Sunny's Kitchen (30 page)

1
Blanch the collards.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the collards for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and pliable. Drain and set aside.

2
Prepare the rub.
In a large bowl, mix together the salt, cumin, chili flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and nutmeg. One by one, place each piece of pork in the rub and toss to coat. Massage the rub into the pork and place on a plate to rest while completing the others.

3
Wrap the pork.
Wrap each piece of pork in a blanched collard leaf, folding and tucking the collards around the meat. Use another leaf to wrap over the first one and repeat, using 3 or 4 collards to completely wrap each one. Make little packages this way and place each, seam side down, in an 8 × 8-inch baking dish. This should be a tight fit.

4
Cook the pork.
Preheat the oven to 225°F. Add enough stock to reach halfway up the stuffed greens. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil and bake until the pork is cooked through and fork tender, 2 to 3 hours.

b
raising pork belly brings it to its knees. It becomes tender and juicy with the flavors of the braising liquid. In this case, I do a play on sweet and sour with a tiny spot of heat. The key is to keep the braise simple—no need to go too crazy with the flavors. Cook the belly in a moist environment and just let the unctuous pork do the talking.
SERVES 4

1
Prep the pork belly.
Rub all sides of the pork belly with mustard. Rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

2
Braise the pork belly.
In a large cast-iron or nonstick pan over medium heat, melt the sugar, stirring constantly. Just when it melts, add the honey and the pork belly, skin side down. Let the skin get crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and 2 to 4 cups water, enough to come 1 inch up the sides of the pork belly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook the pork belly for 10 minutes per side. Remove and serve.

p
ork roast can take forever, so I often cut it down to medallions—that way it marinates faster and fits into my cooking schedule. If I find pork already cut down to size, even better. I usually let the meat and produce sections dictate what’s for dinner, seldom having a real grocery list when I go shopping. A list can sometimes narrow my view, and I want to be open to everything in the store. This is a lean cut, so the sauce really does its job, adding flavor and moisture. This is a way to make a roast a bit more everyday, but still special with its very own sauce.
SERVES 4

1
Marinate the pork.
Season the pork with salt and pepper on all sides. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, and pineapple. Reserve ½ cup for brushing. Pour the rest into a resealable plastic bag and add the seasoned pork. Toss to coat on all sides, then seal and rest for 2 hours at room temperature.

2
Grill the pork.
Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high and brush with the oil. Remove the pork medallions from the bag and shake off the excess marinade. Discard the marinade. Place the pork on the grill and cook 4 minutes per side or until the desired doneness, brushing with the reserved sauce and flipping just once. Transfer the pork to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

 

tips!
If you don’t have a grill, you can sear the pork in a pan, then roast in a 375°F. oven with a few pineapple rings on top until it reaches the desired temperature. (See
internal temperatures
.)
•
Cut leftover pork into smaller chunks and add to rice, soups, or mac and cheese.
•
Canned or fresh peaches are great here as well.

i
confess, my favorite part of a fried pork chop is the rim of golden, crispy fat along the side. I usually pick the chops with the most fat, knowing some will melt away as it cooks and the rest will melt in my mouth. My seasoning blend is pretty simple, with garlic powder, fresh thyme, and just enough heat from cayenne pepper to make you take another bite. These chops usually end up in my hands for a full-on gnaw session. Like chicken, eat these fresh from the fry, or cold like they do at my local bar, Feeney’s, when I stop in for a beer and share my second-day jewels.
SERVES 4

1
Prep the chops.
Season the pork chops with the garlic powder, then salt and pepper on both sides. Wrap tightly in plastic and rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

2
Set up the dredging station.
In a large paper bag, mix the flour, cornstarch, a nice pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon water. Add the thyme, cayenne pepper, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.

3
Fry the chops.
Fill a large straight-sided frying pan with an inch of oil and heat. Dredge the chops by first dropping them into the flour. Shake off the excess flour, then dunk in the egg mixture, shaking off the excess. Transfer the chops back to the paper bag and shake, tossing until coated. Remove the chops and gently shake off excess flour. When the oil begins to swirl, fry the pork chops in batches until golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Serve hot.

 

tip!
Reheat these and many other fried meats by resting them at room temperature for 2 hours, then placing them in a 200°F. to 250°F. oven on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack or crumpled aluminum foil.

f
or North Carolina’s version of barbecue flavor, there’s plenty of vinegar. I balance it with sugar and my granddad’s secret ingredient, beer. Sometimes I get a bit emotional making these because the scent reminds me of him. Pick your favorite hoppy beverage and make sure there is extra left for you to enjoy with the ribs.
SERVES 4

1
Make the brine.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the salt and 2 quarts water. Stir until the salt dissolves. Remove the brine from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

2
Prep and brine the ribs.
Cut ½-inch slits between the bones on the underside of the rib racks. Place the ribs in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour in the brine, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 8 hours.

3
Make the basting and dipping sauce.
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Whisk until combined, then remove from the heat. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture as a dipping sauce and refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. Reserve the rest to baste the ribs as they cook.

4
Cook the ribs.
Preheat the oven to 275°F. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and discard the brine. Pat the ribs dry and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack. In a small bowl, combine the beer with the liquid smoke and pour into the bottom of the baking sheet. Brush the pork with the basting sauce on both sides. Cook, brushing every 20 minutes or so, for about 3 hours, or until the meat is knife-tender. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with the reserved dipping sauce.

t
his is Dutch oven worthy. If you don’t have one, fire up a slow cooker or get your best large, heavy pot to chaperone these shanks on a culinary adventure. This takes a bit of time, but at the end of the ride is a pot of golden potatoes soaked with curry flavor and yellow-tinted shanks that pull like pork (
pictured here
), but have a taste all their own. I serve this with rice just like the dish that inspired it: curry goat.
SERVES 4 TO 6

1
Prep the shanks.
Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to swirl, add the shanks and sear until a deep and golden color on all sides. Transfer the shanks to a plate.

2
Build the flavor.
Lower the heat to medium and add the butter, curry powder, allspice, and paprika to the Dutch oven. Stir with a wooden spoon until the spices darken and become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, habanero, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until the vegetables become tender and golden with the spices, about 8 minutes.

3
Cook the shanks.
Return the shanks to the pot over medium-high heat and add the chicken stock. Cover and bring to a low simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is fork tender, about 2 hours. Taste and season with more salt, if needed.