"Pulled" Kasseler from the Roman pot

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 kg Kasseler neck
• 1 tsp juniper berries
• 1 tsp allspice berries
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1 apple, sour
• 2 onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp honey
• 200 ml water
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 chili pepper(s), optional

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 8 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 6 hours; Total time approx. 14 hours 30 minutes

tender and juicy

For this recipe, you need a piece of smoked pork, which shouldn’t be too lean! So it’s best to buy a piece from the neck or rump. It should be smoked. You can also use several smaller pieces, which has the advantage that the pulled meat fibers aren’t as long afterwards. I had two pieces, each about 500g. Make a rub from juniper berries, allspice berries, peppercorns, and thyme in a mortar and pestle. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can either carefully chop the spices with a knife or put them in a food processor. It should be quite powdery. Rub the pork with it and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. On the day of preparation: Soak the Roman pot in water for at least 20 minutes! Peel and roughly dice the onions. Slice the peeled garlic cloves. Core and roughly dice the apple; peeling is not necessary. Add the salt and honey and pour in a little water. If you like, you can add a chili pepper, but I didn’t have any. I could also imagine a shot of whiskey adding it to the broth. Place the marinated smoked pork on top of the broth. Place the closed Roman pot in a cold oven and cook the smoked pork at 120°C (250°F) top/bottom heat for about 6 hours. From time to time, you can baste the pork with a little broth. To “pull” the meat, or tear it apart, it’s best to lift it into a bowl or casserole dish. Then shred the meat with two sturdy forks. Since it’s buttery soft and juicy, this is very easy. Add a little broth from the Roman pot to the meat and mix it well so it’s nice and juicy, but not swimming around. Homemade pointed cabbage salad (see my recipe) goes well with it. You can serve both in pita bread, a flatbread wedge, or a burger bun and enjoy it by hand. But it also tastes great on its own from a plate.