Pulled Pork Pockets

Written last Friday:

The "men" are leaving for work this morning and I don't have bread made to send sandwiches.  I do have some pulled pork that someone gave us.  I haven't put it in the freezer and without bread, we haven't eaten it.  So what to do? 

One of our favorite things to make on Friday nights is pizza muffins or what we call pizza pockets.  So I wondered if I could make pulled pork pockets.  I thought I would give it a try.

I use biscuit dough, but make my own.  The recipe is one I've used for a long time, even when I was growing up in the remote mountains of the Philippines. I've always liked it because it's easy to remember.  3-2-1.  3 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt.

But the recipe actually is this:

• 2 cups of flour
• 3 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Mix these three ingredients with a fork.

In a one-cup measure, pour:

• 1/3 of a cup of oil
• 2/3 of a cup of milk.

Pour all at once into the dry ingredients

Mix with the fork.  It will come off the sides.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.  I usually check to see if they are done by picking up a biscuit to see if the bottom is brown.

I like to put shredded cheese and bacon bits in with it sometimes to spruce it up - sometimes I'll put ranch dressing in instead of the milk.  Yummy!

For our family, of course, I double the recipe, or triple it. So I made up two batches of dough this morning.  You'll need an ungreased muffin tin or two.

Take small bits of dough and flatten them to a sort-of circle.  If you were looking for something beautiful, and if you have one, you might use a biscuit cutter, but I am not worried about beautiful, just edible, and I do not have a biscuit cutter.  I always just roll them in my hands and no, they don't look beautiful, but my kids love them.  That's what matters to me.

Tuck them into the muffin tin

Then make smaller circles to put on top of the pockets

I don't have pictures, but put pulled pork into each muffin tin, then top with the smaller circles.

These are ready to go into the oven

And here they are done. 

One mistake I made was not taking more time to pinch the edges together.  But the guys said they were very good.   They also are easy to eat, easier than sandwiches because they are smaller.  When you're hands are freezing and you're out in the middle of a pasture, easy-to-eat is a very good thing.

I have frozen the pizza pockets before.  I imagine it would work just fine to freeze these too.  The problem is we never have leftovers.  I do think it would take less time though to make a couple of batches of these, and freeze some of them.  I only have two muffin tins though, and that is just enough for a meal for our family.  So it would take some thought or buying another couple of tins. 

If I have the dough made the older kids can help the little kids make these.  Last night, pizza pockets was on the menu and I had Sharpie (Son #1) help Tank (Son #4) make these.  It was Tank's night to cook, but Carpenter (my husband) asked if I would help split wood with him.   I love working with him, so I jumped at the chance to take all the kids who weren't busy with school or cooking out with me.

Problem was I made two recipes, but there should have been four recipes of biscuit dough.  So while I was splitting wood Sharpie came and took notes while I told him the recipe.  I didn't say anything, so it's not his fault, but he pulled out the baking soda instead of the baking powder.  They weren't edible, but the dogs liked them.  He learned something last night, and so did I - make sure they have the dough available or are making it with me. 

Making the most of today for His glory,
Steph