Smoky Pork Shoulder With Chile Paste Food

LIME AND CHILE ROASTED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• 1. Pulse the garlic, scallions, coriander, chipotle chile, cumin, 2 tablespoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor or mini-chopper to make a thick paste. If the butcher didn't trim the fat cap on the pork shoulder, trim off all but a thin layer of fat. Make deep incisions with a paring knife, at about 2-inch intervals, all over the meat. Rub the garlic and spice mixture into and all over the meat.
• 2. Combine the lime zest and juice, orange juice, adobo sauce, olive oil, and cinnamon in a nonreactive stainless steel or glass bowl. Add the meat, cover tightly with plastic wrap, making sure the meat is submerged. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up 2 days. Bring to room temperature about 1 hour before roasting.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the pork, fat-side up, in a large Dutch oven. Roast the meat, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add the marinade to the pot and cover with the lid. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and roast for 2 hours more. Uncover and continue to cook, basting occasionally, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the meat registers 190 degrees F and the meat is a rich burnished brown, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Set aside on a cutting board to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
• 4. For the sauce: Strain the pan drippings through a fine mesh sieve into a gravy separator and discard all excess fat. In a small saucepan, mix the pan drippings with 1/2 cup water and bring to a vigorous boil. Slice the meat and serve with the pan drippings.

SMOKY PULLED PORK CHILI

Steps:

• In a large dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, onions, jalapeno and garlic with a small pinch of kosher salt.
• Stir and cook over meidum to medium-low heat until the onions are soft and edges slightly caramelized. About 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add in tomato paste, chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika. Stir and cook 1 minute.
• Next add in tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, beans and pulled pork (see notes). Stir and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
• Spoon chili into bowls and top with desired toppings.

BIG-BATCH RANCHERO SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine everything in a large pot or rondeau, and simmer over gentle heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent any scorching on the bottom. Add a little water if it becomes any thicker than ketchup. Allow to cool before puréeing.
• Working in a blender in batches, purée until smooth. Check the salt seasoning. Let cool.
• Transfer to quart or pint containers, and stock your freezer, or put the sauce in something more attractive - rubber-sealed jars with hinged lids? - to make gifts of the stuff. Ranchero sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 1 year. (It may separate a little, in which case you can simply reheat and give a new buzz in a blender to reunify.)

SLOW-COOKER PULLED PORK CHILI

Steps:

• Mix together the tomato paste, vegetable oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic and onions in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the top of the bowl with a very wet paper towel. Microwave for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker.
• Add the pork to the slow cooker along with the stock, adobo sauce, salt, beans and 1 cup of the BBQ sauce. Cook on high until the pork is cooked through and tender, 4 to 5 hours (or on low for 6 to 8 hours). Skim any excess fat off the top and discard. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, garlic powder and remaining 1/4 cup BBQ sauce.
• Top the chili with the sour cream mixture, pork rinds and scallions. Serve with the chips on the side or crumbled on top.

SMOKY PORK SHOULDER WITH CHILE PASTE

Steps:

• Set pork shoulder in a deep roasting pan just large enough to accommodate it. With a sharp knife or straight edge razor blade, cut a deep 3/4-inch diamond pattern into the thick fat cap.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons kosher salt over the diamond cuts, then all the pepper. Rub the salt and pepper into the cuts and all over the top and sides of the pork shoulder.
• Turn the shoulder fat-side down, and sprinkle the remaining salt over the meat. Rub the salt and any pepper that has scattered in the pan into and all over the meat to have a wholly seasoned piece of meat - especially on the top, in the diamond-cut fat area. Let the seasoned roast rest on the counter at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the chile paste. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Off heat, add the pasillas, guajillos and árbols, and let them soak for 30 minutes while you gather and prepare the other ingredients. When the chiles are softened, transfer them and 1/2 cup of their soaking water into a high-powered blender. Add the garlic, scallions, cilantro, vinegar and kosher salt, and blend into a smooth, dark red-brown paste. (The consistency should remind you of jarred applesauce.)
• Pour this chile paste over the pork shoulder and massage it all over the roast, leaving a nice extra schmear on the top of the roast and, again, seasoning the diamond-cut fat cap a little more generously than the bottom. (The fat on the top is going to render slowly all through the cooking and melt down into the meat, in a self-basting way, which is why the most seasoning is at the top.) Don't worry about the excess paste; it will remain in the roasting pan to enhance the juices later.
• Build a fire in your grill, then push the hot coals to one side in a mounded crescent shape, leaving space for the roasting/drip pan that now holds the marinade-slathered meat. If using an oven, heat it to 325.
• Remove the meat from the pan, and set it to the side (I use a sheet of parchment for easy cleanup) while you prepare the grill or oven.
• To prepare the grill or the oven, add a full inch of water to the roasting pan, stirring briefly to combine it with the excess chile paste, and nestle the roasting pan into the bottom of the grill in the empty space next to the crescent of coals, or on the bottom rack of the oven.
• Place the grill rack in position over the coals. Set the meat directly onto the rack above the water-filled roasting pan so that the juices will drip into it while cooking. If using a conventional oven, place the roast, fat side up, on the rack directly above the roasting pan.
• Place the cover on the grill, open the vents all the way and let the roast cook for 3 to 4 hours maintaining a gentle 300 degrees, adding coals when needed. If the temperature spikes to 325 or drops to 275 along the way, it doesn't matter at all - open and close the lid as needed to get back on track. The goal is to slowly, gently cook the meat, giving all that fat time to melt, the skin time to crisp and the tough cut of meat (muscly shoulder) time to become tender.
• Add water to the drip pan if you see it evaporating, though I did not need to add liquid any time I tested this. The natural fats and juices drip down into the pan, commingling with the chile-paste-spiked water to create a smoky, spicy, delicious cache of pan juices for later spooning over the roast while it rests. Loosely cover the meat with foil if it starts looking too dark too soon.
• Cook until the internal temperature reaches about 165 degrees, up to 4 hours. Remove from the grill (or the oven). Remove the roasting/drip pan. Let the meat rest for 30 minutes. Spoon the drippings over the roast until glossy and moist. Slice thin.

