Summer Luau Party

Summer time meals are meant to be quick and easy to make, taste delicious, and have plenty of leftovers for quick easy meals the next few days. This way you can get back to spending time outside relaxing (on the beach, by the pool, or just out in your back yard, playing games, or traveling to another destination. That is why the absolute, hands down winner or best summer food is pulled pork. It is by far the most versatile ingredient for a wide variety of amazing meal options.

I first fell in love with this champion of summer foods when I was 11 years old. My summers were spent at a quiet little private beach off of the Elk river in Maryland near Turkey Point. No cares in the world when you were there. Everyone who came to this beach was family or became family through years of spending summers together. Us kids got to run around and play from one end of the beach to the other and swim all day long. Everyone's parents just kept an eye out for everyone else's kids knowing others were doing the same for theirs. However, as we got older, my generation of cousins and close friends wanted to have more night time events/parties to really liven the place up. So we put together a small group to make plans for such events to pitch to the beach owners and get their permission to hold the events. It took some convincing, mainly by showing them how we could bring more revenue to the boardwalk by having the events, but we eventually got the go ahead.

The first major event we planned was the Luau bash. We spread the word to all the beachgoers about the upcoming event. The party was going to include dancing in the sand out front of the boardwalk warehouse for two hours. We also decided to make this event a pot luck dinner for all who wanted to attend. The planning committee bought and created a wide variety of pineapple treats and meals. We also setup a tiki bar where we blended mixed smoothie drinks. The biggest hit of the night, however, was the pulled pork one of the attendees brought from a local farmer who sells it by the pound at a roadside stand. I had never had pulled pork before this night and was hesitant to try it at first. As I saw how fast the food was disappearing I knew it had to be good. So I took a small portion with some barbeque sauce and tried a small bit. It was the most mouth watering, savory, and sweet food I had ever tasted. I ended up eating at least a pound of the pork that night before the event ended. Our first event was a major success much in part because of all the amazing food everyone brought.

Ever since that party I have spent most of my time coming up with new recipes using pulled pork to enhance my meals. I have found it to be the most versatile food choice, as it can be used in large meals or just to create small snacks. The options are endless as it tastes great with almost any seasoning, marinades, or sauces. The pork can be cooked in a slow cooker or by doing a full pig roast if you have the space and time. Nothing says Summer to me more than that sweet aroma of pork wafting through the air.

I would like to end my thoughts on this amazing summer food walk down memory lane by telling you my favorite ways to eat pulled pork. The best summer food in my opinion is a pulled pork sandwich on a Kaiser roll with grilled pineapple slices, fried onion crisps, barbeque sauce (any is good but I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's), and melted sharp cheddar cheese. When you want to make a quick easy meal that can last a few extra meals you can't go wrong with pulled pork mac and cheese. Taking a pork loin and slow simmer it in a crock pot for 6-8 hours with barbeque sauce until it pulls just by stabbing it with a fork. Add this two 2 pounds of your favorite pasta noodles (I prefer elbows or shells) and top with shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese and then bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. The cheese should be nicely melted and browning slightly when done.

A few years ago my wife and I decide to try a vegan diet for health reasons and I thought this would be the end of my favorite summer time food. However, I found great ways to keep the tradition alive by substituting various vegan food options to create my own pulled "pork". The mac and cheese casserole is still my favorite go to but now I use a lot of nutritional yeast and cashew nuts to make my own cheese sauces and add in slow cooked barbeque seitan or store bought vegan "pork" options. While its not sourced from the same place, the smell and tasted of pulled "pork" still lives up to the memory of the animal based meals I used to eat. I look forward to summer each year as I revives a desire to experiment more with food stylings and tastes.