Week 1

Slow-Cooker Kalua Pork Sliders

5lb pork shoulder (boneless preferred)

1 large sweet onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 large ripe banana, sliced

Hawaiian sea salt or plain coarse sea salt (enough to rub over roast)

1/2 bottle liquid smoke

24-36 Hawaiian sweet rolls

Trim fat from pork, score deeply across the top both ways. Place in a 5qt slow cooker. Rub salt all over pork, making sure to get it in the crevices. Add sliced bananas, pushing them into the crevices as well. Lay onions over the roast and pour liquid smoke over top. You can add 1/4 water if you like to ensure plenty of cooking liquid and jucier pork. Cook on low heat for 12 hours. I usually cook it overnight and then shred and reheat the meet in our propane slow cooker at the tailgate party.

Serve pork with Hawaiian sweet rolls and top with either sweet chili sauce or teriyaki Tobasco and Marinated Cabbage (recipe below).

Marinated Cabbage

 

1medium head of cabbage (traditional or savoy), finely shredded

1/4 cup cider or rice vinegar, or more to taste

1 tbsp canola oil

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground red pepper or cayenne pepper or more if you want a kick

Mix all ingredients and let sit for at least 30 minutes. I usually make this the night before the big game. You can add or subtract the seasonings depending on your taste.

 

Drunken Fruit Salad

 

1 cup chopped mango*

1 cup chopped pineapple*

1 cup chopped guava*

1 cup chopped papaya*

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts

3 tbsp Malibu Rum (you can use about 1 tsp rum extract if you don't want to use alcohol)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint.

*If you can't find the fruit fresh, you can use 1 large can of pineapple chunks and about four cans of tropical mixed fruit (not fruit cocktail). Just make sure to drain the fruit.

All of these recipes together with macaroni salad, potato chips, grilled teriyaki chicken skewers and cocktails feeds a large tailgate party of 20+ people, with food to spare.