Slow-cooked pork shoulder with creamy cauliflower polenta

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The current gluten-free trend is getting to me a little bit. Some people with Celiac disease truly need ideas for gluten-free recipes, but I’m having a hard time sympathizing with the people who are inventing an intolerance.

I know that some people are doing it to lose weight (although it’s been proven that gluten does not make you gain any weight) or to make themselves feel less guilty, which I don’t agree with at all. If people are losing weight by cutting out gluten, it’s because they’re cutting out part of their diet. Obviously, eating less will result in weight loss (which is the case with any diet), but attributing that weight loss to gluten rubs me the wrong way.

In short, the gluten-free section on our website doesn’t mean I’m encouraging the trend, which I hope is fleeting. I posted naturally gluten-free recipes to help people who are truly gluten intolerant.

Anyhow, polenta is a great way to mimic the taste of mashed potatoes without the starch (which many people also avoid). It’s divine when combined with cauliflower and served with extra tender meat.

Particularities

ServesServes 6–8
Prep time15 min
Cook time10 hours
Timeout-

FreezingFreezes well

Ingredients

For the pork

4.5 lb pork shoulder
Dash of olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 sprigs fresh oregano
1 carton white mushrooms, cut into quarters
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the polenta

1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
2 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup instant polenta
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chives, minced
Freshly ground pepper

Steps

Remove as much fat from the meat as possible.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and sear meat on each side until nicely browned.
Transfer to a slow cooker or oven-safe dish. Add the remaining pork ingredients.
Cook over high heat for 10 hours or bake for 6 hours at 300˚F.
About 10 minutes before serving, place cauliflower in a saucepan filled with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the cauliflower is soft. Drain and purée until smooth. Season generously and set aside.
In another saucepan, bring the milk to a boil and stir in the polenta, whisking constantly for 2 minutes or until the texture is thick. Add the cauliflower purée, Parmesan, salt, chives, and pepper. Stir well and serve with the meat.