Baseball Player Magazine

Pulled Pork Sliders - Serves 6 

It’s the beginning of baseball season which means curve balls, fast balls and sliders, that’s Pulled Pork Sliders! You’ll be the hit of the tailgate party with these mini sandwiches. Your friends and family will leave wanting more! 

5 pounds boneless pork shoulder, 12-14 potato slider rolls, cooking thermometer 

Dry Rub

3 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon packed dark-brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground mustard

3 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Directions: Combine the 5 ingredients in a small bowl, mix well. Sprinkle dry rub all over pork, press firmly. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours up to 24 hours.

Cooking Instructions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Remove plastic around the pork, place in a roasting pan and bake for about 4-5 hours. Roast until pork is falling apart and registers 165 degrees in the thickest part. 

BBQ Sauce

Makes about 1 quart

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 Spanish onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28-ounces) can crushed tomatoes

2 chipotle chiles, packed in adobo sauce, minced?   (very hot, use 1 for less heat)

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

4 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Directions: Heat oil over medium heat; add onion and garlic, cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chile, worcestershire, vinegar, molasses and lemon juice. Simmer over medium-low heat until reduced, about 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and carefully ladle sauce into a blender, purée until smooth. Repeat until all the sauce is pureed. Lightly season with salt and black pepper to taste. Keep warm. Alternatively, sauce can be refrigerated in a jar up to 2 weeks. 

Remove the pork from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Allow the meat to cool for 10 minutes. Take 2 forks and pull the meat into shreds. Put the shredded pork into a bowl and pour in ¹/_² of the sauce and mix well, add more sauce if needed. 

To Serve: Spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom half of a bun and add your favorite toppings.

Tips: For extra crunch, add shredded cabbage as a topping. 

 Mango Salsa (In Season)

(Serves 4-6)

April is a great time to enjoy this sweet and juicy fruit which happens to pair perfectly with a salty chip! This salsa is a simple and quick addition to any pre-game bbq.

2 mango, peeled, pitted and diced

1/3 cup small red onion, diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

   (seeds removed for less heat)

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Coarse salt, to taste

Tortilla Chips

Directions: In a medium bowl combine mango, onion, cilantro, chile, honey and lime juice. Season with salt. Refrigerate in an airtight container (up to one night). Serve with tortilla chips.

Tip: Peel mango with a vegetable peeler. Stand mango upright and slice down the sides until you reach the pit. 

 Trail Mix

(Serves 6-8)

(a.k.a. GORP - good old raisin & peanut)

Is a great source of protein and energy for the big game. Who doesn’t enjoy a handful of dried fruit, chocolate & peanuts. Mix up a big batch and watch it disappear.

1 cup roasted peanuts

1 cup whole roasted unsalted almonds

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 chocolate chips or M&M’s

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 dried pineapple, chopped

Combine the ingredients in a zip-lock bag and snack! Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Tip: Use any combination of your favorite nuts and dried fruits. For extra flavor and crunch add?hulled sunflower seeds or roasted pumpkin seeds.