On our last wander around a farmer's market in Newcastle city centre, there was a farmer selling lovely assorted meats, including a good pork butt at a great price. We figured that was our excuse to have a couple friends over for a Dixie-style meal, which we've been wanting to do for awhile.
In honor of my father and all of his splendid culinary teaching, it was time to break out the eastern Carolina vinegar style pork. Armed with a trusty and reliable recipe from my friend Craig (thanks, mate), I cooked the pork for about seven hours in the crockpot. This particular hunk of meat had the fat wrapped around it in sort of a rind/shell, which I wasn't used to, and I should have salted it to do up crackling, had I been thinking about it. But the butcher had scored it that way with lots of deep slits, so I had the good sense to take some chilies from our new plant (see above) and dice them so I could stuff them into the slits as it slow-cooked for extra spiciness. As I stuffed and tucked, I was thinking of all the Thanksgiving and Christmases that I had seen Mom, Nik, and El do much the same thing with various roasts and meats. So in a sense everyone was there with me, family and friends.
M stepped up her game with greens, some gorgeous cornbread made from scratch (she's really getting away from all processed and non-natural foods as much as possible--I tell her she needs to start a food blog), plus some baked mac n' cheese (with three cheeses over the pasta that my cousin and her boyfriend left with us when they departed from the UK.) Topped off with some good English beer and some cookies that M made too, it was, in a word, unbelievable. We are happily stuffed. Thanks to all who helped--even though you weren't here, you were a part of it.
2 comments:
That pulled pork recipe should have its own blog. Its an international celebrity!
especially since Brian and Jen made it a month ago at a party at their place. you should be getting royalties from the State Department!
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