this is taste

Welcome to This is Taste.  In this blog I hope to share with you the joys of paring the world of arts and culture with food.  Food is always attributed to the culture from which it comes, whether it be Italian, French, Indian, or Thai, but it rarely gets the attention it deserves as a stand alone contributor to the cultural make up of society.  For example, pizza has always be known as a classic Italian dish, but it is rarely acknowledged as the food of the youth and the preferred after hours snack of the post secondary world. As this blog develops we will explore all these interesting culinary and cultural pairings. I hope you enjoy!

You can read my daily stream here at free form thinking

As we are raised we are introduced to many traditions.  Some are specific to our family, some to our community, and some are as large as the entire culture or society we are apart of.  As we get older we begin to form our own traditions within those same groups.  And once in a while a new tradition is formed that changes your life. 

Recently a group of friends and myself started such a tradition, appropriately named Game of BBQs.

The tradition is as such: Every Monday evening we gather at our place and watch the most recent episode of Game of Thrones while enjoying a meal cooked on the BBQ and accompanied by an appropriate alcoholic beverage.  Every week a different member of the group is responsible for the protein that is BBQ’d, the side, and the beverages.  Needless to say, it’s a fantastic new tradition.

This post is dedicated to that tradition and the members of it.  In keeping with it, I decided to include some of their help in making this post.  My good friend Jean-Pierre Galipeault provided us with the protein, I provided the sides and the drink, and my roommate Joe Prosperi provided the playlist.  The book for this post is a no-brainer, it provided itself.

Book: A Game of Thrones / A Clash of Kings

If you haven’t seen the first season of Game of Thrones (which tells the story of the first book) you must be living under a rock or don’t like quality entertainment.  Either way, I don’t think much needs to be said.  But for anyone out there that is missing out I will say this:  This series takes place in a fantastical world called Westeros, where every region is ruled by a family of lords and ladies.  Although initially united under a single ruler, there are many conflicts and internal power struggles that leads to dissension.  As the story progresses the tension builds and more families of power come into play to compete for the rule of Westeros.  George R.R. Martin and HBO hit a home run with this one.

Playlist:

We discussed as a group what music would best fit not only Game of Thrones but also our Game of BBQs night.  Unanimously we agreed Classical music would best suit our new tradition.  So Joe went to work and came up with this collection.

Bach - Cello Suite 1
Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No. 92: II
Hector Berlioz - Symphonie fantastique: Fourth Movement
Brahms - Hungarian Dance No. 5
Debussy - Claire De Lune
Grieg - In The Hall Of The Mountain King
Holst - St. Paul’s Suite I
Khachaturian - Sabre Dance
Liszt - Transcendental Etude No 10
Saint-Saens - The Aquarium
Tartini - Devil’s Trill Sonata
Tchaikovsky - Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairy
Game of Thrones - Main Theme

You can download the playlist here!


Drink: Manhattan

2 oz of bourbon whiskey
1 oz of red (sweet) vermouth
3 dashes of Angostura bitters (you can always experiment with your bitters if you have access to a good selection)

This drink is so dangerously good it must be drank with caution.  You can adjust the amount of vermouth and bourbon (and even use other whiskies) but this recipe is heavy on the vermouth and bitters because that’s how I like it.  Bourbon being naturally sweeter is complimented nicely by the vermouth and the extra dash of bitters goes a long way in my book.  Be careful though, they will go down easy and are not weak by any means.  Try not to drink more than 1 of these before you get the BBQ going.


Food: Stuffed Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Apple Sauce

Stuffing:

½ White onion, fine dice
1 Celery stalk, fine dice
30g of dried apple, small dice
½ cup of dry white wine (I used Muscadet)
½ cup chk stock
10g unsalted butter
3 springs of fresh basil, rough chop
3 springs of fresh flat leaf parsley, rough chop
Stilton Cheese, crumbled

1 - Sweat onions under tender (not brown). Add celery and dried apples and
continue to sweat for 5 minutes.

2 - Deglaze pan with white wine. Stir in stock and reduce for a few minutes on med
heat. Add butter to moisten.

3 – Allow the stuffing to cool.

4 - Once cooled, add crumbled stilton to the stuffing.

                                         

Pork Chops:

Ingredients:

4 Pork chop, centre cut
20g unsalted butter
Salt, QB

1 – Cut slit in the pork chop without puncturing the side.

2 – Fill pocket with stuffing.

3 - Season chop with salt.

