Dave's the Man

First of all...I don't know Dave.  But I do know that the recipe I'm about to share with you makes him The Man.

This is one of those grapevine recipes, you know the sort.  A good friend named, let's say, Jane, with serious skills in the kitchen makes it for, let's say, a camping trip.  (Yes, we're rather gourmet on our camping trips.  At least when Monica and Jane are there.)  Anyway, once I tasted the delight that was this recipe, I managed to get another friend, let's call her, Monica, to send me the recipe.  Now, here's where Dave comes in.

Dave is some guy, whom I've never met, but he found this recipe, and decided to start a recipe club at work.  Which is how Jane got hold of it.  Et cetera, et cetera...And it turns out, the originator of the recipe is also called Dave.  Or rather, David Chang.  Of a little place called Momofuku.  You may have heard of it.  So some-guy-Dave, got David Chang's recipe, via Lucky Peach.

And, here I sit, with just about the tastiest damn recipe, that's traveled a wee way to land in my sticky clutches (isn't that how it always goes with recipes?), and you may be wondering:  "Just what the hell is this recipe?!"  Ah, all good things come to those who wait.  And here it is:

Slow Roasted Pulled Pork.  Oh.  My.  Word.  Aside from the fact that this is the easiest dang thing to prepare...Aside from the fact that it takes very few ingredients to knock your socks off...Aside from the fact that you can make this ahead of time, and it travels well (even camping)...The taste is incredible.  After marinating overnight in salt and sugar, and after a looooong, slooooow roast at a lowwww temperature, you get to sit down to a tender, succulent, salty bit of pork.  I'm talking salty, too, people.  A smack you over the head with its intensely concentrated, but oh-so-perfect amount of salt.  Indeed.

Let's offer up a little thanks to the Daves, for being The Man (Men?)...and get on with making it:

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
- Adapted from Some-Guy-Dave's version of David Chang's Lucky Peach recipe

Ingredients
3 or more pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 Tbs + 1 tsp kosher salt, per pound of pork
1 Tbs + 1 tsp sugar, per pound of pork
freshly ground black pepper

Season the pork with the salt and sugar, and a decent amount of freshly ground pepper.  Allow to marinate overnight, in the fridge.

Discard the juices from the marinated pork, and place in an oven-proof dish.  If your pork has a fat pad, have this on top.  Allow to roast for 6 hours, in a 250 deg F oven.

After 3 hours have passed, begin basting with the juices and rendered fat, every half hour or so.  At the end of the 6 hour roasting time, allow the pork to rest on the counter, covered, for 30 minutes.

Here's the good part.  And I quote:  "Then savage it with two forks, turning it into pulled pork."  Dave's got a way with words, hasn't he?  If we're eating meat, we may as well be a little barbaric about it, right?  Awesome.

 

Now that is one savaged bit of pork.

Serve immediately, atop rolls, with sriracha hot sauce, mayonnaise, and cilantro, and some coleslaw.  I also can't wait to try this on some Chinese steam buns, with an asian style slaw.  Or pop it in the fridge, to use within a couple of days.  To reheat, give it a go around in a hot pan, so that it doesn't lose all that gorgeous juiciness.

If ever I meet Dave, or David, I'll probably have to give them a giant hug.  

I do hope they don't mind.