Alaskan Sourdough Pork

In local slang, a Cheechako is someone new to Alaska while a Sourdough is an Alaskan old-timer. This tangy and spicy barbecued pork is delicious enough to satisfy even the most crusty of old sourdoughs. Pre-paleo, my family loved the yummy barbecued meats grilled up at Sourdough Mining Company, a replica of an old mill house filled with gold mining memorabilia. Since it's impossible for me to eat there without indulging in their corn fritters and honey butter, we have steered clear from there for quite a while. This dinner was my successful attempt at serving the girls a Sourdough worthy meal!

Serves 4-6

Pulled Pork Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 1/2 pound pork loin roast
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 slices bacon
• 2 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper 

BBQ Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 cup liquid, reserved from the cooked pork
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 T fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1/4 - 1 T sambal olek (or another paleo-friendly hot sauce)
• 1 T spicy brown mustard
• 1 T rice vinegar
• 1 T frozen pineapple juice concentrate (100% juice)

Directions:

1. Place chopped onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Add the roast. Cut slits on the roast and embed a garlic clove in each one.
3. Pour chicken broth over the roast.
4. Cover with slices of bacon and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook meat on low for 6-8 hours, or until meat is cooked through and tender.
6. Strain pork, reserving liquid and set aside.
7. In a sauce pan, add all ingredients for the BBQ sauce.
8. Simmer for 20 minutes, until sauce thickens.
9. Stir pulled pork into the sauce and serve immediately.

For a complete sourdough dinner, serve with paleo coleslaw and sweet potato fries.

Paleo Coleslaw: Chop cabbage and carrots or use a pre-packaged coleslaw mix. Whisk together a dressing made with olive oil, rice vinegar, and spicy brown mustard.

Sweet Potato Fries: Peel 2 sweet potatoes and cut into fry size pieces. Soak in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Drizzle with olive oil and spicy spice mixture (I like using berbere, an Ethiopian spice mix). Spread onto a cookie sheet and cook for 30-45 minutes at 400 degrees.

Tangy Mango Chutney

In my opinion, no Indian meal is complete without chutney. Thank goodness chutney is not always the uber sugary type presumably made popular by Major Grey in the 19th century. Chutney is similar to "curry" in that it's a generic word used in South Asian cuisine. Chutney is simply a condiment, usually classified as either sweet or hot (and often both) that contains any combination of fruit, vegetable, and spice.

Two of my favorite chutneys are savory and spicy and super simple to make. Hari Chutney is made primarily with cilantro, mint, and hot chilies. It is fiery hot and tastes divine over any kind of tandoori meat. Coconut Chutney is served with breakfast in South India and is made primarily with coconut, tamarind, and chilies.

Saying that, I do love a tangy and slightly sweet chutney as well. My favorite "sweet" chutneys are Tomato Chutney and the ever popular Mango Chutney. Usually made with vinegar and loads of sugar (or HFCS in store bought varieties), I've always sweetened my homemade chutneys with dates instead. Guess I was working on this paleo lifestyle long before I even knew what it was!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dates, pitted and finely chopped
• 2 1/2 cups rice vinegar, unsweetened
• 2 pounds fresh mango, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup currants or raisins, unsweetened (I prefer currants)
• 2-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced or grated
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 T mustard seeds

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients into a sauce pan and mix well.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir ocassionally.
4. Serve warm.

Note: I believe chutneys are supposed to last several months if stored in an air-tight jar and refrigerated. I have to say mine never last longer than a day or two...