4 – Grill on the BBQ for 4-5 minutes per side; baste frequently with butter.

Mashed Potatoes:

5 Russet Potatoes
butter (to your desired taste)
milk (to your desired taste)
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced

Mashed potatoes are easy and delicious, so don’t over complicate it.  When making them from scratch you have the luxury of having them how you like them, silky smooth or lumpy, skins on or peeled, it doesn’t get any better than that.  To make simply cut your potatoes into equal sized cubes (this is important so they cook evenly) and boil them in salted water until completely soft.  Drain the water and add milk, butter garlic and mash with a potato masher or a fork until completely mashed to your liking.  I was going to put measurements for both the milk and butter but it always changes and everyone likes their potatoes different.  So all I would recommend is start with your butter and slowly add your milk, just like you were making Kraft Dinner.

                             

Apple Sauce:

6-8 Apples (25% fuji, 25% golden delicious, 50% McIntosh)
suger (to your desired taste)
cinnamon (to your desired taste)

Making apple sauce in large quantities for jarring and one time for an evenings meal are quite different.  This recipe is for that one meal. Believe it or not making apple sauce is very similar to making mashed potatoes with a few subtle differences.  Like the potatoes you can make your apple sauce how you like it.  Smooth or lumpy, skins on or peeled, it’s your choice.  This time we went with lumpy skins on for that more rustic feel. 

Once your apples are cored and cut into equal sizes put them in a large pot with about 1 inch of water.  The apples will release a lot of water so you don’t need to have too much liquid already in the pot.  Add a bit of sugar and cinnamon and keep stirring as they cook.  The apples we used were naturally sweet so we didn’t need to add too much sugar, maybe a tbsp or two.  I recommend starting with a small amount and add it as you go, tasting regularly.  As the apples cook down feel free to start mashing, once it’s mashed to your desired smoothness you are ready to serve.

And there you have it.  A Game of BBQs meal fit for a king!

When I first set out to make this post I had a clear vision on where I was taking it, and in many ways that vision stayed in tact. I wanted to show the many facets of youth and discuss how they are all important with shaping people into who they become. 

For that, we have a book that tells the story of a youth brought up in very unfortunate circumstances, and the struggles she has to go through as a result.  There is also a movie, one which I’ve mentioned before, which is a fantastic example of staying connected to our youth and not forgetting who we are and where we come from.  The playlist for this post bridges all the gaps, discussing both youth in fondness and sorrow.  And finally the dish, a playful take on childhood favourites that are fun but also comforting in the best and worst of times.

All that being said, I still have trouble finding the words to articulate my feelings on the matter of youth.  When I think of my own youth I can pull from a vast memory bank of fun, adventure, and learning.  I have my share of sad memories and hard times as well, and some would say maybe more than most, but I acknowledge that they are a far cry from what some people experience.  The truth is my understanding of youth is rather small.  I don’t know what it’s like to be an orphan, or a child soldier, or come from a family of poverty or substance abuse. And I understand that no one knows all of these things either.  I suppose the reason I am treating the subject with such delicacy is because I understand how important ones memories of their own youth are.  I can’t write a post on the topic of youth and simply say it’s all about fun and naivety, I feel it’s important to acknowledge the darkness and the light.

Keeping this all in mind, I wish to turn your attention to the light.  I want you to think of the magic of youth and when it touched you in your life, however brief or extended.  Think of the adventure and mysteries you uncovered and the experiences that shaped you into who you are.  That is the idea of youth i wish to impose upon you while you read this post.


Book: Lullabies for Little Criminals - Heather O’Neill

This is the story of Baby.  Born to teenage parents, Baby now 12, lives with her father in Montreal.  Baby had it tough from the get go, her mother died when she was very young and her father has developed a heroine addiction.  The story unfolds over the course of 2 or so years of Baby’s life as she struggles through her relationship with her father, peers and other adults who take on roles in her life.  This story is entirely heartbreaking but at the same time finds a way to keep you engaged and hopeful for Baby.  I don’t want to say to much in fear of ruining the fantastically written story, just read it.


Movie: Hook

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, Hook is one of my all time favourite movies.  To me it does a fantastic job connecting with our inner child and pulling that back into the forefront of our lives.  The idea of a fully grown man discovering he is Peter Pan and then being taken to the magical land of his childhood makes us all think that maybe we can be taken back to our own youth as well.  The truth is we can, and this movie does a fantastic job at reminding us that it’s always important to be young at heart. 


