Big Mama Tyler is giving it up! A new recipe ... Stewed Summer Squash

Celeste and I were in the kitchen with Big Mama Tyler the other day, and she was prepping and cooking and talking and talking, and inadvertently gave up another recipe!

And here it is: Stewed Summer Squash

I love summer. Along with the long days and warm weather, we also have a variety of fresh vegetables, and one of Big Mama’s favorites (and mine too) is summer squash. According to Big Mama some “folks” call it crooked neck squash.

After you wash the squash, slice them up and chop a big, sweet Vadalia onion. Spray your frying pan with a spray cooking oil of your choice (Big Mama uses bacon grease). Put about a ¼ cup of water in with your squash and simmer on medium heat.

Cover and simmer until the squash and onions are nice and tender. Now here’s the trick … cook until browned and caramelized!

Yummmmmy! And in the words of Big Mama Tyler, “lip smacking good!”

Enjoy … and in the meantime, I’ll try to talk her into giving it up again for more of her secret recipes.

Later y'all !! 

Big Mama Tyler's Secret Recipe for Perfect Pulled Pork

I finally talked Big Mama into sharing her secret recipe for her perfect pulled pork, and let me tell you, I had to beg her to give it up! Celeste had to help me talk Big Mama into sharing ... so here it goes ~ from the mouth of BM herself:

You'll need a whole boston butt: a 7 pounder is perfect. Make sure it has a layer of fat so the meat will be tender and succulent, melt-in-your-mouth perfect, when it's done!

The day before we cook our butt, we're gonna brine it. What you'll need:

1/2 cup of Kosher salt
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 quarts of cold water

Add the salt to COLD water and stir until it dissolves. Add the sugar and stir until combined.

Rinse your butt and then you can either place it in a large Ziploc bag or any other container large enough to submerge your butt in the brine solution. Place it in the refrigerator and let it baste for at least ten hours.

In the meantime, you can mix the "rub" you'll be rubbing on your butt.

2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp ground pepper
2 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

Keep in mind that timing is important when you're planning to slow roast a butt. You need at least ten hours of basting time, and then your added cooking time. Your butt will require approximately an hour and half per pound. That means a 7 lb butt will take approximately ten hours to cook. And yes, I said ten hours. So this is how I do it, the day before you plan to serve your butt, you should brine it all day. Before you go to bed, place your butt in the oven and let it  slow cook overnight.

You need to preheat your oven to 225 degrees.

Take the butt out of the brine, place it in a roasting pan making sure your fat side is up, and dry it off. Then cover it with all that yummy rub, and don't be afraid to touch your butt, just layer on the rub and massage it in real good. Then place your butt in the oven....

The next morning, after the appropriate time for your size butt, check the internal temperature. We want our butt to reach 200 degrees, so it'll be falling-apart tender. When it's reached 200 degrees turn off the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let your butt cool for one to two hours in the oven.

When your butt has cooled below 175 degrees, remove from the oven and take off the layer of fat. You are now ready to begin the pulling process. Just take forks and pull and shred, pull and shred~ now if you followed my directions your butt should be so tender, it'll just pull apart.

You can serve your butt on buns, or you just eat the meat, whichever you choose, it'll be the best tasting butt you've ever eaten. 

Serve with my famous baked beans and coleslaw (and if y'all  talk real nice to me, I might share those recipes too!!)

Enjoy y'all !!