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Mad Jack’s Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder: Oven-Baked BBQ Perfection

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Introduction: A Taste of Mad Jack’s at Home

Last spring I had the chance to visit Mad Jack’s Mountaintop BBQ in Cloudcroft for a story I was writing for New Mexico Magazine’s July issue. James Jackson, owner and pitmaster of Mad Jacks, has a loyal and passionate following for his hospitality and kindness just as much as his exceptional barbeque. His wood fired smokers run throughout the night and in the morning brisket, sausages, pork shoulder, chicken and turkey legs are pulled from barrels just in time for them to rest before Jackson opens the door and starts slicing meats to order with his crew.

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder - Pitmaster James Jackson

For the article Jackson helped me think through how home cooks could approach pork shoulder using their oven instead of a smoker. Now, I’m not going to say that this rivals the incredible flavor and tenderness that comes after slowly cooking meat in a smoker fired with post oak he brings in from Texas. For that, I suggest a road trip down south to Cloudcroft. But a good rub and eight hours in a low oven will get you pretty far.

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder - Mad Jack's menu board

The Secret’s in the Rub: A New Mexico Twist

This is an adaptation of Jackson’s rub which has a distinct sweet and spicy punch with notes of celery seed lingering throughout. Here, I swap out most of the celery seed for High Desert Herbs (a blend of marjoram, lavender, rosemary, thyme, New Mexico red chile flakes and sage) and swap out cayenne pepper for New Mexico Chile Powder. You might find that you have some rub left over. Just make sure to have very clean and dry hands when handling the rub mixture and you can save it for seasoning all kinds of meat and vegetables.

How to serve this slow roasted pork shoulder?

On the day I made this, I also made a lime, sesame and ginger vinaigrette and made a big salad with Ground Stone Farms greens, cucumbers, cilantro, scallions and warm pork shoulder over the top. My husband Hans had salad on the side because he had a different idea. He piled the pulled pork shoulder into tortillas and got the BBQ sauce out of the fridge. We had different ideas about the best way to eat something that had been making our house smell good all day and both were perfect, so I’ll let you use your best judgement.

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder - plated with greens

Hearty Beef, Squash, and Red Chile Soup

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I’m not calling this a breakfast soup even though the photo has a fried egg floating on top, but this soup is so versatile, warming, and nourishing it can easily be enjoyed any time of the day. On the day I made this hearty beef and red chile soup it simmered away on the stove all afternoon and we had it for dinner. But the next morning, things got really exciting. Some leftover soup warmed up with an egg on top seemed like the breakfast that made the most sense on a cold morning. And wow, we were right.

A New Mexican Inspiration

So this story really begins because I picked up a new chile ristra and have been looking for a way to utilize some of the brilliantly red dried chiles hanging in my kitchen like a warmth-inducing chandelier. So in making this soup, New Mexico Red Chile is where I began.

The Power of Pantry Staples

Then of course, I looked around to see what needed to be used up in my kitchen. I noticed some zucchini squash in the fridge that I had purchased but then forgot to use. This is the way it goes and I have to admit, I love when these parameters come into play and combinations I may have never thought of simmer to the surface. And that’s what happened here. If I had a completely blank page in front of me I can imagine myself thinking about making a different soup altogether. Maybe I would have added beans or cauliflower or pumpkin. But in that moment, I had zucchini and I’m grateful I did.

A Squash for All Seasons

You’ll notice that I am using the broader name “Squash” in the title of this recipe. It’s important to mention because you can use any variety of squash here. Especially being that we are smack dab in the middle of winter squash season. Whatever squash you want to use, consider how you want to prepare it before adding it to the soup.

For a summer squash like zucchini, it can just be diced and added to the soup. If you use Butternut, you can trim it, peel it with a vegetable peeler, take the seeds out and then dice it for soup. For Kabocha or Delicata squash varieties, you can simply trim off the ends, slice it in half to remove the seeds, then dice it leaving the edible skin on before adding it to the soup. If you wanted to use a pumpkin, you could cut the pumpkin into quarters or wedges (depending on size), roast the pumpkin in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper before peeling it and dicing the roasted pumpkin. If you use cooked squash, you can add it towards the end of the cooking process, about 15 minutes before serving.

