Week 25, Recipe 1: Open-faced Barbecue Sandwich with Fried Egg

Clearly I saw this recipe and immediately thought a) BREAKFAST!! and b) I need to go get more BBQ than I can eat in a sitting RIGHT NOW so I can make this!!  I LOVE BBQ!!  When my grandparents were alive, my family used to get a whole pig and roast it to make BBQ every Fourth of July.  It was great!  I should so ask them how to do that and bring the tradition back.  It's so vogue now which is very amusing to me.  I've held on to this recipe for a little while but it was worth the wait! 

Recipe courtesy of Chase Blackwell

• 1 large farm egg
• 1 hamburger bun, split
• 2 cups pork
• 1/4 cup favorite barbecue sauce
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped
• handful arugula or favorite relish/chow chow
• 3 teaspoons hickory-smoked pork fat reserved from smoking Boston butt
• Kosher salt, to taste

In a cast iron pan, heat 1 teaspoon pork fat over medium-heat. Fry only the inner-side of each hamburger bun until golden brown. Remove to a plate.

In the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon pork fat and fry the egg over medium-ish high heat until crispy and the egg white is no longer runny (you’re going for a crispy fried egg and runny yolk– none of that slow-cooked egg stuff here). Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Remove to a plate.

In the same pan, heat the remaining teaspoon pork fat and fry the pork over medium-ish high heat until warmed thoroughly. Add in the cider vinegar, rosemary, and barbecue sauce and continue to cook until the sauce is slightly caramelized, but not burnt. Remove to a plate and sprinkle with fresh thyme.
Plate and serve hot.

Results: Since I didn't make this pork myself, I didn't have pork fat.  I used butter instead at each step except the last.  For the last stuff there was enough residue that I thought I could save myself the extra dose toward a heart attack.  Lol.  I also went for my egg over medium though it went a little past that.  Still very, very awesome.  So glad I made this.  I used 2 eggs, of course. 

I thought the order was a little strange, too.  Why bun first?  Next time I'll probably do the pork first, then bun, then eggs.  Eggs are best super hot.  The best, most surprising touch?  The fresh thyme.  Really took the flavor to an unexpectedly yummy level.  Don't skip that!