Smokey Tea Pork With Sweet Potatoes And Shiitake Mayo

• 3.5 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed, chopped
• 3 tablespoons ginger, grated or finely chopped
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 lapsang souchong teabags (or 2 T loose tea)
• 2 tablespoons soy
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 sweet potatoes, cut into fries
• 2 tablespoons shiitake powder (from dried shiitakes ground in spice grinder)
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/2 teaspoon sriracha
• 1/2 teaspoon soy
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• oil for frying
• cilantro, chopped for garnish
• green onions, thinly sliced for garnish

1. Cut pork into large chunks and brown in batches in the pot of a pressure cooker (or large pot). Remove to a bowl and add onions, garlic, ginger and black beans to fat. Stir for a few minutes.
2. Steep tea in boiling water about 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and add soy, maple syrup and sherry. Add to onion mixture, scraping up any brown bits on bottom. Return pork. If using pressure cooker, cook on high for about 20 minutes, then place in sink under cold water to release pressure. Otherwise, cover and simmer over low for about an hour and a half or until pork is very tender. Remove lid, crank up heat and reduce sauce to a glaze. When cool enough to handle, break/shred pork into smaller pieces.
3. If frying sweet potatoes: heat 2" of oil in a heavy bottomed pot to 375. Add a small batch of fries and cook until the edges start to crisp. Remove to newspaper or paper towels. Make sure heat is around 375 and add fries again until browned. It happens fast so pay attention. Drain on paper towels, then toss in bowl with salt, and a bit of cilantro and green onion. Finish cooking remaining sweet potatoes.rnrnIf baking: heat oven to 425. Toss sweet potatoes in a couple tablespoons olive oil, season with s&p and bake about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
4. Mix mayo, mushroom powder, sriracha, soy and lemon, adding just enough water to make it drizzle-able.
5. Place a mound of fries on a plate, top with pork, a drizzle of mayo and an extra sprinkle of cilantro and green onion. Eat with a fork, right away.
6. If you don't have a group partaking in this dish, there will be leftovers. As mentioned, the pork is great over rice with something simple and green like broccoli or kale. I usually freeze a packet or two for later. You can also use ribs: baby back, spare, boneless country...the possibilities are endless!

pork shoulder, onion, garlic, fermented black beans, ginger, boiling water, lapsang souchong, soy, maple syrup, sherry, sweet potatoes, shiitake powder, mayo, sriracha, soy, lemon juice, oil, cilantro, green onions

Taken from food52.com/recipes/18488-smokey-tea-pork-with-sweet-potatoes-and-shiitake-mayo (may not work)