Friday, April 11, 2014

Frugal Foodie Friday - Pulled Pork for a Crowd


From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Well, we are halfway home. Yesterday, a moving crew at one end of town temporarily moved our furniture to storage, while an installation crew at the other end, finally pulled up the sub-floors in our new home. It was heavy work for both crews, the kind that builds hearty appetites as well as headaches. While I can't help with headaches, I can field hunger. I always try to feed the folks who help us with big jobs around the house. The meal I made for the crews yesterday was simple and transportable, and given the number of people being feed, surprisingly inexpensive. I made coleslaw and potato rolls to serve with the pork and had German chocolate brownies and lemon bars to finish off the meal. The pork is not inexpensive to make, but it feeds so many people that its per serving cost brings it into the realm of possibility for a Frugal Friday feast. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try the next time you have the equivalent of a crew sitting at your table. The apple lends a sweetness to the dish that is unexpected, but that sweetness is balanced by the heat from the chili flakes that are used in the marinade. The pork is simple to make, but it needs a day to marinate and because it cooks at such a low temperature, you'll need to roast it for at 7 hours before it can be shredded. While this is a two day commitment, very little of it is active, hands-on, time, so I do hope you'll give this recipe a try. The pork is different, tasty and worth every second it takes to prepare. Here is how it's made.



Pulled Pork...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Darin and Greg Bresnitz from The Way We Ate

Ingredients:
6 cups warm water
2 cups dark brown sugar + additional for coating
2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup chili flakes
1/2 cup dry mustard
10 pound bone-in pork shoulder, rind removed
1/4 pound unsalted butter
3 pounds apples, peeled, cored and quartered
2 quarts sparkling cider

Directions:
1) Combine water, sugar, salt, peppercorns,chili flakes and mustard in a large container. Submerge the pork shoulder, cover and refrigerate for 12 to 48 hours.
2) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
3) Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed roasting pan set over medium heat. Add apples and saute until soft. Push apples to sides of pan.
4) Remove pork from brine, brushing away any excess before drying with paper towels. Place pork in center of pan and sear on all sides, ending with fat side up.
5) Use a knife to slash crosshatch diamond pattern 1/4 to 1/2-inch into fat,taking care not to expose meat underlying fat.
6) Fill pan with cider until it reaches 1-1/2 to 2-inches up sides of pork. Cover pan with foil and roast for 7 to 8 hours, basting pork once an hour with braising liquid.
7) Once pork is tender enough to shred, coat surface with additional dark brown sugar, set under broiler until sugar has caramelized.
8) Remove pork from roasting pan and set aside.
9) If any braising liquid remains in pan, blend it with a hand held blender until smooth. Reduce to 1/4 its original volume over high heat.
10) Shred pork with tines of fork onto a large serving platter. Pour reduced pan sauce over all and toss to coat. Yield: 12 to 14 servings.

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8 comments :

Ginny Hartzler said...

This looks so good, and also can be used in so many ways.

Diane said...

Pulled meat is something I had never heard of before following American blogs, and something I have still not tried. I love a good old fashioned roast sliced. so I have not worked out why pulled would be better. Does the meat not dry out more quickly? Just an observation from the other side of the world :-)
Have a great weekend Diane

Alicia Foodycat said...

I am so impressed that in the middle of moving house you can turn out a feast like this!

Chris said...

We love pulled pork too and I usually throw mine into the crockpot, on high, for 6 - 7 hours. Everyone loves it! Oh, cider usually gets drunk ard here, so I just use apple juice or even just Sprite which are much less popular beverages! You do feed your movers well, not the usual pizza and beer!

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

Pulled pork is always good for a crowd. I love having leftovers for other meals too.

Susan Lindquist said...

It's so funny that you are sharing this recipe! I have been thinking of thawing out a big old pork shoulder to slow cook for my son's birthday party this weekend! Sometimes, we are on the same wavelength, Mary!

Bites from life with the barking lot said...

Hi Mary, I've been here and there and haven't been able to comment in a bit. While the pork...and the rest of the menu sounds lovely, I am most touched by your kind spirit, which, always comes through your posts. I was going to say I hope you are happy in your new home, but then again, I know you will be.

all the best to you and the silver fox.....Lea

Penny said...

This would be so good to feed the extended family during their yearly visit to the lake. Good luck with the move and all of the work Mary.

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