Directions

Make the brine. In a large nonreactive pot, add coarse salt, sugar, pickling spice, curing salt, garlic, and tap water. Bring to a boil over high heat and continue boiling until the salts and sugar are completely dissolved in about 3 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the ice water. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, trim the pork removing any sinew (silver skin), or blood spots and veins. Place it in a large heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. Add the brine, squeeze out the air, and seal the bag. Place the bag in a half pan to contain any leaks. Brine the pork in the refrigerator for 5 days, turning it over daily to brine evenly.

Make the rub. In a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, toast the peppercorns until fragrant, shaking the pan occasionally to toast evenly . Transfer the peppercorns to a bowl and let cool. In a spice grinder, coarsely grind peppercorns. Separately, mix the Kansas City Style and Texas Style rub together and set aside.

Drain the pork, discarding the brine. Rinse well, drain again, and blot dry with paper towels. Place the pork on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with the toasted peppercorns on all sides and rub into the meat with your fingertips to thoroughly crust the entire pork shoulder. Sprinkle the mixed rubs on the pork to evenly coat. If time permits, let the pork shoulder rest overnight. The pork shoulder can be smoked right away if needed.

Preheat smoker to 300 F following manufacturer’s instructions.

Place the pork fat side up, if the meat has a fat cap, in the smoker. Smoke until the meat is cooked and tender to an internal temperature of 160 F in about 3 hours. For sliced porkstrami, transfer the pork to a rimmed baking sheet and let cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled. Slice the pork pastrami across the grain as thinly as possible.

For pulled porkstrami, put pork shoulder on top of heavy-duty foil. Top with stick of butter. Wrap shoulder butt and butter tightly with foil. Return to the smoker for about an hour until the internal temperature reaches approximately 203 F, or when the pork probes like a hot knife in butter. Let the pork rest at least 30 minutes or longer after taking off the smoker. Pull apart with your hands. Wear hot gloves to pull. The pork will still be hot.

To prepare the totchos, cook tater tots as directed on the bag for extra crispy.

Spray a large cast iron skillet with duck fat spray. Place half of the sliced peppers in the bottom of the skillet. Spread the cooked tots evenly over the top of the peppers. Spread pulled Prairie Fresh porkstrami over the tots. Sprinkle the cheese and remaining peppers over the top.

Place the skillet back on the 300-F smoker for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling around the edges.

While the cheese is melting, make the sauce to drizzle over the top. In a mixing bowl, mix mayonnaise, Tangy Tennessee sauce and horseradish together. Adjust the horseradish to taste. The flavors from the tots and porkstrami will mellow out the horseradish, once applied.

Using a hot glove, remove the skillet from the smoker. Caution: the skillet will be extremely hot.

Drizzle the sauce mixture on the totchos and garnish with pulled porkstrami, chopped green onion tops and cilantro.

Dig in and enjoy.