SXSW Pig Roast Recipe Roundup

Yeehaw! My week in Texas has come to an end and I am happy to report a successful Pig Roast at Cipollina in Austin, Texas. The open-kitchen Italian Bistro is home to a passionate crew of culinary lovers and I am proud to have been apart of their kitchen for a couple of days. My bud from Philly, Steve Parke and I hatched this idea for the Pig Roast last month, secretly just wanting to hang out and cook awesome food. We did just that.

My week in Austin began after the 30 hour haul from Pennsylvania to Texas with my road dogs from Caravan. I got to Cipollina and immediately began to break down the beautiful 197 pound Countryside Farms Hog from Cedar Creek, Texas. With the help from Viktor, one of Cipollina's line cooks, we broke down the pig. Viktor's father Juan, who also works in the kitchen, inspected our butchering, correcting us occasionally as he finished his prep work for the day. Viktor's mother Maria, on the other side of the counter, picked herbes and kept a watchful eye on our progress. It was a lovely feeling to be surrounded by a family cooking together. 

We butcher the pig, split the cavity, removed the remaining organs and separated the spine from ribs (Juan showed us his technique at this point) and finally halved the pig. We then took the front and hind quarters and separated them. We removed the skin, bones, and choice cuts, prepared meat for braising, stock and rubbed the belly with spices. 

This is my third whole pig I've gotten to break down, my first in a commercial kitchen with a proper cleaver. We wrote out the menu, talked details and made empanadas and peach slab pie for street vending.  I hustled sixth street with flyers in hand for a couple of nights and then Thursday the magic happened. 

Al Pastor Empanadas 

Dough

500 grams good Flour

50 grams Lard or Butter

2 tsp salt

4 oz hot water

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, lard and salt. If using butter make sure butter is diced. Slowly add hot water. Mix dough with clean hands. It will become flakey and stringy, mix until dough is smooth, add more hot water if necessary. Knead for about 5 minutes. Set in fridge for a half hour. 

Al Pastor Filling

3-4 large onions, chopped

5 pounds ground pork 

5 Guajillo Chillies

1 head garlic, minced

1- 7oz can Chipotle Chillies

8 oz frozen pineapple

1 cup orange juice

salt and cumin to taste

In a large sauce pan, brown onions, 10-15 minutes. Add ground pork and cook until browned. Add chillies, garlic, pineapple and simmer. Add orange juice. Season with salt and cumin. Simmer for 30 mins or a couple of hours for deeper flavors.

Roll out dough with rolling pin or pasta machine. Cut circles to desired size (shown in recipe: 4 inch diameter). Add about 2 large tablespoons of pork mixture. Rub water around edges of dough and crimp to close. Repeat till dough or filling is gone. 

Egg Wash

2-4 egg yolks

Lay finished empanadas on parchment paper. Whisk egg yolk until smooth. With a pastry brush, wash the empanadas with whisked yolks (this will help them brown). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden. 

Texas Slab Pie with Spicy Peach Preserves 

Texas Slab Pie

Dough

470 grams good flour

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tbsp salt

340 grams butter, diced

3/4-1 cup cold water 

Mix flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and knead. Slowly add water until dough is smooth. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until firm. 

Texas Slab Pie with Spicy Peach Preserves and Joe's Salted Walnut Ice Cream

Spicy Peach Preserves

16 oz frozen peach slices

1/2-1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp clove, cinnamon, salt, to taste

1 tbsp red pepper flake

1 lemon, juiced and zested

In a large sauce pan add frozen peaches and brown sugar. once peaches are soft add spices and reduce liquid, or reserve extra liquid for an awesome simple syrup. Puree in food processor until slightly chunky. Set aside. 

Roll pie dough to fit a large rectangular cookie sheet. Lay preserves atop, cut remaining for lattice crust, apply egg wash to crust (see egg wash recipe in the recipe above). In a 375 oven bake for 45-55 minutes until golden. Serve with ice cream!

Coffee Rubbed Pork Belly 

Pork Belly

Photo by Justin Rouhier 

Spice Rub

1/4 cup chili powder

1/4 cup finely ground coffee

2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground coriander

Remove skin from Pork Belly. Cross score the fat. Set aside. Mix all ingredients and generously rub onto scored pork belly. Set aside. 

View fullsize

Coffee Rubbed Pork Belly

Photo by Justin Rouhier 

Pork Belly

2 pounds pork belly 

2 Carrots 

3 stalks Celery 

1/2 Red Onion (sliced)

1 16 oz can tomato 

2 cans Texas Lone Star Beer

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop vegetables into large 1/2 inch chunks and set aside. In a Dutch oven or large cast iron, heat a heavy pour of olive oil and add prepared belly, fat side down. Once deep brown, flip to other side. Add vegetables. Pour in beer. Place uncovered in oven. Cook for two hours and serve atop of slaw.

View fullsize

Pork Belly Carbonara 

Photo by Justin Rouhier

Carbonara 

1 pound fresh or dry spaghetti

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 oz pork belly

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 egg yolks, whisked

1 handful spinach

1 cup pecorino cheese

parsley and pecorino, to finish

Cook pasta according to directions, reserving a 1/2 cup of pasta water for sauce. Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add pork belly, and saute for 3 minutes until crisp. Add garlic. Immediately add hot spaghetti to pan and add whisked egg yolks and cheese. Make sure spaghetti is covered with sauce and add spinach and reserved pasta water. Simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Garnish with shaved Pecorino and parsley. Serve immediately.  

