Cooking for large groups doesn't faze me. Perhaps it's the result of being raised in a restaurant family whose unspoken motto was either"When the going gets tough, the tough get going," or "Why do things the easy way when you can do them the hard way?"

On more than one occasion, my parents scheduled a dinner party for 40 church friends, both adults and kids. They also held several dinner fundraisers to raise money for the church's youth projects.

We'd start cleaning the house, finish the shopping and begin prepping the food by 8 in the morning -- on the day of the event. Each family member had his or her to-do list. Even early-arriving guests were often put to work. With few spoken words and a flurry of activity, somehow everything always got done.

On the day of any Char family party, there was never a need for exercise to get an adrenaline rush.

It also helped that my dad, who was a chef at our family's restaurant, had a commercial, cast-iron double wok installed when our house was built. With that volume and those BTUs, he could knock out dinner for 40 in nothing flat.

In a typical household, advance preparation makes entertaining less stressful and more fun.

Labor Day is a good opportunity to cook for a crowd. You can serve a do-ahead dish like Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Kalamata Coleslaw. Rewarm the pork, toss the coleslaw together and set out the buns. With a few added side dishes, dinner is served.

Pulled pork is traditionally a North Carolina dish made from pork shoulder or smaller Boston butt (a cut that is actually nowhere near the tail end of the pig, but is part of the shoulder). The pork often has an optional dry rub that's left on for several hours before being slowly smoked on the grill over a hardwood-fire or with the addition of soaked wood chips.

My recipe is for an easy, oven-cooked version. Whether grilled or braised, cooking at a low temperature for an extended time will ensure the meat easily shreds.

The tangy, peppery, spicy vinegar sauce, so prominent in traditional recipes, is omitted because it clashes with most wines.

Dark-fruited Syrah has an affinity for this sandwich, which contains Syrah-friendly tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce with just a little vinegar. In place of sugar, slowly cooked onions provide a hint of sweetness for balance.

The pork is topped with coleslaw that's punched up with chopped kalamata olives instead of tart vinegar; the olives also improve the match with Syrah. Avoid overly juicy pork and coleslaw, otherwise the soggy bun will fall apart.

You can also double the recipe for the pork and freeze half. It'll be great for a quick dinner.

Many folks will be working on Labor Day. I have several friends whose harried full-to-the-minute schedules would benefit from this do-ahead dish.

I'm trying to ease up myself, starting with small things like not waiting until the last minute to decide what to prepare for dinner and instead, cooking ahead. Pulled-Pork Sandwiches with Kalamata Coleslaw and a Syrah seems like a good place to begin.
Pulled-Pork Sandwiches with Kalamata Coleslaw

Coleslaw is an integral part of a North Carolina-style pulled-pork sandwich, adding crunch and texture. This version is less acidic, pungent and spicy than some, so it can better pair with wine. You can always add more vinegar, some cayenne and a touch of sugar if desired.

INGREDIENTS:

The pork

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground fennel seed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 1/2 pound bone-in pork butt or 2 pounds boneless

Olive oil

Kosher salt

1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

3 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 cup beef stock + more as needed

The sauce

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup water as needed

2-3 tablespoons ketchup

3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar

1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt or to taste

6 buns

Kalamata Coleslaw (see recipe, below)

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the pork: Rub thyme in between your fingers to release oils. Combine the thyme, fennel seed, cumin, smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Spread evenly over pork; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 275º. Select a lidded pan just large enough to hold the pork. With the pan over medium to medium-high heat, add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Season pork with salt then brown all sides; remove from pan and set aside. Discard any burned bits in the pan then add the onions, a sprinkle of salt and more oil if needed. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook onions until soft and translucent, adding the garlic cloves toward the end of the cooking. Add the vinegar and stock to deglaze the pan. Stir in tomato paste then bring mixture to a boil.

Place pork in the pan. Add water or more stock as needed to bring the liquid level to about half way up the pork. Cover pan and place in the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 -3 hours; check the liquid level and turn the pork every 45 minutes or so until the meat is falling off the bone and a knife inserted into the thickest part meets no resistance.

For the sauce: Remove meat from pan and cool for at least 10 minutes before shredding it. Discard garlic cloves and skim any fat from the liquid and onions in the pan. If a lot of liquid remains, bring to a boil and reduce to about 1 1/2-2 cups before stirring in the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and garlic salt. Add the pulled pork back into the pan, mix with the onion and sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Keep warm until ready to serve or cool and refrigerate. Reheat in a 325° oven or in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add water or broth as needed to keep moist. Serve on buns with a generous spoonful of Kalamata Coleslaw on top.

Serves 4-6

PER SERVING: 570 calories, 30 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 33 g fat (9 g saturated), 93 mg cholesterol, 1,060 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.
Kalamata Coleslaw

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

1 1/2-2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon whole celery seed

3 ounces pitted kalamata, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Pinch of sugar as needed

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix the cabbage and carrot together in a bowl.

Just before serving, dress with vinegar and oil, sprinkle with celery seed and toss with the chopped olives.

Season the coleslaw taste with kosher salt (the olives will add some saltiness) and pepper. If it seems too tart and vinegary, add a pinch of sugar. 
