(Enough for 4)
I bought some crackin' free range pork from Pheasant Hill Farm off lovely Julia Bailey and then made the best braised meat of my life. That you cook the pork for so long makes it feel like you have this treasure or this night before Christmas feeling knowing something specials on the way - I'm sure the delayed gratification of a 4 1/2 hr wait heightened the delight of eating. The red wine balances out the fattiness of the pork, mixed with chorizo and pimento and you get spanish thoughts of hillside taverns. The only thing out of the ordinary is the time and the time is the essence of this dish, so take it.
to braise: seared or browned in fat and then simmered in liquid on a low heat (for like ever)
What you need
1 kg Pork shoulder (fat removed and kept)
3 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
3 tblsp of pimento spice
12 cherry tomato's on the vine
1/2 bottle red wine
150 ml stock
1/2 ring of chorizo, chopped
A heavy based dish with a lid you can put in the oven
What to do
Chop shallots and fry in the fat on a medium heat, for 7 mins. Remove fat. Add the chorizo, cook until the oil is released (3-4 mins). Add the garlic, brown the pork shoulder on all sides in the dish. Add the pimento and mix. Add the red wine, let the alcohol cook off for 2 mins. Add the stock. Leave cherry tomato's whole and add to the dish. Put a lid on and put in the oven on low (110 degrees) for about 4 1/2 hours. Remove pork from dish and allow to rest for 30minutes at least. While resting put the dish on a high heat with lid removed and reduce by 1/3 (keep reducing until the pork is rested). When cooked, the meat should come away from the bone easily, pull the meat apart using 2 forks to get a shredded effect. Return meat to dish and serve with crusty bread and lemon butter beans.
