Lunching at Mockingbird Cafe

Mockingbird on Alma Vale road has long been on my to eat list. Luckily two recent Fridays Wriggle gave me the opportunity to sample Mockingbird's sandwiches of the week. One was pulled pork in brioche and the other pulled brisket with cheddar and horseradish mayo, both with homemade coleslaw.  But I am skipping ahead of myself. Mockingbird offers a nice variety of brunch dishes as well as some specials, cakes all with a nod to Southern states in America. All dishes can be washed down with local roasted beans from Extract coffee or tea also Bristol based from Canton Tea Company. All run by a friendly and welcoming team.

My oh my these guys know how to make a kick ass sandwich. The pulled pork was hands down the juiciest and most tender I've ever had and the brioche was pillow soft and complimented the pork without detracting from the star of the show.  Likewise with the brisket, it was wonderfully flavoured and the horseradish mayo was perfectly judged in quantity. I personally could have done with a touch more cheese but the gorgeous Hobbs House sourdough more than compensated for that. The coleslaw was light on mayo and big on flavour, apple works so well in slaw that it was the best tangy accompaniment for such sandwiches.

Mockingbird has captured my heart for a hearty lunch, sandwiches for the soul. I am looking forward to sampling their brunch menu, but for now this is my favourite spot for a tasty sandwich it is a charming cafe with a lot of things to love. I am just sorry it has taken me this long to check it out. To find out more about Mockingbird visit their Twitter or their tumblr. 

Pulled Pork Cooked with a Heavy Head

Another entry from our barbecue enthusiast Joe. Last weekend he tacked pulled pork, here are his results:

As the competition creeps ever closer we find ourselves BBQing nearly every weekend.  Now it’s just something we do, like you would have a roast on a Sunday. Saturday morning we find ourselves firing up the coal for starters.  It’s also a time to make mistakes so when it comes to competition day we at least know what not to do. 

Last weekend (24^th March) was a scorcher, everyone was dusting off their rusty BBQs for the first grilling session of the year.  We however, were on our 6th or 7^th BBQ and I got up before everyone else to get it started.  5:30am to be exact and I had a stinking hangover which makes everything a little more difficult. This week it was all about pulled pork.  A favourite in taste but it’s a lengthy cooking process.  

The pork hand (the shoulder also known as the Boston Butt in America) was cooked at 220f for 12 hours. The night before I placed the pork in a brine to add moisture and flavour and I added some spices to the mix.  So in the morning I drained off the shoulder and applied the rub which was made up of typical Amercian BBQ flavours. These measurements are just a guide:

• 1tsp onion powder
• 1tsp garlic powder
• 4tsp paprika
• 1/2tsp ground cumin
• 3tps molasses
• 1tsp tomato powder
• 1tsp salt
• 1tsp pepper

I covered the Pork in American mustard to act like a glue for the rub which was then rubbed in. It was then cooked using indirect heat.  Basically meaning the coals sit on one side of the smoker and a drip tray at the bottom on the other end below the pork so the meat cooks as it would in an oven.  This is achievable with your average kettle BBQ.  We also added small amounts of soaked apple wood throughout the cooking process the lightly smoke it.

The pork turned out well, we gently pulled it apart with forks and tossed it through a BBQ sauce made with left over BBQ rub, ketchup, American mustard and soy sauce. This was cooked down with sliced onion and garlic.We served the pork in buns with homemade coleslaw on the side. Lovely!

The Completed Pulled Pork

     Thanks Joe it looks amazing, I am definitely coming round next time you barbecue. Next week there should be posts on our visit to No. 4 in Clifton Village and Harvey's Wine Cellars plus I shall be gathering info and photos on food and bars to visit in Islington when we visit there on the Easter weekend.