This Little Piggy went to....

the hot tub.....

The crock pot is an under appreciated home cooking apparatus that is great for low and slow cooking of tougher cuts of meat that need longer cooking times.

Apple Braised Pork Shoulder

Braising liquid

4 cups apple juice

4 cups water

1/4 cup kosher salt

2tsp whole peppercorns

3 cloves garlic

1 onion

3 carrots

3 celery stalks

2 bay leaves

5 sprigs thyme

1 sprig rosemary

3 sprigs oregano

Place all ingredients into crock pot and set on high

5lbs bone in pork shoulder

pork rub

Apply pork rub and sear well on all sides

Place shoulder into crock pot

Cook for 6-7hrs on high or 10-11 hrs on low until meat is tender and falling off the bone.

Braised pork wrap, sweet corn garlic puree, Ida red apple, apple wood smoked bacon, romaine, habanero tortilla wrap, pork jus

Flavor up that Butt!

People are crazy about Momofuku Saam bar whole pork butt.  Since I don't like to pay that much money for some thing that only costs $0.79 a lbs I'm making my own.  I don't know how they do theirs but this is how i'm doing mine.  

I got a 10lb bone in shoulder for $8 and brining it before I roast/braise it.  

Pork Butt (aka shoulder) Brine

2qt water

1/2 cup salt

1/4 cup sugar

1.25 cup soy sauce

10 cloves garlic

small nub of ginger

1 bunch scallion green ( save the white part for garnish)

1Tbls crushed red pepper

2Tbls whole black pepper corns

bunch of cilantro stems (save leaves for garnish)

1Tbls star anise

Bring all of this to a boil then cool completely

add

1 can of beer (if available or if you don't drink it all)

1 cup apple juice

cover pork with brine mixture overnight