MAIN COURSE

Pork shoulder is an inexpensive cut of meat. If you are willing to spend some time cutting it into two inch squares, eliminating as much of the fat that runs through the meat as possible, it is quite delicious in a Chinese-style roasted pork taco. I do a large batch of this versatile meat, and freeze for up to three months what I don’t use in this recipe.

Serve this menu as an informal buffet. Once again proving the versatility of Pinot Noir, I would recommend this with your 2004 Seven Springs cellar club selection.

• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, as lean as you can find, cut into two inch chunks, fat removed as much as possible.
• Juice of one lemon
• ½ cup hoisin sauce
• 2 T brown sugar
• ¼ cup red wine
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 T honey
• 2 T. chopped green onion, with some green
• 1 ts. sesame oil
• 4 chopped cloves of garlic

Combine all ingredients, blend, and marinate pork in sealed plastic bag in refrigerator for at least 24 hours, turning occasionally. Remove pork; reserve marinade.

Preheat oven to 350.

Place pork on a rack, on baking dish lined with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn pork and brush with marinade. Discard any left over marinade. Bake another 20 minutes (meat should be slightly pink.

Remove from oven; broil for 5 minutes until nicely browned. 8 servings.

MANGO SALSA

Choose any ripe mangos so prevalent on the market. Choose two that are soft and ripe. I like the light colored yellow ones, and a mix is nice. Score 2 peeled mangos every quarter inch vertically, one side at a time. Cross score to make tiny squares; with a knife, and cut flesh away from pit. Turn mango over, and repeat to remove flesh. To mango, add 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped; 2/3 cup chopped red onion; ¼ cup chopped cilantro; 4 T fresh lime juice; ½ cup red pepper, chopped; ½ jalapeno chili, seeded and finely chopped. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to use; serve at room temperature.

BLACK BEANS

Soak 2 cups black beans overnight or four hours. Drain. Cover with one inch of fresh water; add one ts. dry mustard, and cook until tender (about an hour). Add more water as necessary. You want the beans soft to the taste, but not mushy. You can also use 2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained.

• 1 small red onion, chopped.
• 1 T chili powder
• 2 ts. ground cumin, or cumin seed slightly pulverized
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 T lime juice
• 3 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

In a little oil, stir fry cooked and drained beans, onion, chili powder and cumin until warm and onion has softened (about five minutes); remove from heat; add salt and pepper to taste, lime juice, chopped cilantro, and chopped fresh tomato. Serve slightly warm, or at room temperature.

Serve with warm flour tortillas, mango salsa, roast pork, and chopped lettuce on the side.