Originally published on Tuesday, 7th April 2009

 

Slow Roast Pork with Chocolate and Chilies

Serves 8-10

This is a luscious way to serve roast pork. The chocolate, spice and chili rub smells so delicious that you’ll want to drink it, but hang in there and rub it all over your pork instead. You’ll be rewarded with one of the most delicious smelling homes imaginable as your pork slowly roasts its way into melting tenderness. 

I like to serve this with homemade flour tortillas, guacamole and a big salad but it is also delicious paired with buttermilk mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

1 piece of bone in pork shoulder, approximately 2.5-3 kilos, trimmed of excess fat

Chocolate-Chili Rub

3 ancho or other dried Mexican chilies, stemmed and seeded
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
12 cloves
a 5 inch piece of cinnamon bark or stick
1 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
6 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp salt
6 tbsp dark cocoa powder
vegetable

Instructions

Place the chilies in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes then drain.

Preheat your oven to 135C.

Toast the spices in a dry frying pan over low-medium heat for 4-5 minutes until fragrant and tip them into a mortar and pestle. Crush the spices in the mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Add the garlic and drained chilies and continue to pound until smooth. Stir in the salt, cocoa powder and enough vegetable oil to make a paste.

Rub the paste all over the pork and place the pork in a deep casserole or braising dish and cover it tightly with foil. Place the pork in the oven and roast the pork for 4 hours or until the pork is very tender and the meat falls away from the bone when tugged.

Remove the pork from the oven and place it on a large serving plate. Cover loosely with foil and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Slice the pork into wide slices, or simply tear it apart with your fingers into chunks.  Serve with flour tortillas and guacamole or with buttermilk mashed potatoes.

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Jennifer Klinec from Eat Drink Talk has kindly agreed to provide Urban Junkies readers with mouthwatering recipes and foodtips.

To learn more, classes at Eat Drink Talk are held in Jennifer's beautiful loft in Clerkenwell, packed with information and useful tips, and you'll get to sample all of the delicious dishes prepared during class.

 

by JK

In collaboration with Eat Drink Talk