Playlist:

Brand New - Limousine
Broken Social Scene - Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl
Perfume Genius - 17
Youth Lagoon - 17
Feist - When I Was A Young Girl
The White Stripes - We’re Going To Be Friends
The Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
The Wooden Sky - When We Were Young
Weezer - In the Garage
Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
fun. - We Are Young
MGMT - Kids
The Notorious B.I.G - Juicy
Black Star - Children’s Story
Common - Pops Rap III…All My Children
Rod Stewart - Forever Young


Food: Grilled Cheese stuffed with Macaroni and Cheese with County General Ketchup

1 loaf of bread (personal choice)
1 cup of breadcrumbs
2 cups of whole wheat macaroni pasta
2 cups of wilted spinach
2 cups of sautéed mushrooms
2 cups of chopped seared pork belly

Béchamel:

3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp butter
2 cups of 1% Milk
1 cup of low fat cottage cheese
2 cups of shredded extra old cheddar
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp of paprika
salt and pepper to taste

County General Ketchup:

1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
a few drops of smoked hickory bbq sauce
 

To get this great treat started you need to make your macaroni and cheese first.  Using the boxed stuff is fine if your lazy, but no one likes admitting they are lazy, so leave the box on the shelf for another day.  It’s very easy to make great tasting macaroni and cheese by using whole cream and high fat cheese, but using some lower fat alternatives and including healthy ingredients like whole wheat pasta and vegetables such as spinach, will make this a more healthy meal.  No one can argue with that.

First you will have to make your sauce, a classic béchamel (although it’s technically a Mornay due to the cheese you will add). A béchamel is one of the 5 mother sauces in classic French cuisine, and consists of a creme sauce (in our case milk) and a roux.  A roux consists of flour and a fat, usually butter, and is used for thickening.

First make your roux by melting your butter and slowly mixing in the flour.  Once that is done, slowly mix in the milk until consistent.  Add your cheeses and spices and mix until everything is consistent again. Simmer over low heat and allow to thicken slightly while your pasta cooks.

                                        

Cook your pasta until tender but still firm.  You don’t want to cook it all the way as it will continue to cook when it’s baked in the oven.  No one likes over cooked pasta so be very careful about this.  Once your pasta is done and strained, add it and any other ingredients you’d like to include in your dish (in this case i used seared pork belly, sautéed mushrooms and wilted spinach) to your béchamel and mix together. It’s alright if it’s a bit runny at this point as it will thicken more while baking.  Spread the macaroni evenly in a casserole dish and top with breadcrumbs and some more cheese.  Place in the oven at 400º for about 30 minutes. 

      
Once the macaroni is done, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool somewhat.  In the meantime prep your bread with butter (or if you are a grilled cheese expert, mayonnaise) and cut up some more cheese.  The extra cheese will help hold the macaroni to the bread while it’s grilling.  Cut an appropriate amount of macaroni out of your casserole dish (it should hold together fairly well) and place it between your pieces of bread and then grill as you would any other grilled cheese.

                                

Finally, the piece de resistance of this whole meal is the County General Ketchup (named after the place I took inspiration for this recipe).  You might think it’s crazy to mix cinnamon with ketchup, but after you’ve had this treat you won’t have it any other way.  Simply mix these ingredients together, ideally ahead of time to let the flavours meld, and add it to your plate for grilled cheese dipping.

Change isn’t always a bad thing. When it comes to your palate, you should embrace change with open arms. When we are born we have around 10,000 taste buds in our mouth, and as we age those numbers go down. (It’s no wonder that so many of us were picky eaters as children.) The complexities of of your palate and how it is affected are enormous, so instead of me reciting all the details I encourage you to read more on your own. What I want to focus on is that as we get older, our taste changes. With both the experience of eating and with degradation of our taste buds, items of food will taste different to us as time goes on.  This often leads many people to discover that they are fans of food they once did not like. However, we also have to play our part in learning to love new food. Like with drinks, you have to acquire a taste for something by constantly consuming it (how many of us liked the taste of beer or wine as a 5 year old?) It is this point in which I will focus today’s blog post, change and conquering our hesitation to embrace it.

If you know me personally you will probably already know that I’ve gone through many changes over the last 6 months. Some of those will be focused on here as they are my best examples of this theme.

For our meal I will focus on two of the biggest culinary obstacles I’ve overcome in my life, learning to like tomatoes and yogurt. I know many of you are probably shocked to read that a big food fan like myself didn’t already like these things, but as of late 2011, I didn’t.

