I first became aquanted with Mina at Michael Mina – Bellagio and Stripsteak Las Vegas. At the Bellagio,
I had the Lobster Pot Pie which was divine and a godiva chocolate
martini for desert with double espresso white godiva liqueur, patron xo cafe
crème de cacao and kahlua vanilla vodka. It was so tempting to lick the glass
clean and I still dream about the dessert to this day.
At Stripsteak, in Mandalay Bay, steaks are poached in butter and grilled over wood. You have
absolutely no inch of room for a dessert after dinner this place.
Mina’s version of pulled pork is cooked in the oven. The
end result was an almost as delicious as the BBQ but a whole lot easier.
Bon Appetit!
Pulled-Pork
Sandwich
Recipe
by Michael Mina
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tbsp kosher or coarse salt2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 boneless pork butt, about 3 pounds
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 package plain soft white rolls or other bread
Mix brown sugar and dry spices together in a small bowl. Rub all over
pork, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator for as long as you have time for
(as little as 1 hour or up to overnight).
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lay pork on a rack insert fitted
inside a roasting pan. (The rack should be high enough so the entire spiced
butt is sitting above the cooking liquid.)
Pour in apple juice and water, cover pan tightly with foil, and
slow roast for 5 hours. Remove foil
and cook for another 30 minutes, until pork is brown outside and meat is very
tender, basically falling apart.
Remove from oven, transfer to large platter, and allow meat to
rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, shred pork into small pieces using
2 forks or 10 fingers.
Transfer to bowl for serving, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2
days.