Cooking a pork shoulder but have some lemons I need to use up. Can I throw one in the pot or will it make the pork bitter? Using this as a guide: http://www.thekitchn.com... - Thanks!

myzuk
  • Posted by: myzuk
  • December 12, 2010
  • 3691 views
  • 7 Comments

7 Comments

cheekoli December 13, 2010
I would save your lemons and make Milk Chicken. It is BY FAR the best savory application of lemon I've ever tasted. The recipe sounds strange; in fact it is, but it is crazy good. You really have to try it to understand :)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/chicken-in-milk-recipe/index.html
previously featured here:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-review/the-ultimate-bird-jamies-chicken-with-lemon-and-milk-080388

A couple of suggestions however:

1) skip all that butter up front, and really brown the skin well (particularly the underside) in just a few tablespoons of butter (or Ghee, if you have it--the milk solids in butter have a tendency to burn when searing) instead of a whole stick. You don't want it in your final dish, and it seems a sin to waste/contaminate a whole stick of butter with chicken. Take the lid off and broil at the end to crisp the breast skin.

2) Add an extra lemon to really bring the lemony flavor through. With the recipe, you don't get a whole lot of lemon flavor, mostly just succulent meat.

3) Add extra garlic, and be sure to fish pieces out for service. Serve with a nice bread and roasted veggies for a delicious dinner. The recipe says to leave the garlic skin on, this certainly works fine, and helps to keep them together. I prefer to skin the garlic and handle gingerly, as this makes it much easier to spread garlic/milk bits on your bread.
 
iuzzini December 12, 2010
Interesting! :) Is it slices, zest, chopped?
 
hennef7 December 12, 2010
Iuzzini and Pierino,
The mock porchetta recipe from The Zuni Cafe cookbook does indeed use lemon rind. I've made it several times and it is delish I guess its not traditional, but it sure is good and I think the lemon adds a lot to the flavor of the rub.

 
iuzzini December 12, 2010
A quick search finds a handful of untraditional porchetta recipes which incorporate lemon juice and white wine-- (didn't find any with lemon rind)- I guess you could also cook it the more traditional way and use some fresh lemon juice for part of the vinegar in the porky vinegarette that can accompany it-- Having said that, Maybe a lemon yogurt cake or something served with lemon curd (or something along those lines) for dessert? or even lemon ginger tea?
 
mrslarkin December 12, 2010
Not sure about lemons with that recipe. It sounds delicious! I think if you were using more Middle Eastern spices like cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, mint, the lemon would marry nicely. Make lemonade, or a lemon cake for dessert. I've never tried lemon in porchetta either - only fennel, salt, peper, garlic. Sounds interesting, though.
 
pierino December 12, 2010
Porchetta doesn't use lemon rind (at least the authentic version sold off of trucks in Umbria and Lazio). Seasonings include salt, fennel and perhaps rosemary but that's about it.
I wouldn't throw lemon in a pot of pulled pork either.all though fresh squeezed as a table condiment it might work.
 
hennef7 December 12, 2010
Look up a recipe for Porchetta. It has lemon rind and herbs rubbed into the folds and then refrigerated to marinate. Its best if left a couple days, but I have cooked it the same day. It's wonderful!
 
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