Porca Puttana Pizza

Porca Puttana Pizza

1 pre-made pizza dough

1/2 cup Onion Jam

1/2 cup premade Pulled Pork

1/4 cup pickled shallots

1/2 ricotta or mascarpone

BBQ sauce

1 tablespoon each of parsley, basil, tarragon, chopped

Roll out prepared pizza dough. Add a dash of olive oil on the dough. Add onion jam, layer pulled pork, shallots, cheese, and finish with bbq sauce.  Brush crust with olive oil and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes until crispy. Finish with fresh herbes. 

Onion Jam

5 onions, caramelized, about 20-30 minutes

1/2 cup pork stock

In a food processor, add onions and pork stock pulse until smooth or desired consistency.

Pork Belly with Fennel Slaw

Menu development is one of my favorite parts of hosting dinners. When you find those recipes that are endlessly perfect, I just can't wait to bring it to a crowd. My Ma made me this Pork Belly with Fennel Slaw for Sunday Supper last week. My family devoured every last bit of pork belly, leaving nothing but a bit of slaw.

Pork Belly is essentially just uncured bacon. It has lovely fat marbling that adds tremendous flavor to just about anything. The fennel slaw cuts through the richness of the belly with its aromatic flavor and echoes the toasted fennel seed in the dry rub. I prepared this last night as tacos and again, not a single morsel left. Serve as an appetizer or simply braise the belly for tacos and sandwiches. Catch this recipe on our pre fixe tasting menu at Cipollina in Austin for the #SXSWPIGROAST

PORK BELLY WITH FENNEL SLAW

adapted form Mario Botali  

RUB

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons Fennel (toasted and ground)

3 tablespoons Salt

3 tablespoons Rosemary (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon  crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Remove skin from Pork Belly. Cross score the fat. Set aside. Mix all ingredients and generously rub onto scored pork belly. Set aside. 

BRAISE

2 pounds  Pork Belly (skin removed)

2 Carrots 

3 stalks Celery 

1/2 Red Onion (sliced)

2 Fennel Stalks

1 tablespoon  Fennel Seeds

1 bottle Beer

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Carrots 

3 stalks Celery 

1/2 Red Onion (sliced)

2 Fennel Stalks

1 tablespoon  Fennel Seeds

1 bottle Beer

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop vegetables into large 1/2 inch chunks and set aside. In a Dutch oven of large cast iron, heat a heavy pour of olive oil and add prepared belly, fat side down. Once deep brown, flip to other side. Add vegetables. Pour in beer. Place uncovered in oven. Cook for two hours and serve atop of slaw.

FENNEL SLAW 

1 small head green cabbage, shredded 

1 head red cabbage, shredded  

1 Red Onion, sliced

1 bulb Fennel, thinly sliced

1/4 cup Mint, chopped

1/4 cup Basil Leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

2 tablespoons Honey

 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt and freshly ground Pepper

Shred slice and chop vegetables and herbes. Mix together with seasonings and stir to combine. Set aside.

BBQ SAUCE 

1 cup reserved  braising drippings

5 cups apple cider

1-2 cups ketchup

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Mustard 

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

3 cloves Garlic

Remove belly from braise. Drain vegetables and place remaining juice in a gravy separator. The jus and the fat will separate. Pour off as much fat as possible and reserve. In a medium sauce pan heat pork jus on medium heat. Add all ingredients while constantly tasting. Adjust flavors to your liking. Simmer until thick. Pour atop sliced Pork Belly. Serve immediately.  

Whirlwinds

Time flies on the road with Outstanding in the Field; weeks seem like months, months like years, so much happens day to day on tour.  From back to back events, driving to the next location, picking up menus, car repairs, monotonous journeys to the department stores for odds & ends from birthday candles to dish soap; the OITF team never stops. 

We left Pennsylvania just a month ago, but it seems like ages since I last saw the mighty Delaware river. My confidant Marta finally migrated to the Indian Ocean for the winter to teach English on the remote Island of La Réunion. We were lucky enough to spend her last few weeks together on tour with the crew. The conclusion of which brought the crew to our hometown and our respected families to Blooming Glen Farm in Perkaise, Pennsylvania. We got to show the crew the most treasured parts of our childhood home from my folks b&b to bobolink dairy and bake house and finally my best friends family farm in Kintnersville, Peace Tree Farm. It was a real privilege to bridge the two parts of my life my home and tour. 

Now I write from the deserts of California with more memories, recipes and miles under my belt and the end of tour coming into sight.

It's been overwhelming even just considering a life not on tour. I'm not sure I'll understand how to not drive hundreds of miles daily, through multiple timezones, preform manual labor early in the morning on remote and breathtaking farms on an empty stomach and to stop serving honest passionate food to hungry wide eyes locals.

I'm pleased to be back in the golden state I left behind in July, now a bit wiser but my wanderlust has yet to be satisfied. The world seems to call wherever I go. I love

what I do more than words can ever describe and the people I get to share it with will forever hold a place in my heart. These are the days of our lives and I plan to savor every last bite.