This soup can be served on its own, or garnished with cilantro or chives. I would recommend some warm bread or tortillas on the side.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

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Aside from the brisk fall mornings and glorious golden trees all over town, I know it’s officially pumpkin season when I start putting a pinch of pumpkin spice in my coffee. The kids have made jack-o’-lanterns and are counting the days down until Halloween. There is no better time to make these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes frosted with a light and airy whipped cream, and cream cheese frosting. They make great gifts for neighbors and friends and turn any day into a celebration of fall.

In the photo here I garnished them with some gold sugar I had in my baking bin and thin slices of candied ginger. But honestly, the kids prefer them sans toppings and they are so delightful on their own, a garnish is for a visual pop more than anything. You could garnish with candied nuts, candied orange, and sugar in the raw or freshly grated nutmeg.

Alternative Bakes

This is also my go-to base for a pumpkin bundt cake or a layered pumpkin cake. With a bundt cake, I skip the frosting and make a maple glaze.

Whipping Up the Perfect Frosting

When making the frosting, keep in mind that this is essentially whipped cream blended with cream cheese, so it will have the temperament of a whipped cream, only slightly more stable. This means, keeping a close eye when whipping the cold cream into the cream cheese is important so that it doesn’t break from too much whipping, along with not wanting weeping frosting that is not whipped enough.

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Dutch Oven Turkey Pot Pie

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This is hands down my favorite thing to make with leftover turkey and it comes with a story. The year I got married also happened to be the year I got my very first cooking job. Over the next ten years, I worked most holidays and on Thanksgiving mornings we would pop open a split bottle of champagne and have turkey pot pie I had prepared the night before for breakfast before I headed off for work and he headed out to visit family. It was the perfect way to celebrate. To this day it’s one of my favorite memories of those years.

Dutch Oven Magic

To keep things simple I make this in my Le Creuset Dutch Oven. The recipe for pie dough makes twice as much as you will need so you can just freeze half for a single-crust pie or pie dough cookies later. You could also use store-bought pie dough or add other leftover veggies like sweet potatoes or green beans.

Poblano Potato Puree

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I think I should begin with the acknowledgement that just as there are many ways to peel a potato, there are also many ways to make mashed potatoes. Sometimes I love to make mashed potatoes with a potato masher, the skins on and just a bit of olive oil, herbs and lemon zest. And there are other times (once a year in fact) when I make these potatoes at home and love every bit of this French style take on pomme puree.

Technically, the way I learned from my French chef instructors at school over 20 years ago was a ratio of 2:1:1. Meaning 2 part potatoes, 1 part milk (or cream) and 1 part butter. This recipe is already my most decadent take on potatoes and I’m not even going that far. But if you want to go for it, simply increase the butter and half & half to 2 cups each.

This recipe for poblano potato puree results in smooth, luscious potatoes, no lumps in sight. Let’s talk about ingredients! If you leave out the salt and pepper, there are only five ingredients, so each one matters.

Choosing the Right Potatoes for the Best Puree

When choosing potatoes, try to choose potatoes that are similar in size. This will help ensure that they cook evenly. If your potatoes vary in size, no worries! Just keep an eye on them throughout the cooking process, pulling potatoes as they reach the point of being fully cooked. And I have learned the hard way, make sure the potatoes are fully cooked, otherwise it will be difficult to pass them through the food mill.

The reason these potatoes are so luscious and smooth is because we spend a lot of effort removing as much water as possible. This is why we boil them whole as opposed to quartering them. This is also why we spend time stirring them in a hot pan after they’ve gone through the food mill to cook off any water remaining in the potatoes. Because of this, using a high quality butter (with a higher butterfat and lower water content) is a good idea.

Selecting the Perfect Green Chile for Your Dish

When it comes to green chiles, the choice is about what you love and how much heat you prefer. My love for poblanos is never ending. Their flavor and amount of heat easily takes the prize. But more importantly, what chiles do you have? What do you like and how hot do you want it? You could even use pints of frozen green chile just be sure to defrost, drain and press out as much water as possible before adding it to the cream and butter. How much to add? Trust your judgment and taste as you are warming up the cream mixture if needed to help you along.

The other thing that’s important to mention is the many different ways you can actually make these potatoes. If you don’t have a food mill, it’s ok! You can use a potato masher for the whole process. It might not be as smooth but it will taste just as good. Another option is to use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. This is easiest to do with hot potatoes. Place the fully cooked and peeled potatoes in your stand mixer and slowly add the cream mixture until it all comes together.