This past Saturday I spent a lovely few hours at my local market. In town it's the place to be on a Saturday morning. Sometimes I'm not sure if people are there to shop the market or to socialize. Does it really matter? I don't think so, it's fun to see people socialize with a fresh squeezed orange juice in one hand and bags overfilled with salads, vegetables and quality crafted goods in the other. This weekend was no different. In this cold winter season, the infants were immobilized in their snowsuit bundles, the children were perched on their father's shoulders with mittens dangling like odd, fuzzy earings. The mothers negotiating with the vendors, looking for those perfect ingredients for a lovely family Sunday dinner.
As it's winter, the vegetable selection from local farmers are surprisingly varied. Mind you there are not many vegetable vendors this time of year. The Villeneuve Farm was present, with carrots, potatoes and a local delicacy - salted herbs. Most of what I saw reflected the season - root vegetables apples and squash, those hearty fruits and vegetables that have that earthy flavour and remind me of my grandmother's favourite dishes. Mmmm... Miosh, that mashed blend of carrots and turnip with a hint of butter, salt and pepper... A Sunday staple at my memere's table. Mashed potatoes... Mind you memere would have reached for the staple russett potato. She would not have considered the rose potato, the yukon gold, the fingerling or red potato that I found at the market. Never mind the vibrant blue potato!
But I was here on a mission. I had a dinner party dish to prepare and I was looking for inspiration. I knew I was going to be making pulled pork. We had a themed menu with homemade baked beans (courtesy of my sister) and two types of coleslaw and crusty rolls (courtesy of my sister-in-law). Pulled pork was just the ticket to complete the meal. So off to get the pork butt I was. I found a beautifully bound 2.5 kg roast. To feed a crew of 15 this was plenty. All I needed were the ingredients for a sauce that would have a hint of a kick and that savoury sweetness that we enjoy so much with pulled pork. I wandered the market and found the Pleasant Vale Maple Products table. Maple syrup would most certainly cover the sweetness aspect that I was looking for, and who doesn't like that yummy maple treat? I picked up a bottle, but what would I pair it up with that would give it the counterbalance and pungent kick I was looking for? While looking at their table, inspiration struck...
Even measures of Dijon mustard blended with maple syrup and a healthy pinch of chili pepper. Perfection! Slather this blend over the lightly seasoned pork butt, and place in a deep dish with two cups of white wine. Cover and cook at 275F for 4-5 hours. Remove from the oven, place the pork in a bowl and tear it completely appart. Reserve the cooking juices and refrigerate over night. About 30 minutes before the party, steam the pork and bring the reserved juices to a simmer, taste the sauce with a bit of meat and adjust the seasoning. I needed more sauce so I added more syrup, mustard and some of the steaming liquid which had absorbed some of the pork flavour. I ended up with about 250 ml of sauce. Once the pork was warmed through, I placed it in a bowl and stirred in the sauce and served.
We had such fun celebrating, unfortunately forgot to get pictures of the delicious spread. However I'll end with the picture of the stand that tempted me most as I was leaving the market.
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