I mean, that's not an iron clad rule or anything but it is a great guideline....
Or maybe just words to live by. You want to keep a hand free for drinking, playing cornhole, tossing a football, or whatever. Plus you want to be able to eat a lot of various things. Tailgating isn't a meal...it's grazing.
Or maybe just words to live by. You want to keep a hand free for drinking, playing cornhole, tossing a football, or whatever. Plus you want to be able to eat a lot of various things. Tailgating isn't a meal...it's grazing.
My day job has me going to Nashville a few times a month and I often stop at Martin's BBQ for lunch. One of their signature dishes is their famous Redneck Taco, which was featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives . It is a johnny cake (think corn bread pancake) topped with smoked pork, slaw, and a spicy BBQ sauce.
This is my inspired version of the Redneck Taco. It's smaller, to comply with the one hand rule guideline.
One of the things I like about using Boston roasts (fka pork butts) is their holding power. Whether you cook it in the oven or on a smoker, once done you can wrap it in foil, stick it in an empty cooker and it will hold safely for 4 hours. You can cook it at home and take it to your tailgate to serve. This makes them a tailgate all-star in my book.
If you don't have a grill you can make Chili Rubbed Slow Cooker Pulled Pork instead (PorkBeInspired) and use it for this recipe.
Mini Redneck Tacos
by
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 8-10 hours but worth it
Makes 24 mini tacos, plan for 2 per person
Ingredients
- 4-6 lbs Boston Roast (fka pork butt)
- 2-3 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 qt coleslaw (see prior post for a recipe or buy from Kroger)
- 1 bottle spicy BBQ sauce
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp turbinado sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 Tbsp garlic pepper seasoning
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 Knorr chipotle cube, finely crumbled
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream (or more as desired)
- 3/4 cup yellow corn meal mix
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 3/4 cup unbleached flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- oil for the cooking surface
Instructions
- Make the pulled pork. Set up a smoker or grill set up for indirect heat. Add 3-4 chunks of hardwood and/or fruit wood. Smear yellow mustard all over the pork roast and season with the dry rub. Cook pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 195-197f. This should take roughly 1.5 hours per pound but go by the internal temperature. Remove from heat, wrap twice in aluminum foil and place in an empty cooler until ready to shred for serving, up to 4 hours.
- Mix the chipotle lime cream sauce. Mix the first three ingredients. Slowly whisk in cream until you get your desired consistency. Refrigerate until needed. Note: You can find these cubes on the Latin American section of Kroger, look for a small red box.
- Make the johnny cakes.
- Mix together the corn meal, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the boiling water until well mixed and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Mix together the egg and milk. Slowly whisk in the melted butter. Stir this mixture into the corn meal mixture until blended.
- Mix together the flour and baking powder. Stir this mixture into the corn meal mixture just until it is blended. NOTE: Like pancakes and waffle batter, don't over mix it or you will get flat, tough johnny cakes.
- Lightly oil a preheated griddle. Pour a "shy quarter cup" (3+ tablespoons...ish) of the batter onto the hot griddle to make 3" cakes. When the bottom edge starts to brown and popped air bubbles form on the top of the cake, flip with a spatula. Cook until the other side turns golden, just a minute or two.
- Make the mini Redneck Tacos. Top each johnny cake with some pulled pork, slaw, cream sauce, and spicy BBQ sauce.
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Left - fat cap still on Right - fat cap trimmed off |
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I used small 6" hickory splits for my smoke flavor. You could also use wood chips or chunks. |
Pitmaster Pork Tip: Slather plain yellow mustard on your pork roasts and ribs. The mustard acts as a binder to hold the rub to the meat. The mustard flavor doesn't come through at the end.
These are two 8lb Boston roasts going on the smoker, I was cooking extra.
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Shredded, chopped, and ready to go. |
You can cook these on a griddle plate over the grill like this or a hot cast iron pan on the range top.
