Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder With Leeks Apricots Thyme Recipes

SLOW-ROASTED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• In a food processor, combine the peppercorns, garlic, and cloves and puree. While the motor is running, drizzle in the oil until a paste is formed. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the garlic paste into a small bowl.
• Place the pork butt on a work surface and season all over generously with salt. Rub all over with the garlic paste. Place in an oven-safe roasting bag and close with a twist tie. Place in a large roasting pan, and cook until tender, about 5 hours.
• Remove roast from the oven. Slip the oven-roasting bag off the meat and discard. Transfer the cooking liquid to a medium saucepan. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid with a ladle or de-greaser. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer to thicken the juices slightly.
• Raise the oven to 400 degrees F. Return the pork, in the roasting pan, to the oven. Continue roasting, basting frequently with the simmering cooking liquid, until well-browned, about 30 minutes. If there is any cooking liquid left, pour it over the pork.
• Remove pork from the oven and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. With the pork drippings you may make a vinegar sauce using this formula: for every 1/2 cup of drippings, whisk with 3 tablespoons vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Either carve the pork into thin slices, or, using 2 forks, pull into small pieces. Serve with the vinegar sauce on the side.

SLOW ROASTED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper.
• In a Dutch oven or casserole set over moderately high heat, heat the oil until hot. Add the pork and brown on all sides. Transfer pork to a platter and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan. Add leek, carrots and celery stalks to pan and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add garlic cloves, shallots, thyme, parsley and salt and pepper and cook the vegetables until golden. Transfer vegetables to platter. Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar and reduce by 2/3. Add port and cabernet and reduce by half. Return pork and vegetables to pan, add stock and tomato paste and bring to a boil on top of the stove. Cover pan with foil and lid and transfer pan to a preheated 350 degree oven. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until very tender. Remove pork from oven, remove lid and loosen foil. Let cool for 1 hour in cooking liquid at room temperature or in refrigerator overnight.
• Discard all fat from surface and transfer pork to another pan. Strain cooking liquid and add enough to just cover pork. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until heated through.
• Meanwhile, reduce remaining cooking liquid over high heat until liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Cut pork into 1 1/2-inch thick slices. Swirl butter into sauce.

SLOW-ROAST PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the treacle, cider vinegar, paprika, cumin, mustard powder and chilli powder until smooth. Using a sharp knife, make deep slashes in the skin of the pork shoulder to cut through the skin and fat layer, but not the meat. Place the joint, skin-side down, in a large dish and rub the spice paste into the meat (not the fat). Turn skin-side, cover tightly with cling film and put in the fridge overnight, or for 24 hrs to give the pork maximum flavour.
• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Transfer the pork, skin-side up, to a deep roasting tin, rub 1 tbsp sea salt onto the skin and pour 500ml water into the bottom of the roasting tin. Cover tightly with foil and roast in the oven for 5 hrs.
• Remove the foil, turn up the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook for a further 1 hr 30 mins or until the pork is very tender and the skin has turned to crispy crackling.
• Once the pork is ready, take it out of the roasting tin, cover with foil and leave to rest. Pour the juices from the roasting tin into a jug and leave to separate. Pour off the fat layer and transfer the remaining juices to a large sauté pan. Simmer over a high heat, stirring, until reduced to a rich gravy.
• Once rested, cut the pork into pieces - it should pull apart with very little effort - and break the crackling into shards. Serve the pork and crackling with the gravy poured over and mustard mash, honey-roasted carrots and quick pickled red cabbage on the side (see goes well with below).

ONE-PAN PORK FILLET WITH LEEKS, APPLES, MUSTARD & THYME

Steps:

• Melt the butter over a medium heat in a large, shallow saucepan, frying pan or flameproof casserole until foaming. Season the pork slices, then fry for 2 mins on each side until browned. Use a slotted spoon to lift the pork onto a plate, then cook the apple wedges in the same pan for 3-4 mins until starting to caramelise. Lift onto the plate and set aside. Reduce the heat, scatter the leeks and thyme into the pan and cook for 15-20 mins until softened.
• Splash in the vinegar and simmer for 1 min, then pour the stock over the leeks, season and simmer for 10 mins more. Pour in the cream, then add the mustard and return the pork and apples to the pan. Season to taste and simmer for 5 mins more until the pork is cooked through but still tender and the apples are starting to soften. Serve the pork spooned over mash, if you like.