Tomato and yogurt are a classic indian pairing. I recently came across an Indian dish for chickpeas in a tomato and yogurt sauce, and it got me thinking. In an effort to keep the internet free of duplicate recipes, I am going to make a twist to this and make a veggie burger Indian style, with a tomato and yogurt sauce.  I also want to make a point that it was important for me to make this dish vegetarian.  As many other meat eaters will probably attest to, the concept of a meal without meat seems wrong. You may feel that without meat the dish may seem incomplete, and I understand that sentiment.  However you will learn, if willing, that there are many incredible dishes that can be made meat free and there is always a substitute for that big hunk of protein on your plate.  This is something I’ve learned and embraced over the last year and I am thankful for it.

For the playlist I’m going to share with you my running tracks. If we are going to stay on the theme of change, my new affinity for running has to be in the conversation. I’ve always looked for alternatives to running for my cardiovascular needs, this partially due to knee injuries in the past and partially due to the fact I was never really any good at it. Well like everything else, the devotion to change has set me on a new love affair with the world of running.

The book for this post has a lot to do with change in a person’s life and how one goes about learning to accept it, or overcoming it for better things.


Book: Amerika - Franz Kafka


Amerika is the story of Karl Rossmann, who moves to Amerika under unfortunate circumstances.  Once in Amerika he is taken in by his uncle who happens to be a Senator, and as such is provides him with a very comfortable living.  Unfortunately for Karl, his actions cause his relationship with his uncle to fall apart and the rest of the book recounts his time on his own, living and working in new environments; some which he enjoys, others he does not.  Amerika was Kafka’s first work (although published after his death) and is unfinished.  Despite this, the story is extremely compelling and you will find it hard to pull yourself away from Karl and his adventure, which both geographically and personally are full of challenge and change.


Playlist:

DJ Quik - Flow For Sale
The Roots - The Seed 2.0
Black Star - Definition
Big L - Put It On
MSTRKRFT - Easy Love
Justice - Phantom pt. II
DFA 1979 - Romantic Rights
At The Drive-In - Rolodex Propaganda
The Eagles - One of These Nights

I usually put this list on random so I get a taste for all the genres of music and a variety in the beat.  But this is how I would listen to it if I had to put it in order.


Food: Chickpea Veggie Burgers with Indian Tomato-Yogurt Sauce


Veggie Burgers:
1 large can of cooked chickpeas
1/2 onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of wilted spinach, finely chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Masala seasoning
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs

Tomato-Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic
14 oz strained tomatoes (half a bottle)
1 1/2 tbsp of Masala seasoning
1 tbsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt (preferably fat-free organic)

Others:
Naan bread, cut as buns and grilled
2 whole tomatoes (sliced for topping)
1 bunch of green onion (grilled whole, as a topping)
1 bunch of dandelion leaves (for topping)


Start with your tomato-yogurt sauce, you can let it simmer and build flavour while you make your burgers.  Sauté your onions and garlic (almost every food post I make will start this way) in a small pot and add spices while cooking.  Once soft, add strained tomatoes and water and let simmer. You will add the yogurt near the end when you are getting ready to eat, for now let the flavours develop.

                                            

Strain and rinse your chickpeas and put them in a large mixing bowl.  With a potato masher, mash the chickpeas until they are mostly broken down but with some chunks still remaining (you can do this with a food processor as well).  Sauté the onions and garlic until soft and add them to bowl.  Wilt the spinach and chop it finely and then add it as well.  Mix in the egg, bread crumbs, and all the spices and work it together by hand.  Once all the ingredients are mixed start to form your patties.  You can make them any size but I like to keep them relevant to the size of my sliced tomato.  It looks better when plated and will maintain consistency when eating.

                                            
Heat your frying pan with some cooking oil of your choice and cook your patties until golden brown on both sides and heated through the middle.  Grill your green onion while you do this and cut and prep your naan, dandelion, and tomatoes while you wait.  Once everything is done you are ready to go!

Now my next challenge is to start liking these little guys some more (i’m working on it).

Growing up in Southern Ontario has its advantages.  One of those advantages is that South-Central Ontario cottage country is only a mere 3 hours away.  It’s the perfect distance that combines accessibility and solitude, and I am extremely fortunate to have a cottage in the heart of that beautiful part of our province.  Without a doubt my cottage is the most important place in the world to me. I did a vast majority of my growing-up there and I learned to appreciate the need for balance in life by having constant exposure to nature while growing up in the city.  This blog post is about the balance in which my cottage provides (specifically during the winter months); on one side the solitude, peace and self reflection, and on the other the space in which a great social gathering can be had.

