Pork for a good cause

Monday was Redbones' Annual Pig Pickin’ and Benefit to support the Somerville Homeless Coalition. There was meat and cornbread and music; what's not to love?

Each of four porkers was cooked for 20 hours in a smoker like this:



These guys were pulling all the good stuff off the bones:



The menu:



From top left, clockwise: Pork belly; collards; pork skin; pork loin.



The meat, not surprisingly, was fantastic: tender and fatty and falling apart. The skin was blackened but not burnt; it was sweet and smoky, by turns chewy and crisp.



This kid was walking round with his souvenir for most of the night. You could tell he was fascinated by it. I assume his mom found it under his pillow the next day.



We missed the bluegrass band, which was just finishing up as we arrived, but we did get to see the Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band play some good New Orleans sounds.

(I have to remember not to dance if I'm recording; it makes everything look as though I'm on a boat.)



And the event raised $9,000. A good night all round.