Sweet Pickle Braised Pork Shoulder Recipes

BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Using a spice grinder, grind the coriander and cumin seeds until they are a fine powder.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Sprinkle the pork shoulder with the ground spices and salt, then tie each piece so they cook evenly.
• Coat a Dutch oven with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Brown the first pork on all sides. Remove the pork from the pan and reserve. Ditch the fat in the pan and give a few drops of new oil. Repeat with the second pork and remove.
• Lower the heat to medium and toss in the fennel and onions and season them with salt and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. Cook the onions and fennel until they are soft and very aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.
• Add the wine and reduce by half. Stir in the mustard and add the bay leaves and thyme. Return the pork to the Dutch oven and add stock to the pan until it comes halfway up the side of the pork. Add salt if needed. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover and put the Dutch oven in the preheated oven.
• After 1 hour, turn the pork over and add more liquid to the pan if the liquid level has gone down. Cover and return to the oven for 1 hour.
• Turn the pork back over and return to the oven without the lid and cook for 45 more minutes. The liquid should concentrate.
• Remove the pan from the oven, remove the pork and reserve for 15 minutes, tented with aluminum foil. Skim any excess fat from the pan and reduce the pan juices, if needed.
• Slice the pork and serve with onions, fennel and juices.
• Wine Pairing Suggestion: Pinot Grigio

BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Crisp pancetta in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, until fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
• Add onions to Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Transfer to plate using slotted spoon.
• Season pork with salt and pepper. Add oil to Dutch oven, and sear pork, fat side down, until golden, about 5 minutes. Flip, and repeat.
• Add garlic and spices to pot. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ale, stock, pancetta, and onions; bring to a simmer. Transfer to oven, and braise pork, covered, basting every hour, until meat is falling off the bone, about 4 hours. Shred meat (just what you're using) using 2 forks, and drizzle with warm skimmed jus.

PICKLED PORK

Steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients except the ice and the pork in a 2-quart nonreactive saucepan, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and maintain a simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the ice and stir. Place the pork into a 1-gallon zip top bag and add the cooled pickling liquid. Remove as much air as possible; seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 days, turning the bag occasionally. Use within 2 weeks or remove from the pork from the brine and freeze.

SUMMERTIME SWEET PICKLES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan at medium-high heat, combine cider vinegar, salt, sugar, tumeric and mustard seed. Bring to a boil and let cook for 5 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice cucumbers and onion. Loosely pack the vegetables in a 1-quart canning jar or other similarly sized container. Pour hot liquid over the vegetables in the container. Refrigerate for 24 hours and enjoy! Keep refrigerated.

BRAISED PORK SHOULDER ROAST WITH SWEET 'N SAVORY STUFFING

Steps:

• Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large Ziploc bag and put in the meat. Let it marinate in the refrigerator several hours or overnight, turning it occasionally. Remove from fridge and bring to room temperature before proceeding.
• Remove meat from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Reserve the marinade.
• For the glaze, combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to simmering. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook until apples are very soft, about 15 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid.
• Pulse apple mixture in food processor until thick but blended. Set aside.
• For the stuffing:.
• Pound the garlic to a puree with some salt and pepper. Combine the remaining stuffing ingredients, except the fruit puree, until the mixture is the consistency of a paste.
• If the meat does not have a deep enough pocket for the stuffing, cut so that there is a thick top flap (that will be covering stuffing when tied). Smear the herb paste on the inner surface of the meat, leaving a ½ inch border. Then layer the fruit paste on top of the herb paste. Tie up the meat to enclose the stuffing.
• Rub the meat with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Place the meat in a large roasting pan and sear it in a pre-heated 425' oven for 30 minutes or until the surface is golden brown.
• Remove the meat to a Dutch oven just large enough to contain it.
• Strain the marinade into the roasting pan and heat, stirring to deglaze the pan juices. While deglazing, heat up beef stock to a boil.
• Pour the heated marinade over the meat and add enough boiling stock to come one-half or two-thirds the way up the side of the meat. Cover the pot and place it in a 325' oven for about 1 ½ hours, basting the meat occasionally. During the last ½ hour, remove the lid, brush on ½ of the glaze and increase the temperature to 375'.
• Transfer meat to a warmed platter and tent with foil to rest for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid from the pot into a small saucepan and simmer, until the sauce is reduced.
• Remove strings from the meat, slice it or cut it into wedges and serve with the sauce. Excellent served with mashed potatoes.

COFFEE-BRAISED PORK SHOULDER WITH CHILES AND SWEET POTATO

Steps:

• Place the dried chiles in a large bowl, then pour over enough boiling water to cover them. Cover the bowl and let the chiles steep for about 1 hour, or until completely soft, turning halfway through to make sure they are completely submerged. Once the chiles are rehydrated, drain, reserving the water, and scrape the seeds and veins from the chiles using the back of a spoon or a paring knife.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Liberally season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven or deep cast-iron pan over medium heat. Working in batches, lightly brown the pork shoulder, then remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the onion, carrots, sweet potatoes, garlic, cumin, and paprika to the Dutch oven and stir to scrape the bottom of the pan while the vegetables begin to brown. Once they've softened and are lightly brown, deglaze the pan with the coffee and vinegar.
• Add the pork back to the pot, along with the herbs, soaked chiles, the soaking water from the chiles, and enough additional water to just cover the pork. Cut a piece of parchment paper to the shape of the pot and place it directly on top of the pork. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours, until the meat falls apart easily when pierced with a fork. Remove the meat with tongs and serve.

BRAISED PORK ROAST WITH SWEET POTATOES

Steps:

• Place the pork roast in a cast-iron or enamel casserole with a lid. Add the water, soy sauce, Tabasco, vinegar, honey and cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to very low and boil gently, covered, for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, peel the yams and cut into 1 1/2-inch slices. Peel the onions and cut each into 4 to 6 pieces, depending on size. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• After the pork has cooked for 1 hour, add the yams, onions and garlic. Bring back to the boil and continue boiling, covered, on top of the stove for about 15 minutes. Uncover and place the casserole in the center of the oven. Cook for 45 minutes, turning the meat in the juices every 15 minutes. At the end of the cooking period, the juices should be dark and concentrated, the meat tender when pierced with a fork and the vegetables very soft.
• Serve directly from the casserole, cutting the meat at the table.

SWEET PICKLE BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Pat the pork dry and sprinkle with salt. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the pork and brown on all sides. Add the relish, barbecue sauce, and 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Braise the pork, turning over once, until the center is tender but not falling apart when pierced with a paring knife, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Transfer the pork to a cutting board and tent with foil.
• Strain the braising liquid through a sieve into a bowl and discard the solids. Skim the fat that collects on the surface and cover the bowl to keep the liquid warm.
• Cut the meat across the grain into 6 slices. Heat the vegetable oil in a 12 inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Sear the pork slices in batches, until browned on each side.
• Transfer the pork to plates and spoon some braising liquid over the top.