Barbecue salad of brined pork shoulder, yabbies and cabbage
For the pork
- 1 small pork shoulder with bone
- 3 cups salt
- 3 cups brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 bunch thyme
- 20g mustard seeds
- 6 star anise
- 2 cinnamon quills
- 20g whole coriander seeds
- 3 whole cloves
- 15g caraway seeds
For the honey dressing
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp champagne vinegar
- juice of half a lemon
- pinch salt
- 1 grind of white pepper
- 90ml extra virgin olive oil
- 90ml grapeseed oil
For the salad
- 24 whole yabbies one quarter of a small savoy cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely shredded
- white pepper
- sea salt
Method
For the pork:
To make the brine, toast spices in a frying pan until fragrant. Combine spices and all ingredients except pork in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for four minutes. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for one hour.
Prick holes in the pork shoulder with a carving fork to allow brine to penetrate and place in a snug-fitting container. Pour the brine over the pork and place a weight on top so it's fully submerged. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Remove pork from the cure and cook very slowly on a charcoal kettle-style barbecue for up to 12 hours or until the meat pulls away from the bone. When cool, finely shred two cups of shoulder into strands and set aside.
For the dressing: Whisk all ingredients and season to taste.
To assemble: Lightly grill the yabbies on the barbecue then peel and slice in half lengthways.
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, shredded pork shoulder, yabbies and parsley.
Season with a little white pepper and sea salt, toss gently with a little of the honey dressing and divide between four plates.
Serves 4
