Roasted Pulled Pork on Cheesy Grits Cakes with Collards

1. Brining: In an oversize resealable plastic bag or a large plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, combine the salt, sugar, bay leaves, garlic, and peppercorns. Add just enough water to mix and dissolve ingredients. Place roast in bag and fill with enough water to completely cover. Place bag in a leakproof container and refrigerate overnight, but not longer than 24 hours.

2. Seasoning: Preheat oven to 250°F. Remove roast from brine and pat dry. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper. Rub mixture all over roast. Place on a rack in a roasting pan. Insert an ovenproof thermometer in thickest part of roast. Add 1/2 cup water to bottom of pan.

3. Cooking: Place roasting pan, uncovered, in oven. Bake until internal temperature reaches 200°F, 8 to 10 hours. Add 1/2 cup water to bottom of pan every 1 to 2 hours. Remove meat from pan, reserving juices, and wrap well in foil; let rest 30 to 45 minutes.

4. Using two forks, shred roast, place in a serving dish, and moisten with some of the reserved baking juices. Serve on Cheesy Grits Cakes with Braised Cabbage Collards, if desired.

Cheesy Grits Cakes

1. In a 4- to 6-qt. pot bring milk to a boil over medium and add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. (Omit salt if using stock.) Gradually stir in grits and reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Mixture will be very thick and pull away from sides of pan. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, butter, chives, cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper,.

2. Spread grits in an even layer in a 9x13-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least 4 hours). Using a 2-inch cookie cutter or a sharp knife, cut into cakes; refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 3 days).

3. To serve, transfer cakes to a baking sheet lined with foil. Broil 5 inches from heat 5 to 7 minutes until lightly golden brown. If desired, top with Roasted Pulled Pork and/or Braised Cabbage Collards. Makes 20 cakes.

Braised Cabbage Collards

1. Strip greens from stems and rinse thoroughly to remove dirt and sand. Discard stems. Working a few at a time, stack leaves on top of each other, roll up, and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Set aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low. Cook garlic slowly to extract flavor but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add greens to pan, a handful at a time; stir. Greens will cook down quickly. Add 2 cups stock, 1 tablespoon sugar, and crushed red pepper. Simmer, covered, until tender, 45 to 60 minutes, adding additional stock as necessary. Stir in vinegar; add kosher salt to taste. Serves 8.

Collard greens can sometimes be found packaged already stemmed and sliced. Use two 10-oz. packages.