Pulled Pork with Pineapple

This was another one of the Mexican dishes I made last weekend when we had guests. I always knew that pulled pork would be in the menu and it wasn't until the last minute, when about to start cooking that I realised I had a slow cooker sitting quietly, rather ignored, in the kitchen. I could have put it in the oven for 4 hours, but to save the oven being on for so long (the room gets so hot), I pulled out the slow cooker and used that instead.

The pineapple part was, as it often is, something I had bought on a whim and realised needed eating. So figuring that pork and fruit go well together this is what we had. Pulled Pork with Pineapple dressing. Lovely.

For the pork:

1.2kg piece of pork shoulder, skin and outer fat removed
1/2 tsp. salt.
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika

Method:

Rub the paprika and seasoning into the pork and put in the slow cooker with about 150ml water. Leave to cook on low for 8 hours. Alternatively, put in a roasting tray with 200ml water, covered with foil for 4 hours and topping up the water as needed. When cooked - use two forks to shred the meat and leave to one side while you make the dressing.

For the dressing:

2 tbsp. chipotle chilli sauce (depends on the heat - I used my own recipe here)

2 tbsp. honey

2 clove garlic, peeled

1/2 small pineapple, cut into chunks

25g fresh coriander

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

Using a hand blender, blitz all of the dressing ingredients and pour over the shredded pork. Stir in well and serve with tacos and a little sour cream.

You can make a salsa with the remaining 1/2 pineapple by putting large slices on a griddle and chopping. Then put into a bowl with chopped spring onions and fresh coriander.

Serve with tostadas or tacos. If you have corn tortillas, just drape them over the rungs in the oven to make a taco shape and bake for 5-6 minutes in a 180 C oven to make tacos. Flour tortillas? Cut into smaller circles with a cookie cutter and fry briefly in oil for 2 mins each side - you have tostadas!

Perfect Apple Tart Tatin

My number one favourite dessert. Looks impressive, tastes delicious and if you use ready rolled pastry - only four ingredients! Be sure to use white sugar - I tried with brown once and its really hard to see the sugar turn to a caramel colour when its already brown!

Originating in France, this tart seems to be unsure of its roots. It was either an accident by the hotelier Tatin sisters in the 1880's who left the apples in the sauce to long and saved it by topping with pastry and inverting it. Or its an improved version of the "tarte solognotte", a traditional dish named after the Sologne region which surrounds Lamotte-Beuvron.

You can use many different fillings. I have made this with pineapples, pears and earlier on this blog a version made with tomatoes and roasted garlic (recipe here) which is lovely in the summer. Here is the original, and best version. Perfect Apple Tart Tatin.

Ingredients:    (Serves 6)

1 x 320g pack ready rolled shortcrust pastry
4-5 Braeburn apples
200g white sugar
50g butter
pinch of salt
Method:
Peel, core and quarter the apples. Don't worry if the apples go a little brown as you work - it doesn't hurt the dish. Put in a bowl to one side.
Put the sugar into the frying pan with 50ml of water and cook over a medium heat until the colour changes to a golden, fudgy colour. Add the butter with a pinch a salt and quickly stir in. The butter will cool the caramel, so work quickly. Take off the heat. Put in the quartered apples, round side down, in the caramel in a nice circular pattern. Put it back on the heat for a few moments, then take off the heat and allow to cool completely.
Heat the oven to 200 C. Cut the pastry to just a little larger than the top of the pan and lay it over the apples, tucking any bits in. Put in the oven for about 30 minutes until the pastry is golden. Leave to one side to cool for 5 mins and very carefully invert the tart onto a plate - do it quickly as you can as the sauce is runny!
Serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

NOTE: You WILL need a frying pan with a metal handle as its going into the oven.