QUE CRAWL'S BOUDIN BALLS

Que Crawl's Boudin Balls image

Yield Makes about 40 meatballs

Number Of Ingredients 22

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Ingredients

2 pounds pork butt or shoulder
Salt
Spice rub (purchased or made from chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, mustard seed, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper, to taste)
5 cloves garlic, 1 minced
1/2 sweet onion, such as Walla Walla or Vidalia
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
3 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh sage
1 cup Louisiana popcorn rice or long-grain white rice
6 ounces duck livers, finely chopped
3 green onions
Canola oil, for brushing and frying
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
6 eggs, beaten
2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
Dipping sauce (preferably garlic aioli)

Steps:

Heat a smoker to 180° to 200°F, preferably using a mixture of oak, hickory, and pecan.
Season the pork butt liberally with salt and the rub, place in a large pan, and transfer to the smoker. Cook for about 6 hours. Remove the pork from the smoker, cover the pan with a lid or tented foil, and transfer to a 250°F oven. Cook until you can pull the meat apart with a gentle tug, about 2 additional hours. Remove from the oven, let cool, and shred the pork. Set aside. Reserve the pan juices.
While the pork is cooking, purée 4 cloves of garlic, the onion, celery, and bell peppers in a food processor. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the onion mixture until all of the moisture has evaporated.
Add the chicken stock, 3/4 cup of the reserved stock, the cayenne, bay leaves, thyme, and sage and bring to a boil. Add the popcorn rice, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and set aside.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and duck livers and sauté until browned, about 7 minutes. Set aside.
Brush the green onions with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Either grill them until they are lightly charred, about 2 minutes, or sauté until the edges brown, about 4 minutes. Chop finely.
In a large bowl, using your hands, mix together the pulled pork, cooked rice, duck livers, and green onions, then form the mixture into golf ball-size balls.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large heavy-bottomed pan to 350°F. (The oil should be at least 3 inches deep.) Meanwhile, spread the flour on a plate, put the beaten eggs in a shallow bowl, and spread the bread crumbs on a separate plate. Dredge the boudin balls in the flour, then the beaten eggs, and then the bread crumbs and carefully drop into the hot oil. Working in batches, fry them until brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.