Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese and a Week of Butt

I just burned like 800 calories giving the dogs baths.  It is exhausting.  The hiding, running, struggling and overall drama that accompanies the baths can wear out a hardcore triathlete.  I took some after bath pictures.

Cujo was exhausted and befuddled.

Saphie wouldn't even look at me.

Harpo ran to every piece of patio furniture and rolled all over it like an insane gymnast.

With just a look, Celie let me know I should sleep with one eye open tonight.

I decided to spend the week seeing how many meals I could make out of a pork roast butt.  I did this mostly because I like to find ways to not waste groceries and save money, but also because it is just funny to talk about butts.  I got the pork butt on sale for $8.74.  I had cheese leftover from my grilled cheese experiments and I got some barbeque sauce on sale.  The first night, I put the roast in the crock pot.  I used the same recipe I posted earlier (click here) because it is really an easy and good way to make roast.  We had that for dinner with green beans and biscuits.   I divided the leftover roast into two containers to save.  The next night, I put one of the containers in a smaller crock pot with the barbeque sauce for a few hours.  We had pulled pork barbeque sandwiches with cole slaw on the sandwich.

Last night, I used the rest of the roast to make a pulled pork macaroni and cheese.  It was delicious and we have enough left for a few more lunches and dinners.

Pulled-Pork Macaroni and Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Four Cheeses

Ingredients

One 4-lb. smoked pork shoulder (also known as a butt)

12 oz. dried ridged pasta, preferably radiator (I used elbow)

Kosher salt

4 Tbs. (2 oz. ) unsalted butter

2 small yellow onions, chopped (1-1/2 cups)

1-1/8 oz. (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour

3-1/2 cups whole milk

1-1/2 cups dry white wine

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh sage leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

4 oz. grated Gruyère (1-1/2 cups)

4 oz. grated Emmentaler (11/2 cups)

4 oz. grated fontina (1-1/2 cups)

2/3 cup panko

2 oz. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2 cups)

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh chives

Preparation

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water according to package directions until just barely al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large 8-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and very soft, about 20 minutes.

Whisk in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the milk in a slow, steady stream. Raise the heat to medium high and whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble, 3 to 5 minutes.

Whisk in the white wine, sage, and a 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly.

                                                                                          

Reduce the heat to low and use a wooden spoon to stir in the Gruyère, Emmentaler, and fontina. Stir in your leftover pulled pork and pasta until well coated. Pour the mixture into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet.

In a small bowl, mix the panko, Parmigiano, and olive oil. Sprinkle evenly over the mixture in the skillet.

Bake until the topping is browned and the cheese sauce is bubbling through the topping and around the edges of the skillet, 40 to 45 minutes. (If the topping begins to brown too deeply, tent loosely with foil.) Let the macaroni and cheese rest for at least 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the chives and serve.

Recipe Source

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