Shindig 411

I am about 99 percent vegetarian. Whenever I need to taste-test sausages or pates or smoked salmon for my gift baskets, I have to call in a group of friends to help me because I don’t trust my own palate on such items. I am not a 99-percent-vegetarian because of health concerns, religious beliefs or a love of animals (although I do love animals), but simply because I like the flavors of fruits, nuts and vegetables more than the flavors of meat, chicken or fish. I am not a virtuous 99-percent-vegetarian. Among my other favorite flavors are butter, cheese, chocolate and wine. And bread. Any kind of bread. I was happiest back in the olden days when any vegetable, no matter how much butter, cream and cheese it was swimming in, was considered “health food.”

Faced with a big steak dinner, I inevitably go for the salad, baked potato and creamed spinach first and if I am still hungry, I will have a few bites of steak. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the country where my Uncle raised beef cattle and was always telling me (and everyone else he met) to “Eat More Beef.” My instinct, of course, was to do exactly the opposite of what any elder told me to do. Or maybe it’s because as a child I often witnessed the slaughter of cattle and pigs on my grandfather’s farm… cattle and pigs that later turned up on our dinner table. Although at the time I remember finding the entire process fascinating and not scary or disgusting at all.

For whatever reason, I don’t eat a lot of meat and almost never crave it. That is, until the leaves begin to turn and I pull out my all-time favorite recipe for pulled pork… which I actually make with beef instead of pork because Uncle John is up there in heaven still whispering in my ear to “Eat More Beef.”

Sweet & Spicy Pulled Pork is the centerpiece of the menu below. It’s really simple to prepare and absolutely delicious made with either pork or beef. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, which makes it a great dish for entertaining. It’s good warm, or at room temperature on buns, flour tortillas, or sliced baguette. Best of all, you can make it a day or two ahead, refrigerate, (or freeze up to 3 months) and reheat it when you are ready to serve. Prepare this menu for your next leaf-peeping weekend and your guests will still be raving about it when spring rolls around.

Beer is generally the beverage of choice with spicy dishes like pulled pork, but I am not a big beer lover, so I’ve included a couple of wine suggestions as well. Enjoy!

FALL FIESTA MENU

Wasabi Peanuts 

Gorgonzola cheese biscuits 

Crudites with Lemon-Pesto Goat Cheese Dip

Walnut Toasts with Fig Jam 

Sweet & Spicy Pulled Pork (Recipe follows)

Warm Flour Tortillas

Black Beans

Creamy Polenta

Salad of Romaine, Diced Avocado & Orange Segments with Citrus Dressing

Mexican Beer, such as Pacifico or Dos Equis, with Lime Wedges

Italian Barbera wine, such as Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti,

or a crisp, dry sauvignon blanc.

Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Coconut Sorbet

Coffee

SWEET & SPICY PULLED PORK

This recipe serves 4, but can easily be doubled

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons  dark molasses

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup tomato paste

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon each paprika, ground coriander and salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1-1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or “stew beef,” cut into 2-inch cubes

2 bay leaves

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together the molasses, vinegar, tomato paste and spices. Place the meat cubes in a large, shallow, non-aluminum baking dish. Add the molasses mixture and stir well to coat. Cover with foil and bake until the meat is very tender, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

2. Remove the meat from the sauce and shred it with a knife or two forks. Return the shredded meat to the baking dish and mix with the sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature in crusty buns or rolled into flour tortillas.

(I adapted this recipe from one developed by Marcia Keisel, test kitchen supervisor of Food & Wine magazine.)