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Fancy plating... |
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Real life tailgate plating! |
Tailgating with Pork and Kroger Giveaway
Kroger and the National Pork Board want to make sure you are equipped to head out to your tailgate or game day party with your favorite cuts of pork, so they are sponsoring this giveaway of a tailgating kit.
It includes
- A soft cooler (left) that has a large divided cooler to keep your grub and drinks cold. It also has storage pockets and a bottle opener attached with a retractable cord.
- A portable grill (center). The grill fits neatly into the bottom of the carry case (right) and the top is another soft cooler.
- Taylor digital thermometer
- $100 Kroger gift card
To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment below. If you use the anonymous comment option, be sure to leave a way for me to reach you (email or bbq forum name). If you tweet a link to this post with the hashtag #tailgatingwithpork, you get a second entry.
The giveaway ends at October 5, 2013, 12:01am. We'll draw one random winner and announce it on 10/6/13
The winner by random draw is Beth E. Beth an email has been sent to your gmail account requesting that you provide a shipping address. Please let me know if you do not receive the prize within 2 weeks. Congrats!
[Standard Disclaimer] I am being compensated by Kroger and The National Pork Board to throw a tailgate and post about it.
All I can think about now is grilled pork loin....
ReplyDeleteAll i can think about now is grilled pork loin...
ReplyDeleteThat pork loin recipe looks so awesome!
ReplyDeleteThe pork loin recipe looks so awesome!
ReplyDeleteFirst, the recipe looks fantastic. (That pork sounds crazy flavorful!) Second, did CHRIS seriously just link to a Crock-Pot recipe? Let me go pick my jaw up off the floor.;)
ReplyDeleteLOL, Yeah, Mary, but I didn't say it would be as GOOD as mine smoked :P ;)
ReplyDeleteMust make pulled pork again soon. Yours looks so good. Thanks for the mustard tip.
ReplyDeleteGenius Chris! Redneck tacos look amazing!
ReplyDeleteGenius Chris! Redneck tacos look amazing!
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial Chris and very helpful for those of us like myself who aren't as handy with a grill as you are. Love the redneck tacos, especially the Johnny cake. I am very fond of anything that tastes similar to cornbread.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know there was such a thing as a chipotle cube. How interesting. I would love to know more about it. I'll definitely check it out.
Sam
Pulled pork on grilled corn tortillas is easier than making flap jacks
ReplyDeletePulled pork on grilled corn tortillas is easier than making flap jacks.
ReplyDeletethese look great. We go to Nashville a lot, but we've never made the trip to Martin's. It is a bit out of the way. This looks like great substitute.
ReplyDeleteI tweeted it - https://twitter.com/plainchicken/status/383949226889060353
ReplyDeleteOne handed foods are my favorite. Small bites of crazy deliciousness and big flavor is definitely what it's all about!
ReplyDeleteAwesome. We love smoked good, tailgating and Kroger. The redneck tacos sound wonderful. Must try.
ReplyDeleteWe have a big green egg , would love to put it to use this way
ReplyDeleteYour redneck tacos look great! Can't wait to try them.
ReplyDeleteKimberlyrowe1975@yahoo.com
The pork sounds really good - nice to taste something with a different flavor profile. We judged a lot of pork this BBQ season but we never tire of it!
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious! I haven't had Jonny Cakes since I was a kid--my old school Louisiana grandmother made them.
ReplyDeletebethelderton59 at gmail dot com
Tweet:
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/mbm218/status/383991393938440192
bethelderton59 at gmail dot com
The Redneck tacos will be happening! Those look amazing.
ReplyDeletePOrk and johnny cake ...perfect
ReplyDeletetweeted https://twitter.com/cjsorel/status/384051838552535041
ReplyDeleteI am wondering if johnny cakes taste different on a Weber versus a Big Green Egg? Hopefully Ms. Goofy will get me a BGE for Christmas so I can find out.
ReplyDeleteThe little redneck's sound yummy!!
