Posts Tagged ‘iowa state fair’
Funny thing happened as I was wandering among the 132 cinnamon roll entries showcased on table after table at the Iowa State Fair today. I shot a few overview pictures, then homed in on a few I thought were most uniquely attractive.
And I picked a winner. This photo doesn’t do it justice, but the mahogany “icing” on the golden brown rolls captured my eye. I didn’t realize it at the time but the “icing” was barbecue sauce. These Savory Pulled Pork Cinnamon Rolls earned a second-place overall prize for Kelly McCulley (but first place in the non-tradtional division) in the Tone’s Cinnamon Roll contest. The top prize, $3,000 overall, went to Janice Nostrom for her more traditional Caramel Pecan Rolls. (Janice also won $500 for taking first place in the “traditional” category.)
But Kelly’s rolls have that wow factor. Slow-roasted pork tinged with the flavor of a cinnamon and brown sugar rub is shredded and placed on dough spread with cinnamon-butter. The dough is rolled traditionally, encasing the slightly sweet meat in its artsy spiral. When baked, the roll is drizzled with barbecue sauce.
Be still my heart. I am in love.
Kelly McCulley’s
Savory Cinnamon Pulled Pork Rolls
Pulled Pork Filling
4-5 pound pork butt or shoulder
¼ cup brown sugar
1 T Tones Ground Cinnamon
1 T kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ cup butter, softened
½ tsp Tones Ground Cinnamon
about ¼ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, plus more for drizzle (I used Sweet Baby Rays Hickory & Brown Sugar)
Roll dough:
½ cup milk (2%)
½ cup butter
½ cup warm water
1 envelope Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks
1 ½ teaspoon salt
4 to 4 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Start with roasting the pork. Mix the brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, kosher salt, and black pepper. Coat the outside of the pork roast with this mixture. Place roast in a large roasting pan and roast uncovered at 300°F for 6 to 8 hours, or until the meat is tender and pulls off easily. When done, let roast rest until it cools off a little. Then shred with two forks, discarding fat and gristle. Set pulled pork aside.
2. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave until butter melts. Remove pan from heat and set aside until the mixture is lukewarm (about 100 degrees).
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, mix together the warm water, yeast, sugar, egg, and yolks at low speed until well mixed. Add the salt, warm milk mixture, and 2 cups of the flour, and mix at medium speed until thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Switch to the dough hook, add another 2 cups of the flour, and knead at medium speed (adding ¼ cup more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary) until the dough is smooth, about 10 minutes. Scrape the dough into a large lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover bowl with plastic wrap. Leave in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk (1 ½ to 2 hours.)
4. After the dough has doubled, press it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, shape the dough into a 16 by 12 inch rectangle, with a short side facing you. Mix the ¼ cup softened butter with the ½ teaspoon cinnamon and spread over the surface of the dough. Spread a healthy layer of pulled pork over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch open strip on one of the short sides. Roll the dough and when you get to the end, pinch it to seal.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a metal 9 x 13-inch cake pan. With a sharp serrated knife, evenly cut roll into six equal slices and evenly place them swirl side up in the pan (2 rolls x 3 rolls). Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until puffy and almost doubled (about 1 hour). Gently brush with egg wash before placing in oven.
6. Bake rolls at 350°F for 40-50 minutes, or until the dough reaches 185°F-190°F on an instant read thermometer. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan 10-15 minutes. Drizzle with your favorite barbecue sauce and serve.
Makes 6 hearty rolls.
I think I am totally going to try these…I can see them tiny, too, as a twist on a slider, right???
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by cinnazilla, Nancie McDermott. Nancie McDermott said: Make K. McCulley's Pulled Pork Cinnamon Rolls from Iowa State Fair http://tinyurl.com/24fynuf . Let rise & read L. Funderburg's "Pig Candy". […]