Slow-Cooked Sweet-and-Sour Pork Shoulder with Pineapple

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Inspired by the retro combination of ham and pineapple, Jean-Georges Vongerichten created this iteration by mixing the pineapple with vinegar for a sweet-sour effect and marinating pork shoulder with hot paprika and Sriracha chile sauce. "Chile is my condiment of choice: A little here, a little there, makes the food sing," he says.

Slow-Cooked Sweet-and-Sour Pork Shoulder with Pineapple
Photo: © Michael Turek
Active Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
5 hrs
Yield:
8 to 10
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon smoked hot paprika

  • 1 tablespoon onion powder

  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

  • 1 (7-pound) trimmed boneless pork shoulder, at room temperature

  • 1/4 cup Sriracha

  • 1 (2-pound) ripe pineapple—peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 1 cup light brown sugar

  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine the salt, paprika and onion and garlic powders. Set the pork fat side down on a work surface. Using a boning knife, cut between the natural separations in the meat in about four places. Sprinkle the spice mixture all over the pork, then rub all over with the Sriracha. Roll up the roast and tie it at 1-inch intervals with kitchen twine; let marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.

  2. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a roasting pan, toss the pineapple with the brown sugar and vinegar. Spread the pineapple in the pan and set the pork roast on top, fat side up. Roast for 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 165°F. Transfer to a carving board to rest for 20 minutes.

  3. Set the roasting pan with the pineapple over high heat and boil the pan juices until slightly thickened, 2 minutes. Remove the strings from the pork, carve into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange on a platter. Add carving juices to the pan and season with salt. Serve the pork with the pineapple and pan juices.

Suggested Pairing

Sweet-and-sour dishes can prove tricky to pair with wine. Generous, juicy Grenache tends to be a good choice, especially for substantial pork dishes.

Originally appeared: December 2011

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