Saturday, November 20, 2010

slow-roasted pork shoulder with cider bourbon gravy


I love Thanksgiving. Food and gratitude, what could be better?

One of my favorite things about this holiday is the New Yorker's food edition, which was just delivered to my apartment yesterday. Interspersed through the magazine between the longer articles and fictions are one-page essays with titles like "Pickled Cabbage," "Linzer Torte," and "Aspic." These are short stories about authors relationship to the title food, sometimes about a family history, sometimes about a very specific experience.

I realize we all have time honored family traditions surrounding this holiday, classic family recipes that are on the table every year (I get nostalgic for that mushy green bean casserole from time to time). But for those of you who are in the mood to try something a little different, I'll post a few things that may not have graced the family table in the past, including a turkey alternative; let's face it, the sight of that whole roast bird is iconic, but the taste sometimes leaves something to be desired.

These recipes are from the Bushwick Starr Fall Gala Dinner that I catered last Thursday night. I'll try to post as many as possible before the holiday. Up first:

Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Cider Bourbon Gravy

This recipe is based on information from a couple sources: Cooks Illustrated magazine, and Mike from Tamarack Hollow Farm in Vermont. I got the idea for the salt/sugar rub from Cooks, but their one-to-one salt/sugar ratio was far too salty for me; it made me pucker. I reduced the salt from their recipe by half and it worked beautifully.

Tamarack Hollow is an organic farm in Vermont where they raise pastured, heritage breed pigs. Mike works there and runs their stand at the Union Square Greenmarket on Wednesdays, and he suggested a bone-in roast. The bone conducts heat and ensures a more evenly cooked roast. Neat! If you're in NYC, please consider buying from this great farm. If you call the Tuesday before, Mike will try to have a cut set aside for you. Tamarack Hollow Farm, Burlington, VT, 802-535-1515.


For the pork:

1 5-6 pound bone-in shoulder roast, often called a "Boston butt"
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
pepper

For the gravy:

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup apple cider
1-2 tbsp bourbon
reserved pan drippings from pork (more directions below...)

The preparation for this roast is easy, but it's important to start a day (or more, if your roast is frozen) before you actually plan on cooking it. A long, slow process will get the best flavor here.

If your pork butt is frozen when you buy it, it is important to allow ample time for it to defrost safely. If you have more than 48 hours, place your frozen roast in the fridge to defrost. If you have closer to 24 hours, place the roast in a bowl of cold water in the sink, and run cold water over the roast. Periodically change the water in the bowl. DO NOT attempt to defrost your roast in warm water--this will encourage bacterial growth. DO NOT use boiling water--this will cook the outside of your roast, and ditto on the bacteria. Microwave defrosting is uneven and can begin to cook the meat as well. The best and safest way is a slow, cold defrost.

The morning before you plan on cooking your defrosted pork is when you want to make the brown sugar and salt rub. Take your pork butt out of the fridge and set it on your cutting board fat side up. Most, but not all, pork butts will have a fat cap on one side of the roast. If your roast does not have a thick cap of fat, skip this step. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut a cross-hatch diamond pattern (about 1 inch squares) into the fat cap, being careful not to cut through to the meat beneath.

Mix the sugar and salt together. Rub the mixture all over your roast, rubbing it into the slices you cut in the fat. Give it a nice massage, then tightly wrap your roast in plastic wrap. Place your wrapped roast in a large bowl (important: the salt will encourage the pork juices to release, and you don't want to be disinfecting your fridge on Thanksgiving morning) and place it in the fridge. Let it sit overnight.

Start the roast the next day about 7 hours before you plan on serving.

Preheat the oven to 325.

Take the roast from the fridge and brush off any excess salt and sugar. Place the roast in a v-rack, fat side up, in a medium roasting pan. A v-rack looks like this. Add a dusting of fresh cracked pepper to the roast.

Put about a 1/4 inch of water in the bottom of a medium roasting pan. The water will keep your sugary drippings from burning. Keep an eye on the water level in the pan during roasting. You may need to add a bit more to keep the bottom of the pan from becoming dry.

Roast for 5-6 hours, basting with the pan juices every two hours or so. The TIME of roasting is far less important than the INTERNAL TEMPERATURE of the pork. At around 4 hours in the oven, start checking the temperature. A meat thermometer inserted near, but not touching, the bone should read around 180. 175 is ok, anything below 160 (the minimum safe temperature for pork recommended by the USDA) is not.

When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and place it on a carving board. Cover it lightly with tin foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour to redistribute the juices. While it's resting you can make the gravy.

Pour the pan juices into bowl and skim off the fat that sits on top. You will need about 1/3-1/2 a cup of pan juices.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Whisk a little longer to cook the flour a bit. Add the pan juices and whisk, then add the cider and the bourbon. I'd recommend adding half the cider and bourbon, then tasting, and then adding more if you like. You are looking for a nice balance of sweet and tangy and salty. Bring the gravy to a boil to thicken.

Cut the pork away from the bone. Serve in thick slices and chunks with a generous serving of gravy.

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