Pulled Pork

Dry Rub:

      3 tablespoons paprika

      1 tablespoon garlic powder

      1 tablespoon brown sugar

      1 tablespoon dry mustard

      3 tablespoons coarse sea salt

      1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

      1 1/2 cups cider vinegar

      1 cup yellow or brown mustard

      1/2 cup ketchup

      1/3 cup packed brown sugar

      2 garlic cloves, smashed

      1 teaspoon kosher salt

      1 teaspoon cayenne

      1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

      Pan drippings from the pork

Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork. 

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. 

Put the pork in a roasting pan and roast it for about 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the pork should register 170 degrees F, but basically, what you want to do is to roast it until it's falling apart.

While the pork is roasting, make the barbecue sauce. Combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat and let it sit until you're ready for it.

When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and put it on a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While it's resting, deglaze the pan over medium heat with 3/4 cup water, scraping with a wooden spoon to pick up all of the browned bits. Reduce by about half. Pour that into the saucepan with the sauce and cook 5 minutes.

While the pork is still warm, you want to "pull" the meat: Grab 2 forks. Using 1 to steady the meat, use the other to "pull" shreds of meat off the roast. Put the shredded pork in a bowl and pour half of the sauce over. Stir it all up well so that the pork is coated with the sauce.

Asian Master Stock

What you need:

2 cups water

1 cup light soy sauce
2 cups Shao Xing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
200 g palm sugar
a chunk fresh ginger
5 cloves garlic
5-10 cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks


The amount of ginger, garlic, and spices can vary on what flavours you prefer. 

Spices for bag
4 whole cloves
4 star anise
1 teaspoon sichuan pepper
1 teaspoon licorice root
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seed

What to do:

Combine everything in a pot and bring to the boil. Lower to a simmer and allow to cook for at least 4 hours to allow the flavour to develop. 

Keep in the fridge and ladle over pork rashers, pork belly, add to stir fry and slow cook. 

White Wine & Cream Pasta

Serves 1-2

What you need:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 slices of prosciutto diced
1/3 of a leek thinly sliced
splash of sweet white wine (moscato is good)
2 tablespoons cream or sour cream
1/4 cup parmesan
pasta cooked according to packet directions (enough for two)


How to do it:

Swirl a pan with olive oil and butter over high heat until the butter has melted. Add prosciutto and leek and cook until the leek and prosciutto start to brown and the leek collapses.

Add a small splash of wine, just enough to deglaze the pan. If cooking for two add an extra splash. Take the mix off the heat and put aside until the pasta is nearly cooked.

Just before pasta is finished stir cream or sour cream and parmesan to the wine mix until combined. When the pasta is cooked add to the sauce and stir to coat.