Pork Confit from Forest Grill

Fall is here and that means a return to rustic and hearty meals.  Chef David Gilbert, of Forest Grill, shared his Pork Confit recipe which is the perfect autumnal dinner.  Garnished with Spiced Apple Slow Jams, this dish will warm your heart and your soul!  

Recipe...

2 tablespoons kosher salt

3 bay leaves

4 garlic cloves, crushed

½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

1 bunch fresh sage

3 tablespoons chopped shallots

½ teaspoon pink salt

5 pounds boneless pork shoulder butt, cut into 2-inch chunks

2 to 4 cups rendered duck fat or lard or a combination (see recipe below)

1 jar Spiced Apple Slow Jams  

1.   Combine all the ingredients except the pork and the fat in a spice grinder and pulverize to a powder.

2.   Rub the mixture evenly all over the meat. Place it in a nonreactive container, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours if you’re using pork shoulder pieces, 48 hours if you’re using pork loin.

3.   Preheat the oven to 180 to 200 degrees F.

4.   Rinse the pork under tepid water, wiping off all the seasonings, and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Submerge the meat in the rendered fat in a stockpot or dutch oven. The meat must be completely covered in fat. Bring the fat to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, then place the pot, uncovered, in the oven, and cook until fork-tender for 4 to 6 hours for a shoulder, 3 hours for loin.

5.   Cool in the fat, then cover, making sure all the meat is submerged in the fat and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

6.   To serve, allow the pork to come to room temperature, remove from fat, and sauté over medium heat or roast at 425 degrees F. until hot.

7.   Remove crispy pork from pan, top with Slow Jams Spiced Apple Jam. Serve with apple butter, roasted cippolini onions, and toasted sourdough.

To Render Fat

1 pound duck or goose skin and fat, scraps of pork fat

1.   Combine the fat and ¼ cup water in a heavy bottomed saucepan and set it over very low heat, uncovered, for several hours to render. The fat will liquefy and the water will evaporate, leaving pure fat. Don’t let the fat come to a boil or turn brown, or it will taste harsh.

2.   Strain the fat through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Let cool, then store covered in the refrigerator.

Sweet Pepper Pork

This. Dish. Rocks.  There is nothing else I can say other than to tell you to look at the picture above and dare you not to drool.  Make this dish.  Run to the kitchen and make this dish (fine..if you have to run to the market for pork first, that is acceptable).  And go! 

Recipe…

1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast (we buy ours from Melo Farms at Eastern Market)

3 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 cloves chopped garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

Salt and Pepper

1 Jar Slow Jam's Sweet Pepper jelly

Directions

Mix cumin, oregano, coriander and cinnamon in a bowl.  Coat the pork with the spice mixture. Place the onions and garlic in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the pork on top. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.

Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork (usually about 10 hours). Turn the meat over once, after it has cooked for 5 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Use cooking liquid as needed to moisten the meat.

Brown shredded pork in a single layer on a large baking sheet with oven at 450 for 10 minutes or until browned on most edges, but not burnt.  Heat 1 Jar of Slow Jam's Pepper Jelly over low heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to lose its gel.  Remove Jelly from heat.  When you are ready to serve, place pork on a platter and pour sweet pepper jelly on top. 

Slow Jams Scandinavian Ribs

We have some great friends in Norway and sometimes they join us in our kitchen!  When we introduced them to our blueberry jam, naturally, they wanted to add their own flavors from home and this rib recipe became a top hit!

Recipe…

2 Slabs Baby Back Ribs          

2 Apples (your choice, just make sure they are Michigan!)

2 Pears (read above - Michigan!)

2 Garlic Cloves

10 Sprigs fresh Thyme

Salt and Pepper 

Slow Jam's Blueberry Jam

1 cup Water

3 tbs Juniper Berries

1 tbs. Ground Cardamom

Cheesecloth and Butcher String

Salt and pepper ribs generously, making sure to get both sides of ribs.  Crush garlic and rub ribs with garlic and thyme (no need to take off stems).  Cover and place ribs in refrigerator for up 24 hours. 

When you are ready to cook ribs, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take ribs out of refrigerator while oven preheats and roughly chop apples and pears in long slices, about an inch thick.  Wrap ribs and apples and pears in foil and place on baking sheet and then put in oven. 

While ribs are baking, take juniper berries and cardamom and crush roughly with the back of a heavy knife or in a mortal/pestle.  You don’t want to pulverize the spices, you just want to release their aroma and open them up so they will infuse with the jam.  Wrap crushed spices in a round of cheesecloth and secure with butcher string.   Bring the water to a low boil in a sauce pot.  Add spice mixture and let boil for 10 minutes (secure the spice bundle to the pan handle).  Add 1 jar of Blueberry Jam and bring mixture to a low simmer keeping spice mixture inside the pot.  Keep heat on low and allow flavors to infuse for up to 1 hour (check occasionally to see how flavor develops).  Stir occasionally to make sure jam does not burn.   

After ribs have been baking for an hour, open the foil to expose the tops of the ribs.  Bake for another hour so the meat gets nice and brown. 

When ready to serve, remove ribs from foil and place on cutting board.  Let the ribs sit at least 10 minutes after they have been removed from the oven.  Cut ribs into 2-3 bone sections and place on platter.  Serve blueberry jam on the side.