ReplyDeleteprncs at Comcast dot net
I love the redneck taco recipe we are having them tonight! This is such a fabulous prize I sure hope I win! :)
ReplyDeletemy4boysand1@gmail.com
I tweeted
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/my4boysand1/status/384058739923251200
my4boysand1@gmail.com
Can't wait to try this recipe. And as always, nice post with beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteThe redneck tacos look Awesome~but I Really like the cream sauce that goes with.Chris~learned so much from this recipe~now here's hoping I win :-)
ReplyDeleteThanx
Redneck tacos look Awesome~just like the giveaway ;-)
ReplyDeleteHere's hopin' I win :-)
The redneck tacos look Awesome~but then that cream sauce looks
ReplyDeletejust as Awesome~here's hopin' to Win that Awesome Giveaway :-)
Sally Tews
ReplyDeleteThose Redneck tacos look Awesome~here's hopin' I win :-)
The redneck tacos look Amazing.
ReplyDeleteI sure like the cream sauce that you posted~trying this soon.
Here's hopin' I win this :-)
Lots of different flavors in a nice small package...can't wait to try them. And that tailgating package would be awesome at the next Pat's game ! ! !
ReplyDeleteOhhhh....that pulled pork looks so good!! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI tweeted
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/AtTheMapleTable/status/384093510892138496
atthemapletable at yahoo dot com
Love Johnny cakes recipe, thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/384113267175460864
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing! Gonna have to make these soon.
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious! Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteelena150980@yahoo.com
Love the redneck taco recipe! I will have to give this recipe a try for sure! sbroughton61@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI posted a tweet for the above giveaway. Here is the link: https://twitter.com/susanelaineb1/status/384150146180608000 sbroughton61@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThis recipe looks yummy!
ReplyDeletemami2jcn at gmail dot com
Looks like a winner Chris - your Johnny Cake recipe sounds special.
ReplyDeleteI am a vegetarian but I am trying to expand my cooking for my hubby, friends and family so this tailgating kit would be fantastic! My email is mps3mom@gmail.com (Alicia Bennett)
ReplyDeleteI would love to try this! My son loves tacos!
ReplyDeletereklaw422 at hotmail dot com
Ready to try this recipe. Looks delish!
ReplyDeleteOMG that looks delish. I love anything pork
ReplyDeleteOur anniversary tomorrow the 30th~would be nice to win one for my hubby
ReplyDeleteof 46yrs. :-)
Redneck tacos look great. I could use some tailgating gear.
ReplyDeleteThese tacos look fantastic. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletek(dot)larsen(at)comcast(net)
Thanks for the tip about the mustard as glue - brilliant! Everything looks so good and I'm sure you wowed the crowds! It must be good to be you!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely going to try making each of these. Queso first!
ReplyDeletewhen doing ribs, try rubbing them with olive oil instead, nice different flavor profile.
ReplyDeleteskinnyboybbq@gmail.com
Wow . . . I need this in my life.
ReplyDeleteThe Redneck tacos look like a great idea! Have to give them a try.
ReplyDeletePork rules!
ReplyDeleteI Love Grilling Pork! So Many Great Options, And I Must Try Your Redneck Tacos Recipe ASAP!
ReplyDeletehthr83heather at yahoo dot com
I Tweeted: https://twitter.com/reinaheather/status/385244281595625473
ReplyDeletehthr83heather at yahoo dot com
Man oh man does that look good. I've never had a Johnny Cake, let alone used it as a delivery device to shovel pulled pork in my mouth, but it sound like it makes perfect sense. Now I want to smoke a pork butt...I mean roast...just to try it out.
ReplyDeleteLove the giveaway!
ReplyDeletemandaoverturf at yahoo dot com
Those tacos looks mouthwatering!
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing. It would be a great snack day item.
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing. It would be a great snack day item.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing better than BBQ!
ReplyDeleteThese look a lot like Mexican sopitos I enjoy at the taco trucks around Columbus. Yum!
ReplyDeleteracheletayse AT gmail DOT com