Pickled beetroot is the perfect foil for shredded pork and crackling. Crack open a cold lager and lunch is served. You’ll need to begin this recipe a day ahead.
Ingredients
Pickled beetroot
Parsley mayo
Method
Main
1.For pickled beetroot, preheat oven to 180C. Place beetroot on a small roasting tray, add 250ml water, cover with foil and roast until tender (1-1½ hours). Cool slightly, peel, finely dice and transfer to a non-reactive container. Meanwhile, combine vinegar, sugar and 2 tsp sea salt in a saucepan, bring to the simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add to beetroot with bay leaves and refrigerate overnight to pickle. Makes about 375ml. Before serving, drain excess liquid, stir through shallot and remove bay leaves. Pickled beetroot will keep for 1 week.
2.Preheat oven to 220C. Place pork shoulder in a roasting pan, score skin. Season to taste with fennel, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, rubbing into incisions. Roast until skin is golden and crackling (30-35 minutes), then reduce to 160C, cover with a double layer of foil and roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until meat can be easily removed from the bone (5-5½ hours). Keep warm.
3.Meanwhile, for parsley mayo, combine oils in a jug and set aside. Process yolks, mustard, vinegar and garlic in a food processor until smooth, then, with motor running, add oils in a thin stream until emulsified and combined. Season to taste and stir through parsley. Makes about 185ml.
4.Warm panini in oven (2-4 minutes), then split and stuff with pork and crackling, pickled beetroot, parsley mayo and butter lettuce leaves and serve.
