All's Well That Ends Well/Pulled Pork

[jesse_the_k]

Thank you so much to all of you for your warm thoughts and good vibes. They clearly worked. I'm sitting up and typing! I have two fewer generative organs and one less viciously twisted cyst. I also have a variety of brain-buzzing drugs on board, so can't think of much else to say.

Wait, how about a delicious recipe for pulled pork?

Savory Pulled Pork
Begin with four pounds of animal. I use pork shoulder butt, which is more fatty than I'd prefer, but sure tastes delicious. Pork tenderloin is also fine. You could also use beef, game, or fowl. Defat the meat. The fewer pieces you make, the juicier the result. However, the less fat you can remove.

Mix up the following spices into a dry rub:
1 Tbs coarse kosher salt
1 Tbs cumin powder
1 Tbs white sugar
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp powdered garlic
1/2 tsp powdered mustard

Use a sturdy Dutch oven, casserole or other dish with tight lid. Place animal in dish, spread the rub thoroughly with your hands. Let sit overnight in refrigerator to do that magic marinade thing.

Add 1/2 cup water.
Cover and cook at 275°F for 4 to 5 hours

Remove and check for tenderness: can a fork in one hand pull away a generous section?

When done, finish with
1/2 Cup apple vinegar
1/2 Cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp dill seeds
1/2 tsp celery seeds

Let stand for 30 minutes. Get two forks and systematically shred into a tall pile of wonderfulness. Stand back and serve. Keeps well in the fridge, but you'll eat it first.

Comments

[meloukhia]

Fewer organs AND pulled pork? It's a red letter day. Glad to see you're up and typing. Excuse me, I need to wipe some drool off my screen now.

[redbird]

Best wishes for a smooth recovery.

[polemista]

Best wishes from me also!!!
:)
I'm just catching up with a lot of stuff I missed in the last weeks, so I didn't know about the cyst thing until just now. Oh goody, what a story! Hope all goes well!

I'm also gonna have to try this recipe, I never even heard of pulled pork (and had to google it) it sounds so yummy.

[luzula]

I'm glad things went well! Here's hoping the recovery is quick, too.

[vito_excalibur]

Congratulations on getting better. Was I the only one taken aback by "I had some organs removed and am not using them anymore! So here's a pork recipe."

[jesse_the_k]

That's why I put it out there but you're the only one to notice so far. What does that say about the two of us?

[vito_excalibur]

....deeply into recycling?

[badgerbag]

Oh, I noticed. It was funny!

[badgerbag]

Question for you on the recipe. I have never cooked pork before really. Do you cut the fat off because it is gross and sort of gristly, or to be slightly healthier about not eating so much fat even though it isn't gross at all, but makes it more delicious? I cut most of it off but left some bits just in case it was the secret to deliciousness. Also, the pork shoulder butt came with a *giant* outside piece of fat on it, whicih it seems like they left on it at the fancy butchers' on purpose. When you cut that giant slab of fat off, what do you do with it? Is it good to save and make something with, like, melt it and fry something in it?

[jesse_the_k]

Definitely for the "slightly healthier." Pork butts vary in their fattiness; some of them ended up with meat floating in pork oil, which was over-the-top for me. OTOH, that's what a confit is. One can do various wonderful things with a giant slab o' fat; lardons was what I did one time and they make a great substitute for croutons.