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Recipe: Pork Shoulder, Lentil and Charred Cabbage Salad
I feel like I’ve become a little obsessed with smoked pork shoulder lately. It’s versatility knows no bounds whether you’re having it braised in this goulash I made the other week or smoky, crispy and salty like in this hearty salad here.
Roasting the pork shoulder to crisp it up along side the chicken leaves you with an amazing pan juice that transforms into an amazing dressing for the salad. I think we all should roast these two Alberta-raised ingredients together more often!
What you’ll need…
6 1/4″ slices smoked pork shoulder (cut into long strips)
2 skin-on chicken thighs
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups cooked whole green lentils (cooled)
1/4 green cabbage, cut into 1/4″ thick slices
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
3 tablespoons chopped chives
sea salt (to season)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together oil, 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup and pepper.
Arrange pork shoulder and chicken thighs in a large baking dish. Drizzle oil/syrup mixture over top of meat and let roast in the oven until chicken is cooked through and pork is dark and crispy, approximately 25 minutes.
Remove from oven, transfer meat to paper towel to cool and absorb any excess grease. Strain pan drippings into a small bowl and set aside for now.
Using the same baking dish, roast cabbage slices in the oven until slightly charred and tender, about 30-35 minutes.
While that’s roasting, remove chicken meat from bones and give a rough chop with the crispy pork shoulder.
Pour the reserved pan drippings into a pot along with reserved maple syrup, vinegar, mustard and chili flakes and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes or until mixture has reduced by 1/3.
Once cabbage has roasted and cooled slightly, chop roughly and combine in a large bowl along with meat, lentils and chives.
Pour pan dripping vinaigrette overtop and toss until well-coated. Can be served slightly warm or cold, but if you’re serving cold, do not add into the crispy pork shoulder until just before dining.
Serves 5-6
Total prep and cook time…1 hour, 15 minutes