Tomorrow is Cotton Bowl Day, and I couldn't be more excited. This has been a fantastic season for Hog Fans, and I'm counting on the Razorbacks (6) to pull out a win over Kansas State (8) and finish with an 11-2 season. Our house is out of control busy 95% of the time, but life slows down for a few hours when the Razorbacks play. Most inconveniently, hunting season and football season collide. As a result, we watch most of the games at home, but the hubby almost always makes it home in time for kickoff from whatever outdoor pursuit has held him captive that morning or afternoon.
While tailgating with a group of great friends is no doubt one of life's most fun activities, we have gotten spoiled watching the game in the comfort of our den while feasting on a buffet of what I like to call Game Day Delights. We have established a routine of sorts that involves pork sliders and the BEST cole slaw recipe ever. Ever! Trust me.
I stumbled upon a BBQ Pork Slider recipe in this year's Southern Living Christmas Cookbook, and with a few modifications it's now my Game Day Go-To. The pulled pork is a breeze, and the slaw is pure decadence. Best of all, prep time takes only a few minutes. Here's my version:
Woo Pig Sliders with Feta Slaw
1 pork roast
bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Parker House style yeast rolls
1 bag of cole slaw mix
1 cup refrigerated Ranch dressing (I use Litehouse)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon or 4 tbs. real bacon pieces
1/4 tsp. pepper
Pork
Season a trimmed pork roast or tenderloin with your favorite spices. I usually use salt, pepper and garlic powder. My Mom swears by Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, so I'll add a bit of that this time too. Add the pork to the Crockpot with enough water to cover about half of the roast. Turn it on low and forget about it for 6-8 hours depending on the size. When it's done, use a fork to pull it apart. I usually make 2 batches to serve; one with BBQ sauce and one without.
Slaw
Combine the slaw mix, ranch dressing, cheese crumbles, bacon and pepper until the slaw is coated. The first time I made this slaw, I used blue cheese. It was good, but a bit strong for my family's taste so I switched to feta. The results were fantastic. If you have a taste for strong cheeses, you might want to experiment a bit.
Sliders
Heat the rolls according to package directions. Mini sandwich buns also work great. Warm a 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce. Layer the pork and slaw on the bottom of the roll and drizzle with BBQ sauce.
And there you have it, an easy recipe that frees you up to enjoy the game and promises to be a crowd favorite.
Can I get a Woo Pig Sooie? Go Hogs!
