Southern Style Pulled Pork Pies with Buttermilk-Chive Biscuits

This can be made in individual servings or in a large casserole.  I chose the casserole as I didn't have enough individual dishes.  From Food and Drink Autumn 2011.

FILLING

1.25 kg boneless pork shoulder roast

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp sweet smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 cups canned diced tomatoes

1 cup water

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup molasses

2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 tsp granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp table salt

1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

1/4 cup finely chopped chives

3/4 cup buttermilk (or soured milk)

Additional buttermilk for glaze

• For filling, preheat the oven to 325F and adjust oven rack to lower middle position. 
• If pork is enclosed in a net bag, remove bag and tie pork with string to make a compact roast.  Pat pork dry and season generously all over with salt and pepper.  In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium high heat.  Add pork to pot and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning often until browned on all sides.  Remove pork from pot and set aside on a large plate.
• Add more oil to pot if necessary and reduce heat to medium.  Add onion to pot and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until softened and golden brown.  Add garlic chili powder, paprika, cumin and cayenne and cook, stirring for 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Add tomatoes, water, vinegar, molasses and Worcestershire sauce to pot.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pot.  return pork to pot, along with any juices that have accumulated on plate.  Cover pot tightly and transfer to oven.  Cook for 30 minutes.
• Reduce temperature to 300F and cook for 1 hour more.  Turn pork over and cook for a further 1 1/2 hours or until pork is very tender.
• When pork is ready, remove from the pot and set aside on a large cutting board.  Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 15 minutes.
• With a large spoon, skim any fat from sauce in pot.  Boil sauce over medium high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to about2 cups.  Remove from the heat.
• Snip strings on pork and remove.  With 2 forks, shred pork finely, discarding any visible fat.  In a large bowl, stir together pork, corn, parsley and reduced sauce.  SEason with more salt and pepper if necessary.  Divide pork mixture among six 2 cup individual baking dishes or into large casserole.  
• For buttermilk biscuits, preheat the oven to 425F.
• Put flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor.  Pulse once or twice until combined.  Add butter and pulse about 10 times or until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  tip flour mixture into a medium bowl and stir in chives.  Add buttermilk and mix lightly with a fork just until dough holds together and no dry spots remain.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly.  Divide dough into 6 even sized balls.  Flatten each ball to 1/2 inch thickness and put  1 on top of each pie or all 6 in the casserole.  Brush biscuits with additional buttermilk.  Put on large baking sheet.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until biscuits have risen well and are golden brown and pork mixture is bubbling.

Serves 6