rub. Let the pork sit at room temparature for about 1-1.5 hours.
In the meantime, prepare your smoker and bring to about 250 degrees. You will need to maintain a temperature between 225 and 275 degrees.
Place pork on grill, close the cover and leave closed for the first hour. After that, start to spray the pork with the juices every 10-15 minutes and continue tocook until the outside is dark and crusty. Start checking the internal temperature at the thickest part after 4 hours. The whole process shouldn't take more than 6 shours. You are looking for about 190 degrees and the meat should start to separate easily.
Remove meat and let it rest for 20-30 mnutes. Separate the meat, being sure to mix in all of the burnt and brown bits.
Chocolate BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
1/4 C chopped garlic
2 C diced onion
1/2 C olive oil
Juice of 4 whole lemons
2 T salt
3 T black pepper
2 T paprika
2 T hot pepper sauce
8 C ketchup
1 C cider vinegar
4 C Hershey's chocolate syrup
Directions
In 5-quart saucepot, cook garlic, onion and olive oil over medium heat until onions are tender. Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, paprika and hot pepper sauce; stir and simmer for 10 minutes. At ketchup, vinegar and chocolate syrup; stir and simmer for 15 minutes. Simmer on low heat if serving immediately. Chill in refrigerator if serving at a later time. Reheat on low heat setting.
Grilled Vegetables
Ingredients
1 red pepper, cut in large strips
1 yellow pepper, cut in large strips
1 green pepper, cut in large strips
1 C mushrooms, cut in half across stem
1 yellow squash, cut in 1/2" coins
1 zucchini, cut in 1/2" coins
1 C red onion, cut in strips
1 C carrots, cut in 1/2" coins
Olive oil spray
1/8 C salad supreme
1/8 C granulated garlic
1/8 C herb seasoning
2 T salt
1 T black pepper
Directions
Grill vegetables in groups. Put the cut vegetables in the mixture of spices. Spray grill with olive oil. Place seasoned vegetables on grill until done to your liking.
