Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder

Pictured here are two pork shoulders that I roasted and shredded for CSU Summer Stages opening party. I set up a Taqueria party complete with several fresh salsas, roasted corn on the cob, and various tortillas and cheeses. It's an easy set up that requires very little maintenance and therefore, allows you to fully enjoy the party at hand! We duplicated the buffet a couple of weeks later in Texas for my dear neices graduation and this pork is a HUGE hit!

This recipe takes time but has very minimal prep for a huge payoff. Leftovers can be used in a chili (see post from a few weeks ago) or rolled into delicious enchiladas, especially if you've set up the whole taqueria. I love rolling the shredded pork with some queso blanco and rosted poblano peppers into corn tortillas (my preferred tortilla for enchiladas) and then baking the enchiladas in a salsa verde for about 45 minutes (30 minutes covered, 10-15 uncovered).

SLOW ROASTED SHREDDED PORK

• 4-6 lb pork shoulder (skin on or off...the above has skin on, which when slow roasted, becomes crisp, delicious chiccarones)
• your favorite dry rub or seasoning (TexJoy BBQ seasoning is my favorite on this recipe)
• 4 bunches of cilantro
• 1 head of garlic
• juice of two medium limes
• olive oil (enough to bring together your wet rub; the previous three ingredients)

PREP: I recommend using a disposable pan for this. It gets messy and I don't like to scrub. I have used a lasagna pan (as pictured above) with 2-3 layers of heavy duty foil lining it to make clean up a little easier. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of oil into your pan and swirl around to coat the bottom. You can use a non-stick spray if you prefer. Just make sure your pan is deep enough to allow for the drippings that your shoulder will exude...at least 2".

SHOULDER PREP: If your shoulder has the skin on, you will need to separate it from the meat. You're going to leave the skin partially attached as it will keep your meat moist while you're roasting the shoulder. It's very simple...don't be intimidated! Using a small paring knife, start away from the shoulder joint and start cutting under the skin, separating the layer of fat and skin from the meat below. The skin will fold back like a big "flap". Once you've completed this, stab the shoulder liberally working out all your frustrations from the week. Use your dry rub and cover the shoulder on all sides.

WET RUB: Add cilantro (just chop the tops off the bunches...don't worry about any stems you might get, they're just going to get chewed up in the food processor), garlic cloves and lime juice to a blender or food processor. Start your equipment of choice and slowly stream in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to pull everything together. You're essentially just making a pesto. When you've completed this step, apply your pesto over the dry rub on the pork. Fold your skin flap over, cover with foil, and refrigerate overnight to let all those flavors settle in and start working on the pork.

ROASTING!!

Pull the pan with your pork out of the fridge and turn your oven on to 375degrees to pre-heat. This allows your shoulder to come closer to room temperature and relax a bit before you shock it with the heat of the oven. You have two options at this point:

• If you have shoulder with skin on and you plan on consuming the chiccarones later, you will want to roast uncovered the entire time. This will ensure crisp chiccarones.
• If your shoulder does not have skin attached, or if you're concerned about it drying out too much and don't really want to eat the chiccarones, keep it covered with foil throughout the roasting.
• As a side note, if you do choose to leave it uncovered, you can always cover it later in the roasting process. Just keep in mind you will not get the crispy skin and you should try this at least once in your lifetime...seriously.

Put your shoulder in your pre-heated oven and roast at the high temperature for 35-45 minutes. You'll begin to smell the garlic just starting to over-cook. Reduce the heat in your over to 200degrees and let the pork cook for anywhere from 6-10 hours. The time required will depend on the size of your shoulder.

When is it "done"??? The pork is ready when a fork will easily shred the outer layer of the meat. Last weekend, for instance, I had roasted the pork about 7 hours. When I checked with the fork it took some effort to shred off the outer layer of meat. I was a little concerned about the moisture content in the pan, there weren't very many drippings, so I covered the pan with foil and returned the shoulder to the oven for another 3 hours or so. TRUST ME when I say, you'll know the difference when your fork easily shreds away the outer layer of the meat and is truly ready to enjoy.