To represent the first side, we have a book/movie that is all about the journey of an individual, as well as a playlist that is perfect for listening to while enjoying the peace and beauty of a cottage that winter brings.  On the other side we will make some food that is easily some of the best party/social food known to man but that highlights the beauty of cooking outdoors.  I recently went up to my cottage with my friend Dave who helped me come up with this great recipe, you can read about it on his blog as well: http://shoveitdownyourpiehole.tumblr.com/


Book/Movie: Into the Wild

Into the Wild is the compelling story of Christopher McCandless and his personal journey across America and ultimately his death.  The story, like most other travel stories, is not about the destination but how one gets there.  Christopher’s journey is about his struggles with his family and the structure of the society he has been raised in.  By leaving his material life behind, Christopher takes the road less traveled towards learning about himself as a complete individual.  This story is both entertaining and emotionally gripping, and provides the reader/watcher (i would recommend becoming both) with enough insight into Christopher’s life to begin their own self reflection.


Playlist:

Band of Horses - Neighbor
Iron & Wine / Calexico - He Lays In The Reins
Gold Leaves - Cruel and Kind
Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer
Neil Young - Old Man
The Walkmen - Red Moon
Fleet Foxes - Blue Spotted Tail
The National - Racing Like A Pro
The Wooden Sky - River Song One
Bon Iver - Calgary 
Youth Lagoon - Montana
Phosphorescent - Wolves
Revelstoke - We Stood Staring at Lights

Food: Maple-Wood BBQ Pizza

Dough:
4 cups of white sifted flour
1 1/2 cups, plus 2 tbsp of water
2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of dry active yeast

Slowly mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Start with a mixer and once some consistency forms use your hands to really work it all together.  Once you have your ball of dough cover and let it rest for an hour and a half.  Once rested, punch out all the air and then make into smaller balls (for personal size pizzas this recipe managed to yield 5 balls) and let rest another 30-60 minutes.  Roll out your dough to your preferred size and thickness.  Toss it up in the air a few times to let the dough really stretch out and so you feel like a true pizza maker.
                          
                  
While your pizza was resting you should have had time to make your own pizza sauce.  With all this time there is really no excuse for you to use store bought stuff, so here’s a great recipe:


Sauce:
6 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup of tomato puree
1/2 white onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp of smoked paprika
1 tbsp of ground pepper
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp of chilli flakes
1 tsp of marjoram
1 tsp of sage
2 tbsp of italian blend herb paste (contains basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme)

Sautee onions and garlic until soft.  Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, and all the spices and allow it to cook some more.  Use a hand or standard blender to puree all ingredients.  Heat on medium low to allow sauce to thicken (the key difference between pizza and pasta sauce is that pizza sauce is much thicker).  The longer you let this simmer the more the flavours will develop, so do it early and be patient.

                                                 
Now it’s time to top your pizza, you can literally use whatever you want.  Here is what we we used:

red onion
spinach
mushroom
pancetta
sun dried tomato
smoked tofu
red pepper
blue cheese

Tip: Don’t overload your pizza with too many toppings.  If your pizza is too heavy you might have an issue with the crust not cooking in the middle.

BBQ’ing pizza on a charcoal BBQ has its challenges but the end results are definitely worth it.  Set up your BBQ as you normally would and when it’s hot add some fragrant wood of your choice (it should be soaked in water for a while to allow it to burn slower and provide more smoke to your BBQ), we used maple. Put your pizza on a flat tray that you don’t mind ruining and put it on the grill.  Depending on the thickness of your crust you cooking time will very, pay attention to the bottom of the crust, when it’s golden brown you are good to go.  Note: Don’t let your BBQ get too hot or your flame too high or you’ll end up with a burnt pizza like we did below. 
                                         

And that’s it, enjoy your entirely homemade BBQ pizza on your own or with friends!
                                        

This post is all about everything classic American.  We will discuss a classic American author, pair his work up with my favourite American dish, and some good old fashioned classic American rock and roll.  We’re starting things off simply, with a bang.

