Babi Guling - Balinese Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

1 pork butt or picnic pork shoulder, boneless or bone-in
Hawaiian red sea salt (alaea)
One 13.5 ounce can of unsweetened coconut milk
2 stalks lemon grass, outer layer removed, then pounded and cut into 4 inch pieces
3 Tbsp gula melaka or gula jawa (palm sugar), or raw sugar or brown sugar
Juice of one lime

Spice paste:
4 shallots, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 inch ginger, peeled, sliced thin against the grain
2 inch galangal*, sliced thin against the grain
4 inch turmeric*, chopped, or 1.5 tsp powdered turmeric
10-25 Thai chilies (or equivalent fresh chilies), chopped
3 stalks lemongrass, outer tough layer removed, sliced thin against the grain
1 tsp dried shrimp paste (belacan), dry-toasted in a skillet
10 candlenuts (or substitute dry-roasted, rinsed macadamia nuts)
1 Tbsp cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp gula melaka or gula jawa (palm sugar), or raw sugar or brown sugar

*available frozen in Asian markets

Add all spice paste ingredients, including 1/2 tsp Hawaiian red sea salt
(alaea) in food processor and pulse until smooth. It's important to slice
the ginger, galangal, and lemongrass before adding to the processor.
They each contain long fibers that won't get cut up otherwise.

Butterfly pork and salt liberally, about 1- 1.5 Tbsp Hawaiian red sea
salt (alaea). Wait 10 minutes, and then rub spice paste into the pork.
Place pork in large plastic bag (2 gallon capacity or bigger)
and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, one half hour before smoking the pork,
take pork out of refrigerator and rub the pork with 1/2 cup of the
coconut milk. Truss the pork with some butcher's twine and smoke
per your usual method for pulled pork. Try to keep as much of the
spice paste on the pork as possible. This will help to develop the
incredibly tasty bark.

In a pot, add the remainder of the coconut milk, along with 1 cup
water, the chopped lemongrass, a pinch of salt and the palm sugar.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes until thick (like cream)
and fragrant. Mop the pork with this every half hour after the first
2 hours of smoking. Reserve 1/2 cup of the seasoned coconut milk
to be added to the pork when pulling, along with the lime juice.
Salt the pork to taste with alaea, if needed.



Serve your Balinese Pulled Pork on a sesame seed bun with sliced
cucumber (preferably quick-pickled), a tomato slice, a smear of
mayo, a squirt of Sriracha, and a hearty pinch of sliced fresh
herbs: any combination of cilantro, lemon basil, Thai basil,
mint, and shiso (Japanese mint).