Hello there,
Summer holidays are nearly here! Evenings are long and warm, and the frenzy of festive shopping malls is almost over.
This recipe sums up relaxed summer entertaining for us. It feeds a crowd generously, and everything can be prepared the night before. It’s an icebreaker too if family and friends gather around the table to assemble their own pulled pork parcels.
More fun. Less stress.
Planning a New Year’s party? Or wondering what to cook for that houseful of guests… this could be it.
With love from the Palace of Pesto
HRH Kathleen
You will need
±2 kg pork shoulder
½ cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp honey
1 tsp chilli flakes
± ½ jar Pesto Princess Thai Pesto
3 Tbsp cornflour
To serve:
6 whole baby gem lettuce heads
± ½ jar Pesto Princess Thai Pesto
Fresh coriander
Thick soy sauce
How to
1. Place the pork shoulder in a slow cooker or a roasting pan with a tight fitting lid. You can also use a Wonderbag, in which case you will need to use a heavy-based casserole dish. Mix together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, chilli flakes and Pesto Princess Thai Pesto and pour over the pork.
2. Cook the pork overnight (8 hours) on low in a slow cooker. If using a Wonderbag, cook the pork for approximately an hour in the oven at 150°C and then transfer to your Wonderbag. If using the oven, cook at 150°C for up to 8 hours. Once cooked, remove from the slow cooker/oven and reserve the juices.
3. Remove the thick fat layer and skin on the top and shred the meat using two forks. Transfer the meat juices to a small pot and heat over medium to high heat.
4. In a small bowl, mix together three tablespoons of cornflour with three tablespoons of hot stock and return to the saucepan. Stir briskly until the sauce starts to thicken. Once the sauce is thick and glossy, add to the shredded pork and mix thoroughly.
5. Chop the bottoms off the baby gems and wash the leaves thoroughly. Fill each ‘cup’ with shredded pork and serve with a dollop of Pesto Princess Thai Pesto, fresh coriander and a drizzle of thick soy sauce.
Feeds 6-8
Recipe and food styling by Michelle Parkin.
Michael Olivier’s Choice
Zevenwacht 7even Rosé 2016
I love this blend led by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. A rosé for everyone.
It looks like Clever packaging for the 7even range, the 7 is made up of illustrations of the different components – the smells and flavours found in the wine. Textured paper label. In the glass, a lotus flower pink.
It smells like Waves of red berries and pink roses.
It tastes like Easy entry, wash of berries, strawberries and chunky watermelon. Good crisp aftertaste. Lovely glass on its own. It has the oomph to meet the pulled pork.