Book:  Slaughter House 5 - Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
                          
Slaughter House 5 is the Kurt Vonnegut classic.  It is the story of Billy Pilgrim, a man who goes on a fractured journey through time and space.  It recounts his time in WWII, specifically the events that led up to and including the bombing of Dresden Germany. It also touches on his home life after the war and his abduction by the aliens from Tralfamadore.  In true Kurt Vonnegut fashion, the prose is engaging and extremely entertaining.  Slaughterhouse 5 is a book that provides the reader with ample opportunity to reflect on war but also gives an interesting look on the meaning of life in a world where time doesn’t always move in a forward direction.  This is an extremely great read; you’ll be done it in no time.

Playlist:

Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues
Chuck Berry - Maybellene
Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue
Elvis - Jailhouse Rock
The Allman Brothers - Ramblin Man
CCR - Fortunate Son
Jimi Hendricks - All Along the Watchtower
The Eagles - One of These Nights
Bruce Springsteen - 10th Avenue Freeze Out
The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
Bob Dylan - Times They Are a Changing 

Meal: Pulled Pork with Apple-Cranberry, Avocado Coleslaw

Ingrediants:
1 pork shoulder
1 large spanish (or white) onion
2 tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic
1 tall can of beer (or two.  You can also add a little cider if you would like a more sweet pulled pork)
1 tbsp of corn starch or flour (for thickening)
1/2 cup of bbq sauce of your choice (optional)

Pork Rub:
1 tbs smoked paprika
1 tbs onion powder
1 tbs peper
1 tsp salt
1 tbs fresh chopped basil
1 tbs fresh chopped rosemary
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Coleslaw:
1 small head of white/green cabbage
1 1/2 cups of dried cranberries
1 apple of your choice (something crisp)
1/2 cup of water
1/2 avocado
2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1/2 tbsp mayo
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
salt to taste


Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a bowl and mix together.  Cover the pork shoulder generously in the rub and once coated and rubbed into the meat, wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in fridge for at least of couple of hours but preferably overnight.
                          
We are going to be cooking the pork in the oven so the cooking dish you are going to want needs to be oven safe and deep enough to hold the pork and beer with room to work.  I used my enamelled cast iron pot which works perfectly. 

Preheat your oven to 300˚F.  Finely chop your onion, garlic and tomatoes.  Heat your cooking dish on the stove top and sauté your onions and garlic with a little butter and oil until soft. 

Add the tomatoes before the onions finish and allow them to also reduce and soften.  Once done, add your pork to the dish fill with your beer of choice.  I used a bottle of Anchor Steam which I highly recommend.  Cover and put in the oven. 

                                          

Now every pork shoulder is going to cook differently.  I’ve had this take anywhere between 3 to 5+ hours so you need to pay close attention to your pork.  I like to rotate the pork while it cooks so that it’s equally exposed to the bottom of the dish and liquid.  The pork will be ready once it pulls apart with your tongs or a fork.  It shouldn’t be difficult, if you need to really pull to separate the meat, be patient and let it cook some more.  Once it’s done remove the pork and shred the meet into a separate bowl. 

Now it’s time to make your sauce.  Pour the remaining liquid through a strainer catching the liquid.  put the strained liquid in a pot and bring to a simmer.  Add a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and you corn starch for thickening (always mix your cornstarch with cold water in a separate cup before adding).  I like to add a little store bought bbq sauce at this point as well just to add some familiar flavour.  You can get creative with your sauce.

Put the pork back in the sauce and it’s ready to go.

While you were waiting for your pork to cook you had plenty of time to make your coleslaw.  If you don’t put coleslaw on your pulled pork you are certifiably crazy.  Coleslaw adds the perfect crunch to balance out the soft meet of the pork.  Here’s how to make the best coleslaw i’ve ever had. 

Shred your cabbage (cut the head into quarters and than slice it thinly like you would chop onions, the layers of cabbage will fall apart into perfect slices) and put in a large bowl.  Thinly slice your apple(s) to match the size of your cabbage and add to the bowl.  Add the cranberries. In a blender, combine the avocado, apple cider vinegar (add more or less depending on how you like your coleslaw), mayo, water, paprika, and salt.  Blend until consistent.  Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and mix together until completely covered.  Place coleslaw in the fridge for a couple of hours so the cabbage can absorb the dressing.  The longer the coleslaw rests the better the flavours will come out (The coleslaw was best the next morning).
                        

Now it’s time to eat! Put your pork on the bread/bun/tortilla of your choice, top with coleslaw and go to town.

And you can always use your left over pulled pork for as a topping for any of your favourite breakfast dishes.  Like this egg, avocado and cheese bagel (known as the Sarah Bagel at the Rustic Cosmo Cafe)