Roast Pork Shoulder Sandwiches With Fennel Slaw Food

SLOW-COOKER ROAST PORK SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Season the pork generously with salt and pepper and rub all over with the fennel seeds. Transfer to a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker and add the rosemary, bay leaf, garlic and olive oil. Cover and cook on low until the meat is browned in spots and tender, 7 hours.
• Pull the pork apart with tongs or 2 large forks. Discard any large chunks of fat and discard the rosemary and bay leaf. Toss the meat in the juices; season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the bread crosswise into 4 pieces and split each piece open. Toast the bread, if desired. Divide the cheese among the bottom halves of the bread, then top with the meat, leaving the juices in the slow cooker. Top the sandwiches with the giardiniera plus a drizzle of giardiniera brine, the pepperoncini and arugula.
• Strain the juices from the slow cooker into a liquid measuring cup, then pour into small ramekins or cups. Serve with the sandwiches for dipping.

TUSCAN ROAST PORK WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Toss the garlic, chopped rosemary, 1 tablespoon salt and the red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Make 3/4-inch-deep cuts between the rib bones of the pork. Stuff some of the garlic mixture into each cut. Rub the lemon halves over the pork, then rub with the remaining garlic mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Bring the pork to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Cut each fennel bulb in half, then cut each half into wedges. Scatter the fennel and rosemary sprigs in a medium roasting pan (it's best if the roast fits snugly in the pan). Place the pork in the roasting pan on top of the fennel, fat side up, and roast until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 145 degrees F, about 1 hour, 45 minutes. Transfer the pork to a platter or cutting board and cover loosely with foil; let rest 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, turn the fennel wedges and return the pan to the oven. Continue roasting until the fennel is caramelized, about 15 minutes. Cut the pork into chops and serve with the fennel.

ROAST PORK SANDWICHES: PAN CON LECHON

Steps:

• With a knife, make a couple incisions in the pork shoulder and stud with the garlic cloves.
• In a blender, puree onions, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, white vinegar, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the marinade over the pork shoulder, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the pork shoulder in a roasting pan. Heat the lard, and pour over the top. Cover and bake 3 hours. Let the meat rest for 15 minutes. Slice thinly.
• Saute red onions and deglaze with lime juice.
• Assemble the sandwich by placing 4 to 5 slices of pork and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the onion mixture on the bread. On a griddle, heat up the sandwich until the bread is crispy.

FENNEL SLAW

Steps:

• In a dry pan, toast the oregano for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden but not burned.
• In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice, salt, pepper and oregano together. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly until emulsified.
• Trim the stalks of the fennel down to the bulb and discard. Quarter the bulbs and trim away the triangle of core at the base. Slice the fennel as thinly as possible.
• In a serving bowl, toss the fennel, red pepper and the dressing together until the vegetables are evenly coated. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 hour before serving, and toss again just before serving.

SLOW-ROASTED PORK WITH FENNEL & BLACK PEPPER

Steps:

• Cut the string from the joint and unroll it. Flatten out as much as possible, cutting through any thick pieces if necessary to give you an even thickness of meat. Mix the garlic, fennel, pepper, rosemary, bay and 1 tsp salt. Sprinkle evenly over all sides of the pork and massage it in. Place on a platter, cover loosely with foil and chill for at least 4 hrs or up to 24 hrs.
• Re-roll the joint and tie at intervals along its length with string. Bring to room temp an hr before roasting and heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roast the pork in a roasting tin for 2 hrs, basting occasionally and adding the wine after 1 hr. Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter and pour over the pan juices. Cover tightly with foil and leave to rest for 15 mins. Serve with beans (see 'Goes well with') and salad (see below).

FRAGRANT PORK WITH FENNEL SLAW

Steps:

• Rub the pork with the lemon zest and fennel seeds, then heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Brown the chops for 3 mins on each side, then remove from the heat. Splash over half the lemon juice, season, then leave to rest while you make the salad.
• Mix together the sliced fennel, apple, onion, mayo mix and nuts. Season with black pepper and squeeze in the remaining lemon juice to taste. Serve the pork with the pan juices spooned over, and the fennel slaw on the side. Great with jacket potatoes.

CRISPY CRACKLED PORK BELLY WITH FENNEL & APPLE SLAW

Steps:

• Using a pestle and mortar, crush together the fennel seeds, coriander seeds and chilli flakes, then mix the spices into the salt. Put the pork belly in a roasting tin and slash lines across the skin (about 5mm apart) using a sharp knife. Rub the skin with most of the salt mix, and chill, uncovered, overnight.
• The next day, heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Remove the pork from the fridge and scrape off the salt mix. Pat well with kitchen paper to remove the moisture, then re-season with the remaining salt mix. Roast for 2 hrs, then reduce the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and cook for a further 1 hr. Turn the oven up to its highest for 15-20 mins or until crackled. If your pork still hasn't crackled enough, heat the grill to its highest setting. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet and grill for 4-5 mins (watch it to make sure it doesn't burn). Cover and rest for 30 mins.
• To make the slaw, mix together the lemon zest and juice with the olive oil, chilli and some seasoning in a large bowl. Toss the with the shallot, fennel and apple. Top with the fennel fronds, if you like.
• Whizz together all the ingredients for the mojo verde and season to taste. Slice and serve the pork with the slaw andmojo verde on the side. Any leftover pork can be warmed and piled into crusty rolls with the slaw and mojo verde.

ROAST PORK WITH FENNEL & ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Crush the fennel seeds and peppercorns coarsely using a pestle and mortar. Add the garlic and some salt, and crush again to make a paste. Stir in orange zest along with the rosemary and oil.
• Rub the paste all over the pork, then cover with foil. You can now cook the pork or leave it covered in the fridge for up to 24 hrs.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Thickly slice the orange and place in the base of a roasting tin with the onion. Put the pork on top and pour 600ml water into the tin. Roast the joint for 1 hr, add the wine to the tin, then roast for 1 hr more. Baste the joint a few times and add a splash more water if needed.
• Remove the joint from the oven, strain off the meat juices, tightly cover joint with foil, then leave to rest for 15 mins. Pour meat juices into a pan, add the jelly and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve it. Taste and add seasoning if necessary. Thickly slice the pork and serve with a little of the juices poured over.

PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Assemble the spice rub for the pork: In a dry, small skillet over medium-low heat, toast coriander, cumin and peppercorns until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind toasted spices into a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl and mix with salt, mustard powder, chile powder and sugar.
• If your roast is tied up, untie it. Massage meat generously with spice rub. If you have time, let meat rest for an hour or two at room temperature, or refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place pork in a baking pan and roast for 3 to 4 hours or until meat is pull-apart tender and internal temperature reads 200 degrees on a meat thermometer. Let meat cool for at least 30 minutes before pulling it apart and shredding with your hands or two forks. (This works best when the meat is warm but not hot.)
• Prepare the barbecue sauce: Combine ingredients in a medium pot. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce has deepened in color. Season with more hot sauce if you like. Add two-thirds of the sauce to meat and toss to coat, adding more sauce as needed. (Any leftover sauce will keep for at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator.)
• Make the slaw: Combine cabbage, onion and jalapeño in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add dressing to cabbage and toss well.
• Serve pulled pork with slaw, buns and hot sauce on the side, letting people assemble their own sandwiches.