Beer Spiked Pulled Pork Tacos and a Winner

First things first, in my last post I had a giveaway for some recipe cards and the winner is the fabulous Beth of Delicious Inspiration. To be fair, the first number Random.org spat out was 3, but I know Mr. Stoutmaster and I can just give him a few recipe cards if he wants, so I pushed the button again and got 2. It's all very fair around here. Anyways, Beth, congratulations and I'll be emailing you about where to send the cards.



Next order of business: dinner. This is always a question on my mind, especially since lately every day brings new surprises. For example last night a huge storm blew through the greater Chicago area and now I, and almost a hundred thousand other people, are left without power. Last update said that we may be waiting for a few more days before the power is back so when I get home tonight I'll have the sad duty of throwing out half the contents of my freezer and fridge. Luckily, before the power went out last night I ate the last of the beer pork in some yummy tacos, so at least one item was saved. As for tonight, I'll be valiantly trying to save a few things so my dinner will most definitely go undocumented. But I'm pretty sure the beer will still be good.



Beer Spiked Pork Shoulder
I kinda winged it, so the recipe is mine

1 (~4-5 pounds) bone-in fresh pork shoulder
2 garlic cloves, cut into slivers
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 or 4 large onions, sliced
2 medium apples, sliced
1 bottle of your favorite beer, I used New Belgium's Somersault Ale

Preheat oven to 325°F.

I've read somewhere that you're supposed to score fat and any skin on pork in a crosshatch pattern, but I don't keep the fat after the cooking is done, so I skip this step. Feel free to do that if you want though.

Make several stabs all over meat with a small sharp knife and insert a garlic sliver in each hole. Pat pork dry and season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a 4 to 5 quart dutch oven or ovenproof heavy pot over and brown the pork on all sides, turning occasionally with tongs. Try not to swear too much because the sucker is heavy. Once it's evenly browned, remove the pork to a plate.

Add onions and apples to the pot pot and sauté over high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes more.

Carefully add in the beer. It will foam up, so you may want to add it slowly. Let everything simmer for a bit, scraping up the caramelized bits off the bottom and then carefully put the pork back into the pot. Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid (I also put a sheet of foil between the lid and the pot for an extra sealed fit) and braise pork in middle of oven until very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning every half hour or so to keep things even.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a bit. Take out the bones and shred the meat right into the onions and juices, mixing everything up. If you want you could also add some BBQ sauce to the mix, but I liked it with all the original flavors. Simmer on the stove for a few minutes until the liquid is reduced and you have a pot full of moist meaty goodness.

Stuff into tortillas with avocado and other toppings, scoop into a bun of Hawaiian bread, or serve over steamed rice and devour.