Pork Shoulder & Shooting From the Hip

I had a pork shoulder sitting in the fridge that I really wanted to make. They take a LONG time to cook on the Big Green Egg but don't require much work; season it simply, and just keep the temperature fairly low (around 300º). I pulled it off the Egg after 4 1/2 hours and let it rest for 30 minutes. It was tender and juicy without a lot of effort.

But what to have with it? I usually like a homemade coleslaw made with a little mayo but quite a bit of apple cider vinegar. The vinegar helps cut the richness of the pork but I didn't have any cabbage. I went with some tropical flavors and came up with a Mango Salsa made from farmer's market tomatoes, avocado, mango and lime juice. I still needed one more side dish so I raided my fridge and used up some leftovers. I had 2 ears of corn and some leftover green beans. I combined them in a bowl, added some tomatoes and boiled a few potatoes and added them to the party. I made a simple vinaigrette with red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, basil and olive oil and tossed it all together. It was great; an excellent use of leftover vegetables. You could easily vary the ingredients based on what you have in hand and the vinaigrette could be used on freshly steamed or boiled vegetables.

Mango Salsa

• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 2 tbs cilantro, minced

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve.

Green Bean & Corn Salad

• 1 lb. Green Beans, cooked
• 4 new potatoes, peeled and cubed, boiled
• 1 cup of corn, frozen and thawed or fresh and cooked
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 1 tbs honey
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs fresh basil, cut into ribbons

Gently toss together the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the red wine vinegar, dijon mustard and honey and whisk to combine. Slowly while whisking, add the olive oil. Stir in the basil. Toss with the vegetables.