Pleasures of Autumn

Technically it isn't Autumn here yet, but thanks to our Canadian neighbors to the north the weather has been unseasonably cool.  That means that fall food is back in vogue, as is the case pictured above.

The roast is a six pound, bone-in pork shoulder roast.  It was brined for six hours in a mixture of kosher salt and sugar.  After that it was rinsed and thoroughly dried.  A mixture of kosher salt, sugar and smoked paprika was rubbed all over it and it was wrapped tightly in plastic film and refrigerated for 24 hours.

While it came to room temperature after its stay in the refrigerator I built a small fire in the grill.  The coals were all pushed to one side and the roast was placed on the far side.  A drip pan partially filled with water sat under the roast and a few apple wood chips were tossed on the fire.  The lid went on the grill and I monitored the vents so that the temperature in the grill never got above 325 degrees.  Five hours later the roast was done and the air in the neighborhood smelled of pork and apples.  A few hungry neighbors wandered by to check things out.

The pork rested for about half an hour while I made a sauce from some of drippings from the catch pan, some sugar, vinegar, mustard and mango chutney.  When that had reduced we carved the pork, opened a couple bottles of apple cider and spent a wonderful evening sitting outside watching the blue sky turn into evening pink.  The dogs even managed to get a few pork tidbits mixed in with their dog kibble.

Life can be very good, and very delicious.