NEW RECIPE: Orange, Coffee, and Chipotle Pulled Pork

© Constantine William Spyrou

Inspiration for dishes can come from almost anywhere at anytime. I've gotten inspiration for some of my dishes from places such as work (Duck Confit Nachos), parents (Turkey Meatloaf with Avocado in it) and even from college classes sometimes (I came up with the Healthy Chicken Fried Steak recipe as a result of a writing class in college). However, I think this next dish might take the cake in terms of where I drew inspiration from. I had the chance to hang out with some of college friends in Southern California while visiting my sister this past weekend. During our trip, we took a break at Starbucks and got some drinks. I noticed they had a new drink on the menu: Orange Spiced Iced Coffee. I tried it and thought it was extremely interesting and tasty. It gave me an idea to try to use orange and coffee in a dish. For that, the ideal choice was pork and a barbeque sauce. Balancing the coffee bitterness and orange sweetness could work quite well in a barbecue sauce, which draws from multiple flavor areas to make a unique sauce. Adding chipotle for some extra heat helps balance the dish perfectly! 

Now, this isn't the traditional pulled pork that is made in a smoker, this is more of a braised pulled pork than anything, simple to make at home in an oven or even a crockpot. The key to making pulled pork tender and delicious is to cook it at a low temperature for a long period of time, which is what happens here. The steam from the liquid the pork is cooking in as well as the convection of the oven will cause the pork to just fall apart and become extremely tender and flavorful over time, making it one of the most delicious dishes that you can cook!

Recipe will serve up to 20 people.

Ingredients:

1 5-pound pork shoulder (preferably bone-in, its just one bone that is easily removed after cooking)
Juice and zest of two large oranges (save the orange halves as well)
1 cup of chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup coffee, cold (Any kind works, but the best ones to use for this dish are Guatemalan/Costa Rican blends)
4 tablespoons seasoned salt
4 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons dried mustard
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
2 bruised sticks of cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cloves
3 cups water

Cooking/Assembling:

1. Preheat convection oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine all of the ingredients except for the pork shoulder, orange halves, and cinnamon to make the sauce well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Place the pork shoulder in a roasting pan and cover it with the sauce. Add in the orange halves and cinnamon to the liquid.
4. Cover the roasting pan with a tinfoil "tent," and roast in the oven for 12 hours. Let cool, then shred and serve.

Pulled pork that's tender and delicious does take a long time to make, as seen in this recipe, but its worth the amazing flavor that you get out of the pork once it's done. 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Let me know what you think and what you would change. If you make it at home, let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! =)