I am so sorry about your grandmother; while thinking about you in Bangladesh I didn't once think how hard it would be to visit without your grandmother there. It must've been such a long and draining trip: to travel half-way around the world and have a major person missing- I really can't imagine.
But of course I still want to exchange Internet letters! B and I found out (2 weeks ago) that we are having a little girl. No longer Little Arroz she's now referred to as E. Bean and I even have a few new pink (can you believe it?) outfits. For several complicated reasons, some saved for future letters and others reserved only for myself, raising a girl into a woman seems like an arduous journey. Not hard in that UGG! way, but hard in that oh-dear-God-I'm-not-sure-if-I-can-do-this-but-it-is-so-worth-the-effort way. I mean, just keeping her physically safe is a formidable task, but also teaching her the tight rope walk of softness, strength, taking care of others, but not letting them take advantage of her seems like a big job for two people. Which is why we must continue these letters: I NEED HELP!
Also, I needed the break from cooking too. At my 20 week dr's appt. I'd gained 11 pounds. Not since I got pregnant, but since my 16 week appt. Not good. After the medical assistant weighed me, there was a sharp inhalation of breath "Oh, my God, you sure enjoyed Thanksgiving, didn't you?", she asked. Not stopping there, even though my mouth was hanging open, she then questioned, "Are you still WALKING?" and still not feeling like she'd gotten to the bottom of the problem then said,"It must be twins- are you sure it isn't?" I can only thing of two words to describe this woman: F****** BITCH. My heart still pounds when I think about her.
So when my midwife talked to me she didn't seem to think it was a big deal. She just said, "watch your carbs." Which means I can't read carbohydrate-filled recipes like they're literature anymore. So- it was chicken breasts and steaks with cut vegetables for awhile and now I'm back to cookbooks. I just avoid the casseroles, coffee-cake filled with cream cheese, and pastas with pestos. Bringing me to the recipe below:
Indoor Pulled Pork
1 cup plus 2 teaspoons table salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke
1 boneless pork butt (about 5 pounds) cut in half horizontally
1/4 cup of yellow mustard
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
BBQ Sauce (make if you want or just take the bottle stuff and thin it with 1/2 cup of pork drippings)
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 ketchup
1/2 cup of water
1 tablespoon of sugar
3/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1. FOR THE PORK: Dissolve 1 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and 3 tablespoons liquid smoke in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge pork in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. While pork brines, combine mustard and remaining 2 teaspoons liquid smoke in small bowl; set aside. Combine black pepper, paprika, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, remaining 2 teaspoons of salt, and cayenne in second bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325.
3. Remove pork from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub mustard over entire surface of each piece of pork. Sprinkle entire surface of each piece with spice mixture. Place pork on wire rack set inside foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place piece of parchment paper over pork, then cover with sheet of aluminum foil, sealing edges to prevent moisture from escaping. Roast pork for 3 hours.
4. Remove pork from oven; remove and discard foil and parchment. Carefully pour off liquid in bottom of baking sheet into fat separator and reserve for sauce. Return pork to oven and cook, uncovered, until well-browned, tender and internal temperature registers 200 degrees on instant-read thermometer. Transfer pork to serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.
5. FOR THE SAUCE: While pork rests; pour 1/2 cup of defatted cooking liquid from fat separator into medium bowl; whisk in sauce ingredients.
6. TO SERVE: Using 2 forks, shred pork into bite-sized pieces. Toss with 1 cup of sauce and season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
I've gotta go! That pizza looks great- I wish I'd been in Virginia to share it with you.
Love,
Tia T
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