Homemade Tartar Sauce

For sure, we're grabbing fish & chips from our favourite local spot, but the sauce has to be this one!  

Makes approx. 2 1/2  cups, or 6-8 servings.  

2 cup Hellman’s or Duke's Mayonnaise
1 small shallot, finely diced (about 2 tbsp. diced), optional 
Juice and zest of 1 lemon 
1 tbsp. whole grain mustard (we like Kozlik's Triple Crunch)
2 dill pickles with about 1/4 cup pickle juice, finely diced
2 tbsp. capers, finely chopped
3-4 sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped
5-6 sprigs (or a small handful) fresh dill, finely chopped
1 hard boiled egg, grated (optional) 
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a small bowl, place shallots; add lemon juice & zest and allow to macerate, while you are chopping the remainder of the ingredients.
2. In another mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, capers, parsley & dill. Stir and season with salt.
3. Add the shallots and the lemon juice/zest. Fold in hard cooked egg if using, and stir to combine.
4. Season with salt if needed.
5. Cover and chill until needed.
6. Refrigerate leftovers and use within a couple of days.

Chimichurri Sauce
The possibilities are endless here with this sauce (think grilled meat or vegetables, pasta sauce, on grilled bread).  If covered with enough olive oil, will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.  

1 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of ½ lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh oregano or cilantro, chopped
½ bunch Italian parsley, chopped
2 tbsp capers, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. Sherry wine vinegar
½ tsp kosher salt

1. Chop fresh herbs, capers and garlic. Add lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

We speed this up by a few hours by starting with smaller pieces, doing a relatively quick smoke, and then finished with some moisture in the oven.  We've gone from 8-10 hours for 'pullable' pork to 3-4! 

1-8lb boneless pork shoulder 
Salt, as needed
BBQ Spice rub, as needed 
Your favourite BBQ Sauce, as needed

1. Cut your pork shoulder (or ask your fave butcher) to cut it into 4 thick pieces
2. Lightly salt and sprinkle BBQ spice rub all over pork pieces.  This can definitely be done the day before, wrapped back up in butcher paper and refrigerated.  But day of works too! 
3. Set your smoked to 300 degrees. 
4. Smoke pork pieces for 1 hour. 
5. Remove to a roasting pan with a lid.  Add in about 2 cups of water (or beer!), place lid (or tinfoil) on top and continue to cook in a 325 degree F oven for 2 hours, or until pork is pulling apart with a fork.  
6. Assess the liquid: if there is a lot of remaining liquid in pan, remove it.  You can always add it back in.  
7. Pull pork with 2 forks in a bit of the accumulated juice 
8. Drizzle on some bbq sauce and stir in.  
9. Great for make ahead and then reheated (that's why you save any juices).