Dude Food: Simplify Valentine's Day

Whether your love is female or male they want to be indulged, just not too much.

If you decide to cook for your beloved achieving the perfect balance can be hard. Nonetheless, a quiet evening away from the bustle of a noisy restaurant can be far more romantic.

1. Set the Scene.

Linen Napkins
Candles
Dim Lights
Great wine (the champagne comes later)
Beautifully set table
Flowers
Clean

1st course: Composed Salad

How beautiful is this, it sets the tone. Your partner will appreciate that you took the time to make such a wonderful healthy dish. The composition is the indulgence. And it's easy. 

In this one we have...

Raw Cucumber

Grilled zucchini (Quickly roasted in a hot oven works just as well)

Peas

Green Beans

Lettuce mix

The great thing about this is the beauty is in the composition so you can choose any vegetables you find. Simply blanch them until they are bright and colorful and then put into ice water to stop further cooking. 

The simple dressing: 

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cups fresh dill

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

Pulse in the food processor and drizzle just before serving. 

Now What? Dipping veg in boiling water is easy but a main can be more difficult....Nah!

12 hour Pork Shoulder

Rub, leave overnight put in oven and leave alone. It really is that simple. Start with 8 lbs of Shoulder or Boston Butt. 

1/8 cup cumin

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/8 cup white pepper

1/8 cup cumin

1/8 cup chili powder

1/8 cup or more cayenne (depends on how much spice you like)

1/8 cup salt

24 hours before roasting, rub the seasoning all over the pork, get under the fat and into every crevice. Cover and let is soak in for 24 hours. If you have a smoker you can of course smoke it. 

12 hours before serving put on a rack over a pan with a little water in the pan ( to give the fat a place to drip as it renders) and cover with foil. 

Turn the oven to 225 and walk away. Check after 10 hours and if soft and falling apart then remove, keep covered and let rest for at least an hour. 

While the pork is resting put two potatoes in the oven that have been scrubbed and wrapped in foil. They take about an hour and will be soft when poked with a fork. 

Make sure you have

Butter

Sour cream (no low fat crud)

Chives (chop with scissors)

You already had your vegetables and it is time to indulge. 

Split the potato with a knife and separate to put on the plate. Pull the pork apart, the seasoning gives it a lot of flavor, no sauce required. 

The final course is almost too easy. 

Buy a nice sparkling Cava, put in a glass with a scoop of raspberry or passion fruit sorbet on top. Serve with two beautiful chocolate truffles you got a a nice candy store (NO Russell Stover). 

You are now a Romantic Hero Dude.