Pulled Pork With Fruity Couscous

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time6 Hours

Ingredients:

3.5 lbs Joint boneless pork shoulder (remove the rind/skin if you wish)

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 tablespoon Moroccan spice mix

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses or honey

2 preserved lemons, discard the pith and flesh and finely chop the skin

For the couscous:

10.5 oz dried couscous

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

13.5 oz hot chicken stock

2/3 cup ready to eat apricots, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons freshly chopped mint

1 cup  pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup whole almonds

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit
  2. Line a roasting tin with a sheet of foil large enough to later cover the pork. Remove the string, unroll the pork and pat dry with kitchen paper and place in the tin.
  3. Mix together the salt, Moroccan spice mix, pomegranate molasses and half the preserved lemon. Rub half the mix thoroughly all over the pork and wrap in foil. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes leaving the top uncovered so it browns beautifully.
  4. Reduce the oven to 300° FahrenheitRemove the pork from the oven and fold the foil over the top. Return to the oven and cook for about 5 hours or until tender.
  5. Increase the oven temperature to 425° Fahrenheit. Uncover the pork and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and rest for 30 minutes.
  6. Whilst the pork is resting, put the couscous in a large bowl and pour over the lemon juice and chicken stock. Cover with cling film and leave until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and stir in the remaining ingredients.
  7. Shred the pork into chunky pieces with 2 forks, stir in the rest of the spice mix and reserved lemon and serve with the couscous.

Additional Information:

For extra flavor, you might want to put the rub on the meat the night before and keep it in the fridge overnight. The task in the morning will be even easier and your end result will be even tastier.