Pork Barbeque with Fennel Slaw

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite dishes to share with friends. I have made this pork barbeque with cornbread and fennel slaw several times, including at a special Auburn tailgate and at least three fun dinner parties. As I said before, this is the kind of dish that would not be out of place at even the poshest of events. It's all about presentation. Swap the tasteless hamburger buns for your favorite cornbread recipe, slow roast pork all day on a grill or slow-cooker, and throw together this crunchy fennel slaw that is a far cry from that boring cabbage-based slaw that you might be used to. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. My friends Mike and Jill are the inspiration behind this dish, as it is one of the eight courses they served at their house in Raleigh last summer. Both of them are talented cooks and have opened my eyes to southern cooking done with a very elegant twist.

For this go around, I used Thomas Keller's cornbread recipe. It was very good, and chock full of scallions, jalapenos and whole kernels of sweet corn. I recommend it, or Ina Garten's recipe for cheddar jalapeno cornbread. Use a recipe that is packed with flavor and a little texture.

 The pork takes a long time to cook, as in 8-10 hours. Whichever method is best for you, on a grill or in a slow cooker, is perfectly acceptable in my mind. As long as you cook it long enough so that it is falling apart in gorgeous shreds, it's a success! The real star of this show is the sauce it gets doused in, though. Apple cider vinegar, a tiny amount of ketchup, crushed red pepper, and salt are the four ingredients in this special sauce. I usually shred the pork shoulder and then let the barbeque sit in the warm sauce for at least 30 minutes.

Right before serving, I toss thinly sliced fennel and a handful of shredded carrots with a touch of mayo and more barbeque sauce. I do not let it sit for very long because I want it to be as crunchy as possible. Part of what makes this dish a wild success is the marriage of flavors and textures. Tender cornbread topped with saucy, spicy pork and finished with a cool crunchy slaw. It's a little bit spicy and yet mellow and comforting all at once. I hope you'll try it very soon.

Pulled Pork (adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Slow Cooking)
Ingredients:

One 4-5 lb. boneless pork shoulder

2 tablespoons of oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 clove of garlic, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Trim off any large deposits of fat on the pork shoulder with a sharp knife. Tie the pork shoulder in three or four places with kitchen twine. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet/frying pan. Brown each side of the pork shoulder (it should take about 10 minutes to brown the whole shoulder). Remove the pork and set it aside. Sautee the onions in the rendered pork fat/remaining oil for 2-3 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the chicken stock and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Place the pork shoulder in a slow cooker. Pour the onion mixture over the shoulder and cook for 4-5 hours (on high heat) or 8-10 hours (on low heat). You can also place the shoulder in a dutch oven and cook it in a 300 degree oven for a few hours (about 6) too. Or, you can cook it on a grill over low heat.

When it has finished cooking, remove the pork and let it cool for a few minutes on a cutting board. Then, snip off the twine with kitchen scissors. With two forks, shred the pork (it should pull apart very easily). Once you have shredded the entire shoulder, add the pork back to the pot it cooked in and combine with your favorite vinegar sauce. Let the pork warm with the sauce for half an hour longer.

Eastern NC Barbeque Sauce (adapted from Mike York)
1 quart Apple Cider Vinegar
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon of Ketchup
Salt to taste
1-2 cloves of garlic chopped (optional)

Heat the vinegar and pepper flakes in a nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ketchup and salt, and garlic if using. This is based on personal taste, so add as much or as little red pepper and salt as you wish. When cool, pour the sauce back into the bottle until ready to use.

Fennel Slaw (adapted from Mike York)
1-2 heads of fennel
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
BBQ sauce
1/4 cup of Duke's mayo

Shred the fennel very thin on a mandoline or use a very sharp knife to dice into thin slices. Mix in the carrots. Pour in the barbeque sauce and mayonnaise and toss gently. Serve with pork immediately.