Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder

If you visit the intersection of Pike and Second Avenue in downtown Seattle any day of the week, you may need to take a second look at what is parked on the corner. No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you, that is a giant pig truck made of steel.

Once you absorb the impressive architectural elements of this vehicle, you’ll probably notice a buzz of people swarming about.

Why are these crowds standing around the pig? Well they have wisely decided to pick up a fine pulled pork sandwich and some zesty coleslaw for lunch!

Piled high on a tender bun are delicate morsels of flavorful pork. We highly recommend you take a side of slaw with your sandwich. There are 2 versions of each, pork, slaw and beverages, the spicier Maximus, or, the tangy and sweet Minimus.

We like to go for the MAX!

The streamlined operation works efficiently. Menus are posted aside the swine, and a host is ready to electronically record and communicate your order to the kitchen.

Your lunch will be ready in a matter of minutes, to be picked up at the window.

Serve yourself a glass of ginger lemonade (maximus)or hibiscus nectar (minimus), you’ll be happy you did.

If you’d like to take you lunch to greener pastures, eco-friendly packaging is available.

On the weekends, the pig can be found out clubbing in popular nightlife areas. It is also available for caterings. For more information click here.

Maximus-Minimus is just one food venture listed in the dossier of our friend, Kurt Dammeier. He started a wonderful handmade cheese shop in Seattle’s Pike Place market called Beecher’s; operates Bennett’s Pure Food Bistro on Mercer Island and owns 4 Pasta & Co. gourmet food shops around town. He has also published a wonderful cookbook called Pure Flavor, filled with 125 Fresh all American recipes from the Pacific Northwest. Pure Flavor can be purchased at Splendid Items on this page.

Kurt offered to share with us his recipe for slow-cooked pork from the book Pure Flavor. It is absolutely delicious on a chilly autumn eve!

Slow-Cooked Orange Chili Pork Shoulder

Serves 6

3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder roast
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
12 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

In a small bowl, mix the chili powder and 1 tablespoon each of the salt and pepper. Rub the entire roast with the mixture, massaging it into the meat. Reserve any of the spices that don’t stick to the roast.

Heat a large Dutch oven or a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place the pork in the pan and sear it on all sides until well browned but not burned, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate; reserve the pot.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pot, add the onions, and sauté, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned and softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. Add the white wine and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Add the vinegar, ½ cup of the olives, the fennel seeds, orange zest, orange juice, marmalade, remaining 1½ teaspoons salt, and any remaining spice rub, and stir. Return the pork to the pot. Add just enough chicken stock to come halfway up the roast and bring the stock to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 1½ hours, adding more stock if necessary to maintain the level of the liquid. The pork is done when it pulls apart easily with a fork, approximately 3½ hours total. Add the remaining olives and remove from the heat.

If the pork was tied, remove the strings. Break the meat apart into small chunks using two forks.
Serve hot.

Note: If you desire a thicker sauce, remove the pork from the liquid, set it aside, and cover it until ready to serve. Ladle about ¼ cup of the cooking liquid into a bowl, being careful to remove only the liquid. Add 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour and whisk to combine. Pour the liquid back into the pan, whisking to combine. Increase the heat to bring the sauce to a boil. Boil the sauce until it thickens to a gravylike consistency, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.