We are midway through the baseball season, and after a year without professional ball, fans are streaming back to stadiums in the region.
But they aren’t just going to watch the game. Dining out at your favorite ballpark is a large part of the experience, whether you want hot dogs, hamburgers, pulled pork or a vegan entrée.
Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, home of the AAA Phillies affiliate the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, is known for its food, and has a wide and varied selection. Much of that involves pork and bacon dishes, a play on the Pigs’ choice of mascot. The name may have been taken from the pig iron used to make steel, a major industry that left its mark on Allentown and neighboring Bethlehem, but the mascot is a cute pig named Ferrous.
In addition to the Three Little Pigs Sandwich with ham, pulled pork and bacon on a kaiser roll, the stadium offers the Nacho Porker (pulled pork over nachos), a Porker Sandwich, Burger Mac Daddy (with mac and cheese and bacon), a dish of mac and cheese with bacon, and bacon cheese fries.
For those in search of something else, there are traditional and vegetarian gyros, hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, pizza, grilled chicken, peanuts, popcorn, funnel cake, cotton candy, churros and ice cream. Beverages include Coca-Coca products, mixed drinks and a selection of beers.
For a complete list of foods served at the ballpark see the website pigsfoodfinder.com.
If you aren’t headed for a ballpark anytime soon, you can make your own pulled pork at home. It can be as complicated as making your own barbecue sauce and/or rub or as simple as using prepared mixes and bottles from the store. Cooking the meat is easy, whether you put it in a slow cooker or bake it in the oven.
This recipe from bettercrocker.com is a compromise; you mix up your own rub, but use bottled barbecue sauce.
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 boneless pork shoulder roast (2½ to 3 pounds)
¼ cup water
1 cup barbecue sauce
1. In small bowl, stir together paprika, salt, garlic powder and brown sugar.
2. Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Rub paprika mixture on pork to cover completely. Place pork in slow cooker. Pour water around pork.
3. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or High heat setting 3 to 4 hours, until extremely tender.
4. Transfer pork to cutting board. Let rest until cool enough to handle. Use 2 forks to shred pork.
5. Discard liquid in slow cooker. Wipe out slow cooker. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Return shredded pork to slow cooker; stir in barbecue sauce until well mixed. Cover; cook on High heat setting 10 to 15 minutes or until hot.
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