Sunday Family Dinner

One of my favorite things to do with my friends is to eat. So, I was rather excited when Chris and Andrew planned an impromptu family dinner.

They made this gorgeous pork butt recipe called bo ssam. I mean, it looked like a work of art with the shiny glaze and glistening crust.  When I arrived at their home, I was almost knocked over by the fantastic smell of slow roasting pork.

Speaking of pork butt, I have long wondered why it is called the pork butt when it actually comes from the pig’s shoulder. After some research, I learned that the term (most commonly referred to as the “Boston butt”) comes from the barrels called “butts” that were used for storage and transport of the meat.  This cut of meat was popular in New England prior to and during the Revolutionary War period, hence the name “Boston butt.”

Chris and Andrew cooked an excellent pork butt. The meat was juicy and tender, but it also had this crispy, caramelized crust. The crust may have been my favorite part. I had a mini come to Jesus moment when I got a good bite of that crust.

They served the pork with white rice, kimchi, and a dressing made from soy sauce, ginger, and scallions. Plus, they served it with butter lettuce to make it into a lettuce wrap. It was a cool idea, but it ended up being very messy because of all the juices from the meat.

To top off our meal, I made a dessert. I told Chris I would bring some sort of dessert or another side. I made a recipe from Food & Wine: buttermilk cake with blackberries. I had all the cake staples, plus I had some leftover buttermilk from when I made biscuits.  With just a little thought and effort, I had a last minute dessert plan.

The cake turned out beautifully. It had this perfect brown crust, but the inside was light and moist, especially with the juices released from the blackberries. I topped it with fresh blackberries, and served it with Ready Whip. I would prefer to make my own whipped cream, but I didn’t feel like going back to the store for heavy cream.

I would say that we enjoyed a relaxing evening together (all five of us in total). It was a great way to spend a Sunday evening before having to go back to the grind again in the morning.