English Style Slow Cooked Curry Pork Shoulder

I was at the Troy Farmer's Market today and picked up 20+ lbs of various pork parts. One of the pieces I picked up was a 4.5 lb of pork shoulder. I am teaching an American BBQ class on Wed., but was really in the mood to have a slow cooked pork dish today that was a little different. So I decided to make a version of an English dish that I like. This dish is often done with Chinese 5-spice (Fennel seed, anise seed, cinnamon, black pepper, and clove) which I am not fond of for some reason, I've always disliked it. I decided to grasp onto the English love of Indian curry.

Ingredients
Pork Shoulder 10 lb

Spice ingredients
Ginger, peeled 2-inch piece
Garlic 5 cloves
Soy sauce 1 tablespoon
Red Pepper Flakes 2 teaspoons
Sea Salt 1/2 tablespoon
Ginger, ground 2 teaspoon
Canola Oil 1 tablespoon
Curry Powder 1 tablespoon


Method:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Grate, or mince garlic and ginger, combine with remaining spice ingredients to make a paste.
3. Score the fatty side of the pork shoulder with 1/2 inch slices in a grid work pattern. Place into a roasting pan, fat side up, and spread half of the curry paste over the pork. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the pork from the oven, reduce the heat to 225 degrees. Flip the pork shoulder to have the fat side down, spread the remaining curry paste over the pork, add 1 cup of water to the pan and place back into the oven on a rack. Slow cook the pork shoulder until very tender, which can be from 12-18 hours, it is all about the texture, not the time.
5. Serve with some steamed Basmati rice.

Summer Cooking Courses at SCCC

I am offering a number of cooking classes, continuing education classes at Schenectady County Community College this summer as is another instructor. While my classes are directed to the advanced amateur cook and professional chef, the courses by Chef Sokol are geared toward children, teens and young adults. Registration is available online (register here, course numbers here).

Modern Charcuterie for Advanced Amateur Cooks and Chefs: Learn how to prepare forcemeats for pâtés, terrines and sausages; handle, store, and stuff casings; prepare condiments including ketchups, flavored mustards, cold sauces and dressings; and practice the proper way to cure and smoke meats and seafood. Instructor: American Culinary Federation-certified executive chef and certified culinary judge Christopher Tanner. Meets 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on four Mondays, June 8-29. $415.

Fundamentals of Taste and Flavor: Go on a journey of flavors through cooking methods using a range of ingredients, including herbs, spices, aromatics, oils, vinegars, produce and dairy items. Students will also attempt to understand the development of flavor through cooking techniques that impact flavor: sauté, poach, smoke, steam. Instructor: Tanner. Meets: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on four Tuesdays, June 9-30. $400.

American Culinary Federation Certification: Certification through the American Culinary Federation (ACF) demonstrates skill, knowledge and professionalism to the food service industry. Learn details of the practical and written tests for the various certifications with the ACF. Students will also have a full practice of the practical exam proctored by an ACF practical examiner. Instructor: Tanner. Meets 9 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. Three days, Monday through Wednesday, July 20 to 22. $350.

Professional Baking for Children (age 10 to 13): Instruction in measurement, mixing, sanitation and the baking of breads and pastries. Instructor: Gail Sokol, an SCCC adjunct culinary instructor and author of “About Professional Baking.” Two sessions, both 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday: July 6 to 9 and 13 to 16. $375 each session.

Professional Baking for Teens (age 14 to 17): Recipes will include vegetable summer rolls, tukey and olive empanadas, vegetarian strudel, double-chocolate biscotti and more. Instructor: Sokol. Two sessions, both 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday: July 20 to 23 and 27 to 30. $375 each session.

Bulgogi Pork and Kimchi Fried Rice Burrito

I think I just invented the best burrito ever, and it just happens to be healthy. I make a variety of Korean kimchi which I keep around often. I also happened to make some short-grained brown rice to go with another meal a couple days ago which lead to me making stir-fried kimchi brown rice for dinner the other night with tofu.

Which lead me to today, I made a couple types of sausage and had some pork shoulder left over. So I decided to make some Korean BBQ pork

Korean BBQ Pork:
14 oz thin sliced pork shoulder
3 tablespoons Korean red pepper (not the same as crushed red pepper, so make sure you use the real thing)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin

Toss meat in the remaining ingredients and marinate for thirty minutes, then stir fry in a hot wok.

So I took a whole wheat burrito wrapper, heated it slightly so it would fold easier, tossed a bit of the kimchi rice in there, a couple ounces of the Korean BBQ pork, along with some pea shoots from a local farm, any greens would work though. Wrap it in the traditional burrito way and place it in a hot pan with some sesame oil, placing another pan on top to weigh it down. Turn it after golden brown, 4-5 minutes, brown the other side. Serve with sour cream mixed with a bit of Siracha hot sauce.