Smoked Pork and Spicy Grilled Potato Salad with Corn and NM Green Chiles

 

Memorial Day Menu

Spinach and Arugula Salad with Tomatoes

Baked Beans

Potato Rolls

Smoked Pulled Pork with Spicy BBQ Sauce

Spicy Grilled Potato Salad with Corn and NM Green Chiles

Hibiscus Iced Tea

 

Recipes Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

 

Spicy Grilled Potato Salad with Corn and NM Green Chiles

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, 2 to 3 inches long, scrubbed and unpeeled, cut into eighths
• 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper  
• Table salt
• 1 cup corn kernels, cooked
• 4 NM green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 scallions, green parts only, sliced thin

Instructions

1. In large Dutch oven or stockpot, bring 4 quarts water to boil over high heat; add 1 teaspoon salt.

2. Skewer potato pieces. Drop skewers into boiling water and boil until paring knife slips in and out of potato easily, about 10 minutes.

3. While potatoes boil, line rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. With tongs, remove skewers to paper towel–lined baking sheet; pat potatoes dry with additional paper towels. Discard paper towels (potatoes can be cooled to room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, and kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours); brush all sides of potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.

4. Place skewers on hot grill; cook, turning skewers twice with tongs, until all sides are browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side over high or medium-high heat (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill grate no longer than 2 seconds for high heat or 3 to 4 seconds for medium-high heat) or 4 to 5 minutes per side over medium or medium-low heat (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill grate 5 to 6 seconds for medium or 7 seconds for medium-low heat).

5. Slide hot potatoes off skewers into medium bowl and use immediately.

6. Toss potatoes with salt, and pepper. Add corn, chiles, and jalapeños; toss to combine.

7. Whisk lime juice and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves; whisk in olive oil and salt to taste. Pour mixture over potatoes and add scallions; toss to combine. Serve. (Can be covered with plastic wrap and kept at room temperature up to 30 minutes; toss before serving.)

Barbecued Pulled Pork on a Gas Grill

Ingredients

1 bone-in pork roast, 6 to 8 pounds (preferably shoulder or Boston butt roast)

Instructions

1. Massage your favorite dry rub into the meat (I used Penzey’s Galena Street). Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (For strong flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

2. At least 1 hour prior to cooking, remove roast from refrigerator, unwrap, and let it come to room temperature. Soak 4 cups wood chips (I used apple) in cold water to cover for 30 minutes and drain. Place the wood chips in a small disposable aluminum pan.

3. Place the wood-chip pan on the primary burner (the burner that will remain on during cooking), Ignite the grill, turn all the burners to high, cover, and heat until very hot and the chips are smoking heavily, about 20 minutes. (If the chips ignite, use a water-filled squirt bottle to extinguish them.) Turn the primary burner down to medium and turn off the other burner(s). Set the unwrapped roast in the disposable pan, position the pan over the cooler part of the grill, and close the lid. Barbecue for 3 hours. (The temperature inside the grill should be a constant 275 degrees; adjust the lit burner as necessary.)

4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place roast in pan and wrap with heavy-duty foil to cover completely. Place pan in oven and cook until meat is fork-tender, about 2 hours.

5. Slide the foil-wrapped pan with the roast into a brown paper bag. Crimp top shut; rest roast 1 hour. Transfer roast to cutting board and unwrap. When cool enough to handle, "pull" pork by separating roast into muscle sections (see illustration, below), removing fat, if desired, and tearing meat into thin shreds with fingers. Place shredded meat in large bowl ; toss with 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce (I used Kraft Hickory Smoke mixed with shiraz wine and a few shakes of Marie Sharp hot sauce), adding more to taste. Serve with remaining sauce passed separately.