This week is going to be crazy! Because of that I am totally relying on recipes I know are delicious, and making black beans that can help with two other meals later in the week.

Quick Glance at this Weeks Menu:
1. Monday: Pulled Pork BBQ, Maple Baked Beans, and Coleslaw
2. Tuesday: Black Beans and Rice, Salad
3. Wednesday: Pulled Pork Carnitas, Mexican Grilled Corn, and Black Beans
4. Thursday:Huli Huli Chicken, Cool and Creamy Macaroni Salad
5. Friday:Andouille, Black Bean, and Cheese Nachos


Monday:Pulled Pork BBQ, Maple Baked Beans, and Coleslaw

Pulled Pork BBQ on a Charcoal Grill

Pulled pork can be made with a fresh ham or picnic roast, although our preference is for Boston butt. Preparing pulled pork requires little effort, but lots of time. Plan on 10 hours from start to finish: 3 hours with the spice rub, 1 hour to come to room temperature, 3 hours on the grill, 2 hours in the oven, and 1 hour to rest. Wood chunks help flavor the meat; hickory is the traditional choice with pork, although mesquite can be used if desired. Serve the pulled pork on plain white bread or warmed buns with the classic accompaniments of dill pickle chips and coleslaw. You will need a disposable aluminum roasting pan that measures about 10 inches by 8 inches as well as heavy-duty aluminum foil and a brown paper grocery bag.

Spicy Chili Rub
1	tablespoon ground black pepper
1 - 2	teaspoons cayenne pepper
2	tablespoons chili powder
2	tablespoons ground cumin
2	tablespoons dark brown sugar
1	tablespoon dried oregano
4	tablespoons paprika
2	tablespoons table salt
1	tablespoon granulated sugar
1	tablespoon ground white pepper
Pork
1	bone-in pork roast , 6 to 8 pounds (preferably shoulder or Boston butt roast)
2 cups barbecue sauce (see related recipes)

Instructions

1. Mix all spicy chili rub ingredients in small bowl, set aside.

2. If using a fresh ham or picnic roast, remove skin (see illustration below). Massage dry rub into meat. 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.)

3. At least 1 hour prior to cooking, remove roast from refrigerator, unwrap, and let it come to room temperature. Soak 4 (3-inch) wood chunks in cold water to cover for 1 hour and drain. Meanwhile, light a large chimney starter filled a bit less than halfway with charcoal briquettes (about 2 1/2 quarts, or about 40 briquettes), and burn until all the charcoal is covered with a layer of fine gray ash.

4. Empty the coals into the grill; build a modified two-level fire by spreading the coals onto one side of the grill, piling them up in a mound 2 or 3 briquettes high, leaving the other half with no coals. Open the bottom vents completely. Place the soaked wood chunks on the coals. Position the cooking grate over the coals, cover the grill, and heat until hot, about 5 minutes (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 2 seconds). Use a grill brush to scrape the cooking grate clean.

5. Set unwrapped roast in disposable pan (see illustration below) and place it on grate opposite the fire, (see illustrations below). Open grill lid vents three-quarters of the way and cover, turning lid so that vents are opposite chunks to draw smoke through the grill. Cook, adding about 8 briquettes every hour or so to maintain an average temperature of 275 degrees, for 3 hours.

6. 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.

7. 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 barbecue sauce, adding more to taste. Serve with remaining sauce passed separately.

Step-by-Step

Key Steps to Pulled Pork

1. If using a fresh ham or pinic roast, cut through the skin with the tip of a chef's knife. Slide the blade just under the skin and work around to loosen it while pulling it off with your other hand. Boston butt, or shoulder roast, does not need to be trimmed.

2. Set the unwrapped roast, which has been placed in a disposable aluminum pan barely larger than the meat itself, on the cooking grate opposite the coals and the wood.

3. After cooking, as soon as the meat is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and separate the major muscle sections with your hands.

4. Remove as much fat as desired and tear the meat into thin shreds.

BBQ Pulled Pork on a Gas Grill

Follow instruction through step 2 then pick up on step 3.

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

2. Place the wood-chip pan on the primary burner (the burner that will remain on during cooking, see illustration below). 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.)

3. 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.

4. 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 barbecue sauce, adding more to taste. Serve with remaining sauce passed separately.

These recipes are taken from Cooksillustrated.com

I like to make my own BBQ sauce. But I have no idea how to even begin to guess the recipe portions. So use your own or buy your favorite from the store. Being from South Carolina I like ketchup based sauce, but I also love mustard based bbq sauce. I will try to get recipes us soon for sauce.

Maple Baked Beans
These beans are from Ina Garten's cookbook Barefoot Contessa at Home, which is a great cookbook. I do add a little less ginger and make sure to watch the chili paste and adjust according to your family's preference of heat. These beans are just as good made a day or two in advance and then reheated on the stove.


Tuesday:Black Beans and Rice, Salad
I love Black Beans! And after using them for a main dish on one night they help me make many more meals for several more nights.

