Pork Shoulder With Roasted Clams And Fresno Chiles Recipes

SMOKY PORK SHOULDER WITH CHILE PASTE

Steps:

• Set pork shoulder in a deep roasting pan just large enough to accommodate it. With a sharp knife or straight edge razor blade, cut a deep 3/4-inch diamond pattern into the thick fat cap.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons kosher salt over the diamond cuts, then all the pepper. Rub the salt and pepper into the cuts and all over the top and sides of the pork shoulder.
• Turn the shoulder fat-side down, and sprinkle the remaining salt over the meat. Rub the salt and any pepper that has scattered in the pan into and all over the meat to have a wholly seasoned piece of meat - especially on the top, in the diamond-cut fat area. Let the seasoned roast rest on the counter at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the chile paste. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Off heat, add the pasillas, guajillos and árbols, and let them soak for 30 minutes while you gather and prepare the other ingredients. When the chiles are softened, transfer them and 1/2 cup of their soaking water into a high-powered blender. Add the garlic, scallions, cilantro, vinegar and kosher salt, and blend into a smooth, dark red-brown paste. (The consistency should remind you of jarred applesauce.)
• Pour this chile paste over the pork shoulder and massage it all over the roast, leaving a nice extra schmear on the top of the roast and, again, seasoning the diamond-cut fat cap a little more generously than the bottom. (The fat on the top is going to render slowly all through the cooking and melt down into the meat, in a self-basting way, which is why the most seasoning is at the top.) Don't worry about the excess paste; it will remain in the roasting pan to enhance the juices later.
• Build a fire in your grill, then push the hot coals to one side in a mounded crescent shape, leaving space for the roasting/drip pan that now holds the marinade-slathered meat. If using an oven, heat it to 325.
• Remove the meat from the pan, and set it to the side (I use a sheet of parchment for easy cleanup) while you prepare the grill or oven.
• To prepare the grill or the oven, add a full inch of water to the roasting pan, stirring briefly to combine it with the excess chile paste, and nestle the roasting pan into the bottom of the grill in the empty space next to the crescent of coals, or on the bottom rack of the oven.
• Place the grill rack in position over the coals. Set the meat directly onto the rack above the water-filled roasting pan so that the juices will drip into it while cooking. If using a conventional oven, place the roast, fat side up, on the rack directly above the roasting pan.
• Place the cover on the grill, open the vents all the way and let the roast cook for 3 to 4 hours maintaining a gentle 300 degrees, adding coals when needed. If the temperature spikes to 325 or drops to 275 along the way, it doesn't matter at all - open and close the lid as needed to get back on track. The goal is to slowly, gently cook the meat, giving all that fat time to melt, the skin time to crisp and the tough cut of meat (muscly shoulder) time to become tender.
• Add water to the drip pan if you see it evaporating, though I did not need to add liquid any time I tested this. The natural fats and juices drip down into the pan, commingling with the chile-paste-spiked water to create a smoky, spicy, delicious cache of pan juices for later spooning over the roast while it rests. Loosely cover the meat with foil if it starts looking too dark too soon.
• Cook until the internal temperature reaches about 165 degrees, up to 4 hours. Remove from the grill (or the oven). Remove the roasting/drip pan. Let the meat rest for 30 minutes. Spoon the drippings over the roast until glossy and moist. Slice thin.

PORK AND CLAMS

Steps:

• In a small food processor, combine garlic, salt, pepper flakes and paprika. Process until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until smooth. In a glass mixing bowl, toss the meat with the pureed mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator, to marinate at least 8 hours, overnight if possible. In a cataplana (or a large saute pan with a lid), over medium heat, add the remaining 1/2 cup of oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the pork and saute for 4 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Add the clams, and season with salt. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes. Remove any shells that do not open. Stir in the parsley. Serve in individual serving bowls with crusty bread.

LIME AND CHILE ROASTED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• 1. Pulse the garlic, scallions, coriander, chipotle chile, cumin, 2 tablespoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor or mini-chopper to make a thick paste. If the butcher didn't trim the fat cap on the pork shoulder, trim off all but a thin layer of fat. Make deep incisions with a paring knife, at about 2-inch intervals, all over the meat. Rub the garlic and spice mixture into and all over the meat.
• 2. Combine the lime zest and juice, orange juice, adobo sauce, olive oil, and cinnamon in a nonreactive stainless steel or glass bowl. Add the meat, cover tightly with plastic wrap, making sure the meat is submerged. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up 2 days. Bring to room temperature about 1 hour before roasting.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the pork, fat-side up, in a large Dutch oven. Roast the meat, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add the marinade to the pot and cover with the lid. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and roast for 2 hours more. Uncover and continue to cook, basting occasionally, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the meat registers 190 degrees F and the meat is a rich burnished brown, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Set aside on a cutting board to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
• 4. For the sauce: Strain the pan drippings through a fine mesh sieve into a gravy separator and discard all excess fat. In a small saucepan, mix the pan drippings with 1/2 cup water and bring to a vigorous boil. Slice the meat and serve with the pan drippings.

ROASTED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) with a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil and a rack.
• Stir together garlic, olive oil, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub pork thoroughly with garlic mixture. Place fat-side up on rack on the prepared baking sheet. Let pork stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers between 195 to 205 degrees F (90 to 96 degrees C), about 4 1/2 hours.
• Let stand 20 minutes before shredding.

PORK SHOULDER WITH ROASTED CLAMS AND FRESNO CHILES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, 4 cloves garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Place pork in a roasting pan and rub sugar mixture all over pork. Cover and transfer to refrigerator; let marinate for 2 hours.
• Remove pork from refrigerator and let come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Brush rub off of pork; transfer to oven and roast for 45 minutes. Decrease temperature to 250 degrees. Cook until meat is very tender and shreds easily, about 8 hours. Immediately shred meat with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
• In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 cloves garlic, shallots, and chiles; cook stirring, until fragrant and softened, about 3 minutes. Add clams and wine; cover and cook until clams open, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Pour clams over pork; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.