The flavor concept was to see how well pomegranate and jalapenos might work together. The medium was a roasted tomato braising liquid with some kosher salt and dark brown sugar. The victim, a pork shoulder which would be served with cilantro on jalapeno cheddar biscuits, and the braising liquid would serve as the jus to complete the dip in Southwestern Dip.
The preparation was as follows:
Place a 2-3 lb pork shoulder in a french over / dutch oven, add the seeds from 2 pomegranates, a dice of 8 seeded and destemmed jalapenos, a dice of 1 large white onion, and a 28 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (Muir Glen). Finally, dust the top of the roast with kosher salt, add 14-16 oz of water, and 1/4 cup dark brown sugar. Cover and braise at 275F for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 200-225F for 2 more hours. The biscuits used the basic country biscuit recipe, but reduced the salt to 5g and added 20g of granulated sugar. Just after combining the milk in the biscuit recipe, fold in 2 cups of shredded extra sharp cheddar and a dice of 5-6 roasted jalapenos (the jalapenos were broiled for 15 minutes, deskinned, deseeded and destemmed), being careful to not overwork the dough and making sure the jalapenos are relatively dry and cool. To plate, tear shreds of the pork, put on a spit biscuit, and finish with chopped cilantro; accompany with a small dipping bowl of the braising liquid.
The flavor combination of pomegranate, tomato, and jalapeno was a revelation. There's something about the jus that gave me the palate sensation of wine, a very different and addictive taste. The only downside was my wife's desire to have me cook this again very soon.
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