Slow Roasted Pork Neck, Green Apple Purée, Grilled Cabbage, and Mustard Jus

Season pork neck with salt and pepper. Tightly wrap pork in a double layer of plastic wrap so it is uniformly cylindrical. Wrap pork again in cheesecloth and tie each end off with butchers twine. Refrigerate 2 hours to set the shape. Fill a pot with water and heat to 135°F. Poach wrapped pork for 3 hours; chill in ice water bath. Unwrap pork, pat dry, and cut into 6-ounce portions.

Peel, core, and quarter apples and place in a large sealable bag. Squeeze lemon over apples. Add juniper, salt, and olive oil to bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Keep apples in bag and blanch for 5 minutes, until the apples are soft. Remove juniper from bags and transfer contents to a high-speed blender. Blend on high speed for 5 minutes. While blender is running, add xanthan gum. Pass mixture through chinois, cool, cover, and refrigerate.

Starting in a cold pot, slowly render bacon. Add butter and brown slightly, stirring occasionally so the bacon doesn't burn. Add shallot and garlic and cook until soft. Add thyme and cook until aromatic. Drain off fat. Add stock, bring to simmer, and reduce by half, skimming off impurities that accumulate on surface. Strain through Superbag. Finish sauce with mustard and season with balsamic. It should be slightly tart and refreshing, but not overly sour. This will make more sauce than needed for 4 to 6 servings.

Prepare a charcoal grill and heat to medium high. Heat oven to 500°F. In a pan over medium flame, heat just enough oil to coat bottom. Season cabbage wedges with salt and olive oil. Chargrill until cut sides of cabbage are dark and crisp. Sear pork neck in pan until thoroughly browned on both sides. Drain fat from the pan and add 2 ounces Mustard Jus and glaze pork. When internal temperature of pork registers 145°F, remove from pan and let rest. Reserve the reduced Mustard Jus. Trim stem from cabbage and thinly slice wedges and stem and place in a bowl with chives, chile flake, and vinegar; toss to combine. Warm 4 large serving plates. In middle of each plate, spoon a small amount of Green Apple Purée. To one side, place the Pork Neck, to the other, the warm grilled cabbage salad. Finish with reduced Mustard Jus.