To treat your father or favorite man this Father’s Day, I’ve created a picnic menu that can be put together with ease. These dishes -- Beer Braised Pork Sliders, Mexican Tangy Coleslaw, Tomato & Black Bean Quinoa Salad and Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies -- have flavors that are sure to please the whole family and your guests.
The delicious cookie recipe is by Sally’s Baking Addiction, and you can find it here: https://bit.ly/2DF9Gv1. Wash it all down with a fruity Blueberry Lemonade and you’ve got everything you need for a delightful afternoon to celebrate Dad. Enjoy! Chef Veronica. Follow me on Instagram @chefveronicam.
BEER BRAISED PORK SLIDERS
Servings: 4+
2 tablespoons pink Himalayan salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
4 cloves garlic, chopped
12 ounces good ale or dark beer
A 5-pound boneless pork shoulder
12-16 slider buns
Combine the spices in a bowl and mix well. Rub all over the pork and wrap the meat in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour or as long as overnight.
Preheat oven to 500°F. Place the unwrapped pork in a roasting pan that has sides about 2 inches high.
Cook 45 minutes until dark brown, even blackening in places. Remove from oven and lower temperature to 325°F.
Pour the beer or ale over the meat and add chopped garlic around the pork. Cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil and cook 2.5 hours more until so tender that the meat falls apart when you test it with a fork.
If liquids reduce too quickly while cooking, add six more ounces of beer.
Place the meat on a plate and set the pan juices aside.
Using two forks, pull apart the pork. Pour the pan juices over the meat and work through until the liquid is fully absorbed.
When the pork cools down, assemble the sliders.
MEXICAN TANGY COLESLAW
Servings: 4+
1 small green cabbage
1 small red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
Fresh ground pepper
Thinly slice the cabbage, shred the carrots and finely chop the cilantro.
To make the dressing, mix the rest of the ingredients in a Mason jar, cover and shake until the mixture looks uniform.
Pour dressing over the cabbage mix and stir until it is all incorporated. You can chop the vegetables in advance or if you don’t have time, buy a bag of Coleslaw salad from the supermarket.
TOMATO & BLACK BEAN QUINOA SALAD
Servings: 4
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 10-to-15 minutes until water is absorbed.
While the quinoa is cooking, combine beans, tomatoes, olive oil, lime juice and cilantro in a large bowl.
Add cooked quinoa and toss together. Salt and pepper to taste.
BLUEBERRY LEMONADE
3 cups fresh blueberries
⅓ cup honey
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 cups water
additional blueberries for decoration
Combine blueberries, honey, lemon juice and five cups of water in a blender and puree. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard any solids. Chill and serve in ice-filled glasses.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES
Find this recipe on Sally’s Baking Addiction website, https://bit.ly/2DF9Gv1.
Yield: About 20 cookies
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, for rolling
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla and mix for another minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined, then beat in the chocolate chips.
The cookie dough will be thick and stick to your fingers.
Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough.
Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours or up to three days.
Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. You can preheat the oven during this time, to 350°F.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a small ice cream scooper, scoop 1.5 tablespoons of dough into balls and roll each one very lightly in granulated sugar, then generously in the confectioners’ sugar.
Place three inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes and let them cool completely.
The cookies will stay fresh up to a week if kept covered and at room temperature.