Happy Sunday! Happy July!
This is it. We are in the thick, hot, and humid part of summer. The lightning bugs are out, everyone is grilling, and the fruit is juicy. Oh, and corn!!
Last week I pulled a ginormous 6.5-pound pork butt* out of the deep freezer to defrost. I don’t know how many days it took to defrost but it felt like the whole week. My go-to is usually carnitas (in the crock pot) but I decided to mix it up and make some pulled pork for pulled pork sandwiches. Having a craving for BBQ is not something I experienced before being a resident of the midwest.
I have no recollection of making pulled pork in my Big Green Egg before?! So I’m going to go with this was the first time. But I really can’t believe that I haven’t made pulled pork before. A piece of meat that big can take 12 hours to smoke and I planned to wake up early Sunday to get it started first thing but of course, I slept in. In a rush to get it smoking before 10 am, to ensure we could eat dinner at a reasonable hour, I lit the Egg and then cut the meat in half to cut the cook time down significantly. This was a smart move and I might do it again in the future because why not.
*The meat that comes from the shoulder area is called the butt, it’s not the pig’s actual butt.
There was no real plan in place for this pulled pork other than salting it 24 hours in advance which I did do. I did some casual reading beforehand on spice rubs and how to prep this huge piece of meat. Yellow mustard is used often to rub all over before adding spices but I was out of it. Dijon, whole grain, and a disgustingly hot “hot helga” mustard were all I had on hand. Naturally, I mixed all three together and slapped it on.
Measured spices? No time for that. Brown sugar, smoked paprika, tomato powder, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, white pepper, and coriander were what I grabbed and I awkwardly stuck them to the meat with the mustard as the glue holding them in place. The two pieces of pork made it into the Egg by 9:45 am and they smoked with pecan chips for a little over 7 hours.
Every now and then I cook something and I am surprised when I take a bite. This was one of those things. A reminder that my intuition and years of studies can create really amazing products. The outside of the pork was deeply caramelized, smoky, and layered with flavor. A fatty piece that pulled right off made Marco and me melt right into the floor it was so tasty. The meat was shredded by hand (my hands), mixed with leftover Jack Stacks BBQ sauce, and layered onto buns with pickles and coleslaw. A homerun of a meal from this California girl I must say!! The next day we ate the pork in tortillas and there is another big container of it in the freezer for later.
Another project this week was a stone fruit pavlova. It has been a while since I have made a pavlova but I love everything about them. I hoard leftover egg whites from other projects in my freezer and needed to use up some that are coming up on a year old. Plus I had a ton of apricots and nectarines on their last leg. I wouldn’t say this is the best time of the year to make pavlovas. Meringues can be difficult and humidity can really screw them up. It is indeed humid in KC right now! Mine cracked and had a tiny bit of weeping but was perfectly edible and tasted fine.
The fruit that was too mushy to slice was turned into a compote sweetened with honey and flavored with rosemary (recipe below). When it was cooled, I layered it on the meringue with coconut whipped cream and more fruit. Once you get the meringue part down and let go of all expectations of perfection, pavlovas are super easy desserts that look very impressive. Plus they are a joy to consume. I don’t know anyone who has turned away crisp meringue with pillowy insides, sweetened cream, and in-season fruit?!
Tell Me 💬
I’m headed to Columbus, Ohio next week for a wedding. Any must-go restaurants, coffee shops, or things to see? Would love to hear them!
What Kitchen Club subscribers made this week…
Our last Easy Summer Grilling recipe!
Rosemary Stone Fruit Compote
(Truly wing it)
A few pieces of stone fruit chopped very small, I used 3 apricots and 1 nectarine
Honey, a few good squeezes
2-3 sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
A pinch of salt
About 1/4 cup of water
Add everything to a small frying pan or a small saucepan, both work. Bring to a slow simmer over medium-low heat. The water helps things get simmering and by the time the water evaporates, the fruit starts releasing its juices.
Simmer for 15-ish minutes string occasionally to prevent sticking and burning. Some fruit will turn to mush and some you might need to smash with the back of your spoon. When it looks jammy and thick it is done. Taste and add an extra pinch of salt if needed. A squeeze of lemon juice can balance things out if it is a little too sweet.
Allow the compote to cool before refrigerating. Eat over ice cream, yogurt, toast…the possibilities are endless.
Why Is This Interesting? – The Seedless Fruit Edition
The farmers restoring Hawaii’s ancient food forests that once fed an island
Is Root Beer the Next Frontier in Beer Drinkers’ Cravings for Nostalgia? *Marco and I have a sick obsession with root beer and I want to try making some
Inside the Colorful, Campy, Unapologetically Horny World of Erotic Cookbooks
Cold Sliced Steak with Arugula and Parm From Carla Lalli Music’s book, That Sounds So Good
Corn…BUTTER?!
I listen to Kate Berlant weekly on Poog and am a big big fan. Marco had no choice but to watch Will It Kill You To Laugh with me and we both laughed many times. More like we giggled consistently through the whole thing. Watch it on Peacock, here.
BUT WAIT! One more thing that can’t wait until next week. Usher’s Tiny Desk Concert is mandatory viewing for everyone. It is spectacular on every level. His vocals, his smile, the band, the horns! Perfection.
Superfine sugar…this is a pantry staple for me. You wouldn’t think to grab it but when you need it, you’ll be happy to have it. I use it for meringues because the superfine granules dissolve faster and also in cocktails in place of simple syrup.
Lola melts into the bed and becomes one with the sheets.
Thanks for reading, talk to you next week! Xx M