Black Beans

Beans:
1	pound black beans , picked over and rinsed
12	cups water
1	smoked ham hock (about 2/3 pound), rinsed
1	green bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and quartered
1	medium onion , minced
6	medium cloves garlic , minced
2	bay leaves
1 1/2	teaspoons table salt or 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Sofrito:
2	tablespoons olive oil
1	medium onion , minced
1	small green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and minced
8	medium cloves garlic , minced
2	teaspoons dried oregano
3/4	teaspoon table salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1 1/2	teaspoons ground cumin
1	tablespoon lime juice from one medium lime
1/2	cup fresh cilantro leaves , minced
	Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. For the beans: Bring all bean ingredients to boil over medium-high heat in heavy soup kettle or Dutch oven, skimming surface as scum rises. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, adding more water if cooking liquid reduces to level of beans, until tender but not splitting (taste several, as they cook unevenly), about 2 hours. Remove ham hock from beans. When cool enough to handle, remove ham from bone, discard bone and skin, and cut meat into bite-size pieces; set aside.

2. For the sofrito: Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat; add ingredients from onion through salt; sauté until vegetables soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Add cumin; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.

3. To finish dish: Scoop 1 cup beans and 2 cups cooking liquid into pan with sofrito; mash beans with potato masher or fork until smooth. Simmer over medium heat until liquid is reduced and thickened, about 6 minutes. Return sofrito mixture and reserved meat to bean pot; simmer until beans are creamy and liquid thickens to sauce consistency, 15 to 20 minutes. Add lime juice; simmer 1 minute longer. Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with pepper and salt if necessary, and serve hot over fluffy white rice.

Recipe taken from Cooksillustrated.com

Wednesday:Pulled Pork Carnitas, Mexcian Grilled Corn, Black Beans
I know that none of you are going to be surprised by the fact that this recipe is another one from America's Test Kitchen. Just go to their website and look under recipes for both the carnitas and the corn.



Thursday: Huli Huli Chicken, Cool and Creamy Macaroni Salad
Huli Huli Chicken
6/2009

Split chicken halves are whole chickens that have been split in two through the breastbone. Buy them at the market or see page 31 for instructions on how to prepare them yourself. Lee Kum Kee Tabletop Soy Sauce is our favorite supermarket brand.
My note: I use split chicken breasts because they are easier to find and cheaper.

Serves 4 to 6

Chicken
2	quarts water
2	cups soy sauce
1	tablespoon vegetable oil
6	garlic cloves , minced
1	tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4	chicken, split halves (about 8 pounds total) (see note)
Glaze
3	(6-ounce) cans pineapple juice
1/4	cup packed light brown sugar
1/4	cup soy sauce
1/4	cup ketchup
1/4	cup rice vinegar
4	garlic cloves , minced
2	tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2	teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
2	cups wood chips (see related Key to Bold Flavor), soaked for 15 minutes

1. BRINE CHICKEN Combine water and soy sauce in large bowl. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir into soy sauce mixture. Add chicken and refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

2. MAKE GLAZE Combine pineapple juice, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and chili-garlic sauce in empty saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thick and syrupy (you should have about 1 cup), 20 to 25 minutes.

3. PREP GRILL Seal wood chips in foil packet and cut vent holes in top. Open bottom vents on grill. Light about 75 coals. When coals are covered with fine gray ash, spread evenly over bottom of grill. Arrange foil packet directly on coals. Set cooking grate in place and heat, covered with lid vent open halfway, until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. (For gas grill, place foil packet directly on primary burner. Heat all burners on high, covered, until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-low.) Scrape and oil cooking grate.

4. GRILL CHICKEN Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange chicken skin-side up on grill (do not place chicken directly above foil packet). Grill, covered, until chicken is well browned on bottom and meat registers 120 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Flip chicken skin-side down and continue to grill, covered, until skin is well browned and crisp and thigh meat registers 170 to 175 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to platter, brush with half of glaze, and let rest 5 minutes. Serve, passing remaining glaze at table.

MAKE AHEAD: Both the brine and the glaze can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Do not brine the chicken for longer than 8 hours or it will become too salty.

Cool and Creamy Macaroni Salad
Cool and Creamy Macaroni Salad
8/2005

Don’t drain the macaroni too well before adding the other ingredients--a little extra moisture will keep the salad from drying out. If you’ve made the salad ahead of time, simply stir in a little warm water to loosen the texture.

Serves 8 to 10

	Table salt
1	pound elbow macaroni
1/2	small red onion , minced
1	rib celery , minced
1/4	cup minced fresh parsley leaves
2	tablespoons lemon juice
1	tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8	teaspoon garlic powder
	Pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/2	cups mayonnaise
	Ground black pepper

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and macaroni and cook until nearly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water until cool, then drain briefly so that macaroni remains moist. Transfer to large bowl.

2. Stir in onion, celery, parsley, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, and cayenne, and let sit until flavors are absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add mayonnaise and let sit until salad texture is no longer watery, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (The salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Check consistency and seasonings before serving.)

Both of these recipes are taken from Cookscountry.com


Friday: Andouille, Black Bean, and Cheese Nachos
I start with this nacho recipe replacing the just plain spicy sausage for andouille sausage and replacing the canned beans with my homemade black beans.

Extra: Coconut Cream Bars
These coconut bars are delicious!! I love Coconut and these are the best. They are little involved if you want to make them look as pretty as the picture, but they are so good no one really cares how they look once they taste them.