SMOKED PORK BUTT WITH SWEET AND SMOKY BBQ SAUCE AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH THAI CHILI VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• For the smoked pork butt: Trim some of the fat off of the pork butt and expose about a quarter of the meat. Stir together the cayenne, 2 cups salt and 2 cups pepper and rub the pork butt all over with the spice mix. Let sit at room temperature, 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare a smoker for cooking at 225 degrees F. Place the pork butt in the smoker and smoke, adding wood chunks as necessary and maintaining a temperature of 225 degrees F, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the pork registers 165 degrees F, about 9 hours. Remove the pork and shred off the meat. (Yield: 10 to 12 servings)
• For the Brussels sprouts: Fill a large pot with canola oil and bring to 350 degrees F over medium-high heat. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Fry a quarter of the Brussels sprouts until caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to the lined baking sheet for 30 seconds. Transfer to a stainless steel bowl and toss with a quarter of the Thai vinaigrette, a quarter of the cilantro and a quarter of the sesame seeds. Bring the oil back to 350 degrees F and repeat with the remaining ingredients in the same manner.
• Put the Brussels sprouts into a bowl and garnish with lime wedges and some toasted sesame seeds. Serve with some Smoked Pork Butt and Sweet and Smoky BBQ Sauce. Reserve the remaining
• In a large bowl combine the brown sugar, bourbon smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, 12 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk them together very well, making sure there are no lumps.
• In a separate bowl, combine the tomato sauce, ketchup, tomato paste, honey, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, cola, vinegar, browning and seasoning sauce and liquid smoke. Whisk together until well combined.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry spices and whisk vigorously until combined. Pass through a strainer to get any lumps out.
• Place the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, vinegar, ginger, garlic, lime leaf and chiles in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a stainless steel bowl and whisk in the lime zest and sambal oelek. Set aside.

RED CHILE PORK BROCHETTES

Steps:

• Cut pork into 2-by-2-by-3/4-inch pieces. (You should have about 24 pieces.) Mix 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon chile powder. Use mixture to season pork on both sides.
• To skewer, lay meat flat on cutting board. Thread meat onto two skewers spaced equidistant from center; do this first with one skewer, then the other. Put 3 pieces of pork onto each set of skewers, for eight brochettes total.
• Cook the tomato (left whole) over hot coals or under broiler until charred and blackened, about 5 minutes. Cut in quarters but do not remove skin.
• In a blender or food processor, put 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons chile powder, the charred tomato, the garlic, the lime juice, the olive oil and 1 teaspoon cumin. Blend to obtain a smooth sauce and transfer to a bowl.
• Lay brochettes on a tray in 1 layer. Spoon 8 tablespoons chile sauce over pork and spread to cover evenly. (Save remaining sauce.) Leave at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate several hours, then bring to room temperature.
• Grill over medium-hot fire for about 3 minutes per side. Sprinkle with remaining toasted cumin. Serve with reserved sauce.

SMOKY SLOW COOKER CHILI

Steps:

• Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray.
• Add ground pork and cook for 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well and transfer to slow cooker.
• Recoat skillet with cooking spray. Add pork shoulder and cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer pork to slow cooker.
• Recoat skillet with cooking spray. Add onion and bell pepper, and saute 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add garlic, saute 1 minute, then add tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Stir in beer, cook a minute or two, then pour all over the meat in the slow cooker.
• Add 1/4 tsp salt, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, tomatillos, bay leaves, tomatoes, pinto beans, tomato sauce and ham hock to the slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours until meat is tender or on LOW for 8 hours.
• Remove and discard ham hock and bay leaves.
• Add 1/4 tsp salt and the sugar, stir well.
• Top each serving with 1 tbl each of cilantro, green onions and queso fresco. Serve with a lime wedge.
• This can also be done on the stove, using 12 ozs beer and simmering, covered, for 2 1/2 to3 hours or until the pork is tender.