Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Barbecue Pork Frito Pie




If you're from Texas then you're no stranger to Frito pies. The toppings that are placed on top of the Frito chips vary from: chili or leftover barbecue. It can be served in a bowl or plate but the norm is to have it served from the bag the of chips.

It's probably been over 10 years since I've had a Frito pie but a few weeks ago my friends and I stumbled upon a barbecue trailer on South Congress Avenue in Austin, TX that was serving barbecue Frito pie. This must have been our lucky day since our reason for being out and about was to attend the chili festival there. With so much people at the festival we decided to venture elsewhere for something to eat. Thanks to Bar-B-Que-T, my ten year drought of Frito pies have come to an end. I enjoyed it so much I made a variation of this dish for a Super Bowl party. I tried to stay true to the barbecue ways by slow cooking a five pound pork shoulder on the barbecue grill for five hours at about 250 degrees. The result was a beautiful dark brown bark on the outside while keeping it juicy on the inside.

Barbecue Pork Ingredients:

5 lbs Pork Shoulder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup dark brown sugar

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients:

4 cups ketchup
1/2 cup Worcestershire's sauce
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can Bush's Grillin' Beans
1 yellow onion (diced)
5-6 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon canola oil

Accompaniments:

Frito Lay Fritos
Cheddar cheese (grated)
Red/White onions (diced)
Jalapenos (fresh or pickled)
Barbecue Pork Directions:

Evenly distribute and rub in all of the dry spices listed above on the pork. Let this sit for about 20-30 minutes. The salt will draw out moisture and your rub will look more like a paste. Then continue adding any of the spices that did not stick initially to the pork. Set your grill to the lowest heat. If you're using charcoal leave one side of the grill free of charcoal and fire. You're going to be using the indirect heat cooking method on this pork so that it doesn't burn and turn into charcoal itself. Place the pork on the side of the grill that's not heated/charcoal free. Let this cook for one hour and then flip it on the other side. Continue flipping every hour for 5 hours. You know your pork is ready when it's fork tender and can be easily pulled. Once the roast has completed cooking, let it rest by covering it in foil on a plate for 30 minutes before cutting or pulling the meat. To prep for the Frito pie you can either use your hands and tear bite size chunks or use a knife and cut the meat into 1/2 inch cubes. I cut mine into bite size pieces.

Barbecue Sauce Directions:

Preheat a large stock pot or dutch oven on medium high heat and add oil. Next add the onions and the salt and let it sweat for 5-7 minutes or until translucent. Then add the garlic and stir it around for about 2 minutes to get some additional flavor out of it. You're now ready to add the ketchup, Worcestershire's sauce, black pepper, paprika, cayenne, and honey. Lower the heat to simmer and let this cook for and additional 30-40 minutes; continue stirring every 10 minutes to keep the bottom of the pan from burning. Now that your barbecue pork and sauce is ready, you'll now add the pork to the sauce and stir well. Add the beans and let this continue on simmer for another 30 minutes.

Your topping for your Frito pie is now ready! All you have to do now is put all the ingredients together. This is how I like to do it. Start off with the Frito chips, add the barbecue, add a little cheddar cheese, freshly chopped onions, and jalapenos. I have no idea how I would've been able to fit that all in the original Frito Lay's bag, but I guess that's why they invented bowls.
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