4th July American Pork Butt with Braised Cabbage & Dijon Mash

To celebrate 4th July, US independence, I'm cooking pork butt. You will need a grill and a meat thermometer.

THE BUTT

Some call this Boston cut, or shoulder, but at my local farm I was pleased to see this labeled with no mauvaise foi. It is a 3.5 pound pig butt. Plain and simple. We are going to cook it very slowly until it has the texture of pulled pork.

- Mix 1/4 cup olive oil with one tablespoon of salt, one of pepper, and one of smoked paprika. Crush a garlic clove and add the mix. Let this sit for a while.

- Get your butt out of the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Rub on the mix above and coat all side.

- Get your outdoor grill to a low heat. We are talking 280F, or hot enough where the meat will sizzle as it hits the grill, but only slightly, and where you can hold your hand over the grill for a good five seconds. Place the meat on the grill and lower the hood.

- Get your meat thermometer. The goal it to get the meat to 160F, but slowly, over three hours. Test your progress after an hour. If the meat is at 120F after said hour, your are on course.... A bit of experience here is needed. Like a good Ironman, start slow, and you can always crank it up later. Go too hot at the start and you're in trouble.

- When the butt hits 160F, take it off the grill and double wrap it in foil. Return to the grill until it hits 190F inside. Bear in mind it will cook slightly faster now. The role of the foil is to keep the moisture inside. But that moisture also cooks it fast, so keep checking.

- At 190F, remove from the grill and let it rest for at least thirty minutes. This stage is the key to getting a nice relaxed butt. While the meat is relaxing, turn your attention to the cabbage and potatoes.

- When ready to serve, use your tongs and maybe a fork to break up the meat. It ought to fall off the bone, so you can throw this to your dog and let him experience the taste of freedom as well.

THE CABBAGE

- Take a red cabbage and an onion. Slice both very finely.

- Take a very large pan and add three spoons butter, salt, pepper, and a cup of stock. Add cabbage, and onion, and saute over a medium heat. This will take around 30 minutes.

- Don't be afraid to treat the cabbage roughly. It needs to be hit quite hard to give it the braised effect. If there is an excess of liquid, pour this away. Taste regularly to get it back on track....

THE POTATOES

- We are shooting for a 'comfort food' vibe here, so will be doing some Dijon mustard mash potatoes. Boil your potatoes for thirty minutes, then drain and add some milk, salt, pepper, and a heap tablespoon of Dijon mustard, until you are at the right consistency. We have not added a lot of spice to the butt, so we will be making up for this with a tangy mash. Taste the mash as you make it to get to the desired heat.

WINE PAIRING

- This will go very well with a new world wine like a bigger west coast Cabinet Sauvignon or (if you are that modern open-minded kind of American that is willing to buy foreign products....) an Australian Shiraz.