Any number of dishes could accompany the slow braised pork shoulder we’ve been toying with. The pork is from APL’s cookbook. We mercifully take out some of the steps. The cornmeal pudding is really just a cornbread with way too many garnishes added ( or just the right amount.) We cook the spinach in small batches with copious pourings of olive oil. The potato salad was pot luck, we’ll work on that recipe for ya. And the pie. What! There’s pie?
Slow Braised Pork Picnic Shoulder
1 piece of pork shoulder, 6-7 pounds
4 cups water
1/4 cup sea salt
2 Tablespoons molasses
2 cups orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapenos, sliced thin
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin
2 bay leaves
Assemble the brine, combine the water, salt, and molasses and heat, stirring, until salt is dissolved. Chill completely. Combine remaining ingredients to make marinade. Add 1/2 cup of marinade to brine and reserve the remainder. In a large bowl or tub immerse the pork in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. Turn the pork occasionally. Drain and rinse well, put the pork into a large freezer bag with all but 1/4 cup of the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. Remove the pork from the bag and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Try to wrap the pork with as much of the marinade as you can manage. Make sure the wrap is sealed, adding two or more layers. Wrap now with aluminum foil. Bake or smoke at 275 degrees for 7 hours. Let the meat rest for at least an hour before unwrapping and returning to a 400 degree oven to crisp the skin.
Cornmeal Pudding
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 jalapenos, diced
6 Tablespoons bacon drippings
1 egg
1 cup milk or yogurt
1 Tablespoon molasses
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (substitute 1/2 teaspoon soda for like amount of powder if using yogurt or sour milk)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons chopped scallion
Sautee onion, celery, and jalapeno in 2 Tablespoons of bacon fat. Chill to 70 degrees. Have all other ingredients at 70 degrees. Beat egg, add milk, molasses, and 2 Tablespoons bacon fat. Mix dry ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Gently fold in cooked vegetables, cheese, and herbs. All soda based doughs like this one (or muffins, pancakes…) can benefit from some resting time before baking or frying. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Put a large cast iron skillet heat with the last 2 Tablespoons of bacon fat into the hot oven. When the oil is smoking hot, add the batter. It may not pour but need to be coaxed from its bowl into the pan, but go it must! Bake for 30-40 minutes. Turn from the pan to cool and slice while slightly warm.
Fast Strawberry Blueberry Pie
2 cups Strawberry preserves
2 cups blueberries, washed
3 Tablespoons tapioca
juice of one lemon
1 package Pillsbury pie crusts
Combine berries, tapioca, and juice. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes.
Follow instructions for two crust pie on the pie crust package. Do not prick the bottom crust. Carefully crimp the top crust to the bottom crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350, cover edges of crust with foil, and bake for 30 more minutes. Cool completely before cutting or serving in any way. Good Stuff!
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