So I'm a few days late but for the week that was in it, I decided to pay tribute to our American cousins! I have a fondness, as do most I think, for southern American food, in particular, Barbecue! There is something primitive about cooking outside over flames! That caveman(or is it caveperson?) thing that excites all humans (the ole PC thing again) when they see the flicker of flames coming up between the grates of a barbecue, the hiss of meat searing against the red hot bars! The sizzle of fat as it hits the hot coals below! I have a particular interest in smoking foods, something that is starting to take off in Ireland, albeit slowly. The complexity of cooking with different types of wood, the temperature, the flavour imparted from the smoke, the endless combinations to make up dry rubs, brines, direct cooking, indirect, I could go on for hours!
Today I have decided to cook one of my favourite animals! The humble pig, the whole animal can be used! And it’s tasty! I once reared my own pigs, I highly recommend it! To see something grow from a piglet up to a 100kg sow ready for slaughter is a great experience. While my attempt was experimental the results were outstanding! Sausages, bacon, hams, confit, roasts, chop . . . . There is nothing like putting a roast on the table for Sunday lunch that you have raised yourself! It would make you never want to eat supermarket pork again!
So, where was I? Oh ya, barbecue pork! In particular pulled pork! Normally I would slowly cook half or a full shoulder until it falls off the bone, but seeing as there is only the two of us for dinner, I chose a small bit of pork belly! A quick dry rub, onto the smoker for an hour or two and finished off in the oven until it shreds with ease! Mix in some barbecue sauce; serve with one of my favourites, southern style corn bread and some strips of fresh apple make for a delicious southern influenced summer dish! For me corn bread turn boring, bland polenta into a light fluffy, sweet bread that goes so well with barbecue. Below is a recipe for pulled pork with corn bread and fresh apple! Enjoyed, again for the week that was in, with an American style pale ale! Sláinte and enjoy!
For the Pulled pork, you will need a piece of pork with a good fat content such as shoulder or belly I usually go with 250gms of raw pork per portion for a healthy sized main course, it will lose up to 40% of its weight during cooking!
500gms of pork shoulder or belly
For the rub
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
To finish: your favourite Barbecue sauce.
Mix all the ingredients for the rub together in a bowl and season the pork generously giving an even coating.
So if you have a smoking barbecue, have it preheated to around 135-140oC, place the pork on the grill with a water dish to keep it moist, give it a spray every hour with some apple juice in a spray bottle, this will add flavour and help keep the meat juicy. (Normally it takes one and a half hours per 500gms to cook)
If you only have a normal Barbecue, you can always heat it up, sear the pork on all sides, adding wood chips to the heat source if you have them, then transfer to the oven and cook until tender! this is the best of both worlds, you can impart smokiness without having to stand near the firepit all day!
alternatively, preheat the oven to 135-140oC, place your pork in a roasting dish with a little apple juice and water, cover with tin foil and cook until tender(I normally give it one and a half hours per 500gms of pork). It’s important to note that you won't get a smoky flavour this way but it does mean that you don't have to keep adjusting your fire every hour for even cooking.
Or if you are super organised, you could cook it in a slow cooker, but you won't get that smoked flavour from the smoker or that caramelized meat flavour from the oven.
Once the meat is fall of the bone tender, shred it and mix in enough barbecue sauce to bind it together.
For the Cornbread
You will need:
125gms of butter
160gms of castor sugar
2 eggs
250mls of Buttermilk
1/2 tsp bread soda
250gms of Cornmeal (fine polenta)
225gms of plain flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1. Melt the butter in a pot, remove from the heat, whisk in the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the two eggs and whisk again.
2. Add the buttermilk, mix, add the rest of the ingredients and mix until a smooth batter has formed.
3. Preheat an oven to 180oC, line a tray with baking parchment, pour in the batter and bake for 35 to 40 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
To serve, slice the cornbread while warm, heat up the pulled pork in a pot, cut the corn bread into chunks, put a few pieces on a plate, spoon the pork around it, place some straws of fresh granny smith apple on top, enjoy! I washed this down with an American Pale Wheat Ale, from the crafty brewing company (brewed by Rye River brewing). Have a go and let me know what you think!
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