Pulled Pork Sandwiches

August is finally here and that usually means summer is winding down.  However, this year, I have a feeling that summer may linger awhile longer.  The weather here in the South has been relentless in its extreme heat and stormy afternoons.  It’s even been unseasonably hot in the North Carolina mountains this year.  I have to say that I am looking forward to fall and the cooler temperatures that it brings.

I will, however, miss the summer produce and the casual dining we enjoy in the warmer months.  I love going to the Farmers’ Market to get fresh vegetables for the evening’s dinner.  Combined with an organic chicken or a pork chop from a local farm, summertime dining is quick, simple and delicious.

Two of our favorite meals to prepare in the summer are ribs cooked on the grill and pulled pork.  Served up with some homemade coleslaw and baked beans or fresh corn, nothing says summertime more than that dinner!  I have recipes that I have used for years, but am always open to new ones if they look intriguing.

I started with a beautiful piece of pork shoulder from a local Georgia farmer

Williams-Sonoma’s recent catalog had several great recipes for barbecuing.  One of these was the Memphis Style Ribs that I wrote about a few weeks ago.  They were so perfectly done and just like the ribs I remembered from The Redezvous in Memphis, so I decided to try their recipe for pulled pork.

Score the fat, cut slits in the meat and insert the garlic cloves

This was another successful recipe.  Yay!  (Don’t you love when that happens?!)  The seasoning was perfect and the meat was moist and juicy and just fell apart.  I like that you prepare it in the slow cooker so there is little fuss while it cooks and it doesn’t heat up the kitchen for hours.  After a quick roasting in the oven, the rest of the cooking is done on your countertop.

Coat the pork with the rub all over and refrigerate it overnight