Revel in the comforts of cozy Southern cooking

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Trim the excess fat from the pork butt. In a small bowl, mix together the pepper, kosher salt, cumin, thyme, sage, chili powder, paprika, mustard, and garlic powder. Rub the pork with an even coating of the seasoning mix.

In a heavy ovenproof pot or small Dutch oven (the pork should fit snugly in the pan), heat the oil. Sear the meat over medium heat, browning well on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Add the root beer (the liquid should come about 1/3 of the way up the meat), and cover the pot with a lid.

Place the pot in the oven and bake for 1 hour, then turn the meat over. Cover and continue baking until the meat is tender enough to shred, and 1 more hour.

Remove the pot from the oven. In a large bowl, shred the pork using 2 forks (you should have about 4 cups of shredded meat). Skim the fat from the pan juices, and stir in the pork and barbecue sauce. Place the pan uncovered in the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, until the juices thicken. Serve immediately.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Cut the unpeeled tomatoes into ½-inch slices. Sprinkle the slices with salt and pepper to taste. Let the tomato slices stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, have 4 shallow dishes or bowls ready. Place the buttermilk in the first dish, flour in the second dish, and eggs in the third dish. Place breadcrumbs in the last dish, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet on medium heat. Dip the tomato slices in the milk, then flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs. 

Fry the tomatoes in batches (do not crowd the pan) on each side for 3 to 4 minutes, or until brown. Place in the heated oven as you cook the remaining tomatoes. Add more olive oil to the skillet as needed.

Serve immediately, garnished with grated ricotta salata cheese, a drizzle of Roasted Red Pepper Aioli, and chopped scallion.