Southwestern Pulled Pork

We're now into our third day of fall showers. The rain comes and lasts for two - three - four hours briefly interspersed with periods of clouds and sunshine. Unlike Tennessee's summer storms, the rain is steady, not violent, and extended, not brief. Unlike Northwestern rains they aren't day-long middling drizzles and perpetually overcast skies. In fact, when I moved from Knoxville to Eugene I discovered Knoxville gets about the same rainfall as Eugene. But in Eugene you get six months of drizzle and six months of sun. Here you get genuine rain throughout the year.

There's something ineffably sweet about Tennessee's autumn rain. Like the summer storms the rain begins with an odor of hot rock and hot soil -- granite and iron -- but without the lightening the acidic ozone element is missing. Which isn't to say lightening doesn’t also play a role in the fall. There was a long roll of thunder just minutes ago. A deep sonorous voice that gave me a shiver.

But as the rain wears on and the air clears you notice sweet, grassy notes from still-green leaves and lawns. Hiding behind the scenes is the coming decay. Dusty smells of leaves nearly turned and mushrooms turning death into life as everything dies back for winter.

For the past hour I've been sitting out on my (covered) balcony enjoying the latest rain and getting a bit wet. Bella, my companion, was sitting just inside the door grumbling as only cats can about my exposure to an element as negative as rain. My only complaint was that my balcony is exposed to the neighborhood and so I had to wear clothes to enjoy the experience. Summer and early fall rain is much better indulged in while naked.

The rain ended and I moved back inside to listen to" All Things Considered" and figure out what to do with the Boston Butt in my fridge, I decided on something Southwestern -- replicating in some way the smell of hot rock and soil from summer and the cooler, darker flavors of fall. Oregano, thyme, and basil add the grassy notes. Dried and smoked peppers bring in lightening, musk, and granite. Stout adds more musk, shifting the dish closer to fall, while fresh parsley added fresh as a garnish reinforces summer.

Served on my standard Mexican/southwestern rice it was pretty damned good.

Southwestern Pulled Pork
Serves 6 - 8.

1 3 - 4 lb Boston Butt roast -- trimmed of visible fat
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp lard or oil
1 lg onion -- diced
1 md bell bepper -- diced
2 lg cloves garlic -- minced
1 lg jalapeno pepper -- seeded and minced
3 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp chile powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 can chopped green chiles
1 bottle stout
1 c tomato sauce
1 c chicken stock
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 bay leaves

Heat oven to 250F.

Season the roast well with salt and pepper. Heat in oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat then brown roast well on all sides. Remove roast to a platter and reduce heat to medium.

Add onions and peppers to pot and cooking, stirring frequently in they soften. Add garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and chili powder. Stir and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in stout, tomato sauce, cocoa, chicken stock, vinegar, and bay leaves.

Return the roast to the pot. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the roast, add water if needed. Bring just to a boil, then cover and place in the center of the oven.

Cook 1 hour and turn roast over. Taste and adjust seasonings and cook 1 1/2 hours and turn roast again. Cook 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven and skim off as much fat as you can. Serve over rice garnished with fresh cilantro.

In an alternate life, the Paisano is Kevin Weeks: a Gather food correspondent, personal chef, cooking teacher, and writer in Knoxville, Tennessee who spends too many hours on his feet, cooking. "Paisano" the column focuses on peasant dishes from around the world, Paisano the character is fictional. To read more of Kevin's writings or connect to him click here.His blog, Seriously Good, is read by 100,000 cooks a month and in addition he is the Guide for Cooking for Two at About.com.