Cory's Slow Roasted Pork, Baked Beans & Cole Slaw

 

Gathering the family around the dinner table for a satisfying slow roasted feast on a cold Saturday evening, is an act of love. Inspired by a recipe by Ina Garten, our friend Cory and Richard's culinary guru, Cory embarked on the Barefoot Contessa's Slow Roasted Spice Pork in the morning, basted throughout the day, and lovingly withdrew it from the oven seven hours later. The perfect homestyle pairing Cory decided was some homemade Old Fashioned Baked Beans. The cooking time, as with the pork shoulder, was of course seven hours — "in for a penny, in for a pound". Made with Thompson's White Pea Beans from nearby Blenheim, Crosby's Grandma Fancy Molasses from Quebec, and topped with a mound of local thick-cut bacon, Cory watched over the pork and the baked beans throughout the afternoon, basting his little lovelies every hour or so. One more task at hand, Cory wanted to make his Mom's recipe for fluffy Cornbread. Nestled next to the pork and baked until perfectly puffed and golden brown, Cory's sensational Saturday night dinner of Ina's ultra juicy and exquisitely tender Roast Pork, sweet and smoky Baked Beans, fluffy home-made Cornbread and Jacques Pepin's creamy coleslaw, was a feast for the soul, as well as the tummy. 

Cory preparing fresh oregano for his 7-hour Slow Roasted Spiced Pork for dinner this evening

Cory's Cole Slaw from a recipe by Jacques Pepin

7-Hour Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with homemade Baked Beans and Coleslaw

Cory's Homemade Cornbread

Cherry Pie with Vanilla Iced Cream

Slow Roasted Spiced Pork

Serves 8-10

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

7-9 lb bone-in pork butt with a layer of fat on top

6 garlic cloves

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, ribs removed, seeded, and chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves

1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup good olive oil

750 ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Score the fat on the pork diagonally with a sharp knife in a crosshatch pattern. With a small paring knife, make a dozen 1/2-inch-deep cuts in the top and sides of the pork to allow the seasonings to permeate the meat.

Place the garlic, onion, jalapeño, and oregano in a food processor and process until the ingredients are finely chopped. Add the cumin, chile powder, 1 tbsp salt, and 1 1/2 tsp pepper and process for 30 seconds to make a paste. Add the vinegar and olive oil and process to incorporate. Rub the mixture all over the pork, including the sides and the bottom, and place the pork in a large roasting pan, fat side up. Pour 2 cups of the wine into the pan and cover the whole roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil. 

Roast for 2 1/2 hours, remove the foil, and roast for another 4 to 4 1/2 hours, until the meat is very, very tender when tested with a carving fork. Every 2 hours, add another cup of wine to keep some liquid in the pan. Remove the pan from the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow the meat to rest for 15 to 30 minutes, then slice and serve.

Cory's Old Fashioned Baked Beans

Serves 8

Recipe courtesy of Thompson's Beans of Blenheim Ontario

2 cups Thompson's White Pea Beans

5 cups cold water

1 medium onion, finely sliced

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp prepared mustard

1/4 cup Crosby's/Grandma Fancy Molasses

1/2 cup French's tomato ketchup

1 pinch black pepper

1/4 lb sliced bacon

Sort and rinse the beans, then soak them overnight in cold water. 

The next day, drain the beans. Add 5 cups of cold water, cover, heat to boiling, then simmer 30 minutes or until nearly tender (the beans will not become any softer once placed in the oven). Drain. Place onion slices on the bottom of a flameproof casserole dish. Add the salt, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, ketchup and black pepper in with the beans, stirring gently to combine, then pour the entire mixture into the casserole dish. Add enough water to cover the mixture, then place the sliced bacon on top. Cover with a lid and bake at 250°F for 7 hours. 

When the beans are tender, remove 1 cup of beans, mash, then stir back into the pot carefully. Cover and continue to bake. Add water as needed to keep the beans covered. One hour before serving, remove cover to darken up the beans, adding a little more salt if desired. Serve hot. 

Jacques Pepin Cole Slaw

Serves 4-6

Recipe courtesy of Jacques Pepin

1 lb white cabbage, coarsely grated (4 cups)

1 large carrot, peeled then coarsely grated

1 tsp white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Tobasco

1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1 tbsp crème fraîche or cream

Add the grated cabbage and carrot to a large bowl. Add the sugar, salt, tobasco, cider vinegar and stir well to combine. Add the mayonnaise plus a little crème fraîche or cream to the mixture, and stir well. Taste for seasoning, adding a little more salt if desired. The coleslaw can be chilled until needed, or serve straight away by transferring the coleslaw to a decorative bowl. Jacques suggests serving it with Lobster Rolls, but its excellent with spare ribs or hamburgers in the summer montes.