Pulled pork a super choice for Super Bowl Sunday

It takes a lot of energy to get involved in a high-stakes football game, so if the gang is coming to your house on Feb. 1, you’d better be ready to feed them.
When the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers run onto the field at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa it will be about 6 p.m. in Florida, but only 3 p.m. on the West Coast, so choose dishes you can prepare in advance.
For the main course, Chef Charlie Parker (of New York City’s Aureole, Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Kitchen, etc.) suggests pork, because it’s flavorful, versatile and economical. He notes that leftover pulled pork can be frozen or refrigerated, then reheated and served with small baked potatoes topped with a dollop of sour cream.
The following recipes for Super Bowl Sunday are from “Charlie Palmer’s Practical Guide to the New American Kitchen” (Melcher Media, Inc.). Except for adding the cilantro to the salsa, everything can be done a day ahead. Palmer recommends beverages that can stand up to the strong flavors – either a pinot noir, a fruity syrah or a heavier ale.