Pulled Pork and Black Bean Chilli
Felicity Cloake's slow cooked pulled pork recipe is totally worth the wait. The shredded pork and black bean mix is enriched with strong black coffee and a dash of Bourbon.
Introduction
This might seem a lot of effort, but actually it’s one of those nice recipes where you get to take a few hours off in the middle while heat and time work their magic, and anyway it’s completely worth it. I seem to remember Jamie Oliver explaining that coffee found its way into chilli as one of the few ingredients in the cowboy’s travelling pantry; whatever the truth of it, it adds a rich, earthy almost smoky flavour which more than justifies its inclusion, even if its only connection to the Wild West is a natural affinity with John Wayne movies. As well as coleslaw, this is very good served with guacamole and crumbled feta.
Ingredients
| 2 tbsp | dark brown sugar |
| 2 tsp | ground cumin |
| 2 tsp | smoked sweet paprika |
| 1 tsp | salt |
| 2kg | piece of boneless pork shoulder, skin scored |
| 2 tbsp | vegetable oil |
| 2 | onions, cut into thin wedges |
| 6 cloves | of garlic, peeled |
| 2-3 | red chillies, finely sliced |
| 1 | green pepper, deseeded and sliced |
| 1 tbsp | cider vinegar |
| 1 x 400g | tin of chopped tomatoes |
| 200ml | strong black coffee |
| 2 x 400g | tins of black beans, drains |
| A dash | of Bourbon |
| Tortillas (preferably maize, they're much nicer) , warmed in a dry pan, to serve |
Essential kit
You will need a large lidded casserole pan.
Method
Combine the sugar cumin, smoked paprika and salt and rub all over the pork, working it into the scored skin. Leave at room temperature for half an hour or in the fridge overnight.
Preheat the oven to l60°C/gas mark 3. Heat the oil in a large lidded casserole pan over a medium-high heat, and brown the pork on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan and add the onions, garlic, chillies and green pepper Sauté until beginning to char then add the vinegar and tomatoes and scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan.
Pour in the coffee and bring to a simmer then put the meat back into the pan, cover and put into the oven for about 4 hours, checking occasionally until the meat is tender
Leave the meat to cool slightly then remove from the pan and, using two forks, shred, discarding any large chunks of fat and cutting any crackling into strips. Spoon off the excess fat that will have risen to the top of the sauce, then return the pork to the pan, along with the beans and the bourbon. Reheat, and check the seasoning before serving with tortillas.
Reviews
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