This recipe is so easy. It only requires time. As I said before the payoff is SUBLIME!

Until my next post...

May your eats be delicious and your dinners divine!!

Ashley

Blended Mushroom Dirty Rice Risotto

I have been promising this side dish (also would be a great main dish) for about a week now...I thought it was about time I actually type it up!!



I came up with this two weeks ago Friday when we had dinner with our dear friend Holly Holsinger. She is on faculty at CSU with Michael and heads the Acting department. She is an amazing actor and professor, and she is also a pescatarian (mostly vegetarian but eats fish). It is because of our dear friends like Holly, that I changed my cooking philosophy a few years back. Growing up in the South and learning to cook with a Southern sensibility, I was always taught that no vegetable was complete with bacon...or ham hocks...or chicken stock. This meant that when we had guests who were vegetarian I had to either eliminate the meat in the side dishes or create completely new dishes. It stretched me as a cook and foodie and while I love bacon, and I truly do, I've found that fresh vegetables and herbs with proper seasoning and care just don't need it.



For Holly's dinner, we had this side dish, Mushroom Dirty Rice Risotto, with blackened catfish and the okra and tomatoes from a couple of blogs ago. This recipe takes some time, but is well worth the effort. Once you've gotten the knack of a basic risotto you can add any number of ingredients to compliment your meal.



MUSHROOM DIRTY RICE RISOTTO

• 2 T olive oil


• 1 cup rice (I use inexpensive Carilla parboiled long grain rice, but you can certainly us something more exotic like Arborio. Arborio is what is traditionally used in risottos and is a small pearl shaped rice.)


• 4 cups (or one large container) vegetable stock, brought to a simmer


• 1 small onion, diced


• 3-4 cloves garlic, diced


• 16 oz of various mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into even pieces (I buy a "Gourmet Blend" that's pre-packaged in the vegetable section of the market. You can use absolutely any kind of mushroom. The prepackaged also come sliced and chopped up so they're ready to go.)


• 1/3 cup finely chopped olives (Again, any olives you choose. I used manzanita pitted olives stuffed with pimiento, quick chopped with the brine in a small food processor.)


• 2 T butter, plus more for browning mushrooms


• 1/2 cup milk


• coarse salt, to taste


• cayenne pepper, to taste

*I use a heavy cast iron skillet to make the risotto. It distributes heat evenly and you can use just one pan for the entire recipe.

Heat olive oil with about 1/2 T butter in skillet. Brown mushrooms in batches and drain on paper towels. To get a really great carmelized color on the mushrooms, don't crowd the pan. Set mushrooms aside.

Bring another 1-2 T olive oil up to medium-low heat and melt 1 T of butter into the skillet. Use both for two reasons: the olive oil will keep your butter from burning and turning brown, and it adds less fat while still giving you the flavor of the butter. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook until you start to get a slight color. Add rice and olives and mix well. Season with cayenne, to taste. BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT ADDING ANY SALT: if you're using a boxed vegetarian stock, they tend to be a little on the salty side; also, remember that you're adding the olives which should add more than enough salt to flavor the dish.

At this point, you'll start adding the simmering stock. By having it simmering alongside your skillet, you speed up your cooking process. The stock cooks into the rice more readily. Start adding the stock 1/2 cup - 1 cup at a time. More in the beginning will help get things going, but if you add too much at a time, the rice will overcook and start to become mush. Slowly but constantly, stir the rice and stock mixture. The rice will gradually begin to absorb the stock. When you're stock is completely absorbed, or almost, add the next 1/2-1 cup of stock and repeat until all your stock is stirred in. Add the last bit of stock with milk and the remaining 1T of butter. Put the mushrooms on top of the risotto, cover and drop the heat to low.

Just prior to serving, stir the mushrooms into the risotto. If serving as your main dish, top with a little grated parmesan and some chopped herbs. With a loaf of crusty bread this would make a deliciously satisfying late night supper. And as I said before, once you have the basics down, you can make absolutely ANY kind of risotto you like!

May your eats be delicious and your dining divine!

Ashley