The news in brief 4th March 2014

Sorry about the lack of The news in brief last night. I was a bit unwell and just needed to go to bed after a long day at work. To fill the gap here's an entry from The news in brief's sister publication: Christine's Kitchen

 

Slow Cooked Pulled Pork

I will admit it. I watch far too many food related programmes and thanks to cable television, a lot of it is American. Because of this I have seen pulled pork too many times to even consider listing them. So I decided to make a load of it myself. There is many different recipes out there, and 2 main methods of cooking, either in the oven, or in the slow cooker, you can do it on a BBQ, but I live in the North of England, there is no way I will ever get good weather to hold long enough to slow cook pork.. I am in love with my slow cooker, so I had to do it that way. Warning to impatient people out there, this recipe involves cooking it overnight. This is a lesson in delayed gratification.

The best way to eat this is to steal it when no one is looking and hope you get away with it. However, guests tend not to like it when you do that, so you could put it in sandwiches with good coleslaw and apple sauce (recipe here for apple sauce). Serve with baked potatoes and BBQ sauce, or just part of a good table buffet.

Ingredients

Enough Pork Shoulder for everyone you want to feed.
(About 4oz/115g per person - but I would make more - it will be eaten)
2-3 apples, any kind really I like granny smiths
Cider Vinegar, or any apple based vinegar really
Plenty of Salt
a tsp of pepper
a tsp garlic powder
Bay leaf

 
 
 
 



 Method

• Cut up the apples into wedges, doesn't matter about size or shape, you are not actually going to eat them
•  Throw the pork skin side up onto the apple and then half cover with water and about 4 table spoons of vinegar
• Put in a good load of salt - about 3-4 teaspoons, it seems a lot but don't worry you don't actually eat it all (I don't mean to sound like Jamie Oliver)
• Put the garlic powder, bay leaf and pepper in too. 
• Put the lid on and put on high for about 2 hours

After the two hour are up you can take the skin off, put it to one side to make crackling. Always a crowd pleaser is good crackling, very naughty food but totally worth the guilt. 

• After two hours turn the heat to medium. Go to bed at this point or go out which ever is best for you because you need to leave it alone for at least 10 hours. Yes 10. You were told this was not a recipe for the impatient. 

 Once it done take it out of the slow cooker and use two forks to pull it apart (hence the name!) and put it into a oven suitable dish and cover it up. I tend to use foil takeaway trays with cardboard lids, they work a treat. You can let it cool ready to use a little later. 

• Once it is in it's tray and you are getting ready to serve it, put it in the oven on about 160-180c for about 30 mins, it both warms it through and gives the end bit a little crisp for added texture. 

 I always find it better to make more than you need because it is so easy to eat that it will be devoured!