(no subject)

[madbaker]

This week's Resolution Recipe: Cajun Pickled Pork Sandwiches.
"Pickled pork was a staple in the Creole kitchen. Before the days of refrigeration and commercial curing plants, pork from a very recently butchered hog would be cured in large batches and kept in barrels. It can also be pickled in small quantities, as here."

For the pickle:
1 kg boneless pork loin, cut into 2" dice
2 cups water
1 cup pomgar (aka cider vinegar)
1/4 cup sea salt flakes
6 cloves garlic, minced (Ha! I used... more.)
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp hot sauce
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns

9 oz ice cubes

1 7-oz jar pickled jalapeno peppers
8 cloves garlic, peeled
8 soft white buns, split (I made Pretzel Buns)
vinegar coleslaw

Combine all the pickle ingredients (except ice and pork) in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the ice, and stir. Place the diced pork loin in a large plastic container or sterilized glass jar (I used a Ziploc bag) and add the cooled pickling liquid. Seal then refrigerate for at least 3 days, turning occasionally.

Drain the meat and place in a lidded baking dish with the jar of peppers (juice as well) and the garlic. Place the dish in a 250 oven and cook for 6-8 hours, until the pork is tender.

Drain the pork and shred the meat. Serve it piled high in the soft white buns with vinegar slaw and lettuce.

What worked: This was excellent. I really liked the sharp/sweet vinegary pork and pickled jalapenos. And the pretzel buns were, as always, a good addition.

What didn't: I used a baking dish covered with foil because I wanted to use the toaster oven rather than the large oven. This might have been a mistake; the pork was piled rather than in a single layer and so at 7+ hours it wasn't quite as soft as I wanted, but we were hungry. Also the dish dribbled a bit around the foil.

Will I make it again? Yes, I will put this into my charcuterie project book.

Comments

[loup_noir]

This sounds delicious. Not sure if I could take smelling it for eight hours or so without devouring it. Would also have to buy a bag of ice, but since the WBH needs ice for his fishing excursions, not a big problem.

[psybelle]

I'd love to see the original recipe - neither the ice-cubes nor "refrigerate for at least three days" is exactly consistent with "Before the days of refrigeration" ...

[madbaker]

There is no original recipe. This is a modern recipe channeling a less-modern technique, not an adaptation of a previously published particular recipe.