South Carolina Mustard Pulled Pork

For a long time, I have been on a quest to duplicate the mustard-based pulled pork from the Piggy Park in Columbia, South Carolina. My husband has the FONDEST food memory of their pulled pork sandwich from his college days! This recipe, adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Sean Brock, was my most recent attempt.

I had really high hopes based on the title of the barbecue sauce– SOUTH Carolina sauce- which is mustard-based, not ketchup-based like North Carolina sauce (and most other barbecue sauces), and it is listed as a “staff-favorite” recipe. It was super-tasty with nice mustard flavor, but, different than the Piggy Park….

I slow-cooked the pork in a convection oven but I think that it would have had more pan juices for the sauce if I had used the slow-cooker- I had to add additional stock to my pan juices and drippings. The original recipe also required the pork to be smoked on a grill for 1 hour after it is slow-cooked in the oven. Even though this undoubtedly adds another layer of flavor, I skipped this step because we are not huge fans of smoky flavor. We ate it on brioche rolls with potato chips and coleslaw on the side. A perfect (almost perfect) Father’s Day celebratory meal. 🙂 Happy Father’s Day!

Serves 6 to 8

• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• One 5- to 6-pound boneless pork shoulder
• chicken stock, as needed
• South Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows

1. Preheat the oven to 275°. In a medium bowl, whisk the mustard with the brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder. Set the pork shoulder, fat side up, in a roasting pan. (Alternatively, a slow-cooker could be used set on low.) Brush the pork with the mustard mixture. Roast, uncovered, for 6 to 7 hours (on convection), or 8 hours, covered, in a slow-cooker, until the meat is very tender.
2. Tilt the pan and pour the roasting juices into a medium bowl; you should have about 3/4 cup. (I used stock to compensate for less pan juices.) Refrigerate the juices for 30 minutes. Skim off the fat before using.
3. Transfer the pork to a work surface and let rest for 30 minutes. Discard the gristle and fat. Using tongs and a fork, or your fingers, finely shred the meat and transfer it to a large bowl. Toss the shredded meat with 1/8 to 1/4 cup of the reserved roasting juices and barbecue sauce to taste.

MAKE AHEAD The smoked pork shoulder can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight. Break the pork into 4-inch pieces and bring to room temperature. Arrange the pork in a roasting pan, drizzle with 1/2 cup of water, cover with foil and rewarm in a 425° oven before shredding.

South Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce

• 1/2 cup reserved roasting juices (with additional chicken stock, as needed, for consistency)
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar (I substituted red wine vinegar)
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
• sriracha, or other hot sauce, to taste
• 1/2 cup yellow mustard

1. In a medium bowl, (or in the roasting pan) combine roasting juices with wine vinegar and cider vinegar. Add dark brown sugar and sweet smoked paprika, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
2. Stir in yellow mustard. Simmer over moderate heat for 30 minutes, until thickened slightly. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce.

Father’s Day Double Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Now that my body has finally recovered from my husband’s birthday cheesecake (We HAD to eat it all! 🙂 ….) it is time for a special Father’s Day dessert. My husband is a cookie dough ice cream guy. I saw this recipe all over the blogosphere– DOUBLE cookie dough ice cream. The ice cream is cookie dough flavored– with the help of browned butter and brown sugar- and then cookie dough chunks and chocolate chips are incorporated into the ice cream after it has been churned. YUM! The recipe is from Annie’s Eats; ice cream recipe adapted from Joy the Baker and cookie dough recipe originally from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. In order to chill the ice cream base quickly, I place the bowl in an ice bath and stir intermittently until chilled. I also always place plastic wrap over the entire surface of the ice cream before freezing to prevent ice formation. Delicious! Happy Father’s Day!

For the cookie dough:

• 5 tbsp. salted butter, melted (or unsalted butter plus 1/4 tsp. salt)
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

For the ice cream:

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet) (or to taste– I would add less next time!)

1. To make the cookie dough, stir together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. Mix in the flour, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm.
2. To make the ice cream, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue heating, stirring often, until the butter is a deep golden brown color, being careful not to burn it. Whisk in the heavy cream and heat until simmering. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and egg yolks until pale and fluffy. Once the cream mixture is warm, add a small amount to the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in the rest of the cream. Mix in the salt. Return the egg-cream mixture to the saucepan and heat until just slightly thickened, and the temperature reads 170-175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Immediately remove the mixture from the heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract and the whole milk. Cover and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. (This process can be expedited by placing the bowl in an ice bath and stirring intermittently until chilled.)
3. Once the mixture is chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Chop the disk of cookie dough into small chunks. As soon as the mixture is done churning, transfer to a bowl or airtight container, folding in the chocolate chips and the chunks of cookie dough. Cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap. Store in an airtight container in the freezer until firm.