–Molly Engquist, WDW Radio Team
May the 4th be with you! If you hear this today and know what it means, you are my people. You are probably wearing a Star Wars t-shirt too, or even better, going to a celebration as your favorite character.
We all have our favorite character, droid, movie and even book. It wasn’t until Disney created Batuu that we were also able to have our favorite taste. Since I can’t go to the parks to get a lightsaber, churro, or popcorn today, I’ll make a Ronto Wrap at home. I found a recipe from Brandon Pam in her Official Disney Parks Cookbook that just came out in February. (If you have been following along, you know how much I love her cookbooks.)
It was easy to make in stages to spread out the process. I made the slaw and the sauce ahead of time, then the pork the day of, then the sausages when we were ready to eat. Follow along and see how the first time making this went.
RONTO WRAP SLAW
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
2½ tablespoons sambal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup matchstick carrots
3 cups shredded cabbage
Mix together the first 7 items on the list then add in the carrots and cabbage. For the cabbage, I used Napa Cabbage because it has a sweeter taste and just because I like it better. You could also get the bag slaw mix, but you should try it with better ingredients at least once. I also doubled up the slaw ingredients because I didn’t want to waste the cabbage. I’m glad I did because I can eat that alone, it’s that good!
Here’s how I cut the carrots into matchsticks. Clean the carrots (I used 4 since I doubled up) and cut into even sections. Then cut off a little of the bottom so it sits flat when cutting thin slices the long way. Stack those into 2 piles and cut more thin slices so you end up with, yes, matchstick size pieces of carrots. Google how to do it, there are numerous videos to show you. Cutting the cabbage is just as easy. Cut it into quarters, place one of the flat sides down and cut thin slices from the top until you get close to the core with less of the leaf.
PEPPERCORN SAUCE
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground sumac
½ tablespoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
⅛ teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
For the sauce, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl until combined. Then you can put both the slaw and the sauce in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
ROASTED PORK SHOULDER
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 pounds pork butt
2 tablespoons coarse salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
There are many different ways to make the roast. You can prepare it however you like the best. You can smoke it in a smoker, indirect cook on the grill, slow cook in a crock pot, or just roast it in the oven. I wanted to grill everything, but the weather wasn’t on the same page as me. So I put it in the oven at 300 degrees for 2½ to 3 hours until the internal temperature was 160, then I covered it with tinfoil for 15 minutes to rest. Then I cut it in 1/8” thick slices and set that aside.
GRILLED SAUSAGES
8 (4-ounce) smoked sausage
Like I said before, the weather wasn’t cooperating so I couldn’t use the grill outside. Instead I used a cast iron grill pan. I found the Eckrich brand smoked sausages are a bit long, but they were the best I could find. Once the pan gets to medium temperature, grill the sausages on each side for about 7 minutes. I removed those and kept them warm and placed 4 slices of the pork on the pan to heat them up and add some nice grill marks. Once those were done, about 1 minute on each side, I set them aside and kept them warm.
GRILLED OR TOASTED PITA BREAD
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 pita flatbreads
For the pita bread, I found bigger ones that were just a bit smaller than the sausage. I wiped a little oil on the pan with a paper towel and warmed up the pita for about 1 minute on each side — again trying to make the cool grill marks.
For plating, place 2 pieces of the pork on the pita and then the sausage on top. (Yes, these were a bit longer than I thought and could be cut down to fit better, but I just went with it at this point.) Top that with about a 1/2 cup of the slaw, then drizzle the sauce on top of that.
I paired the Ronto Wrap with a Sangiovese, because I think it usually goes with anything. But I moved to an ale because the spices from the wrap didn’t fight with that as much. I’ll save the wine for a pasta dish later.
I ended up stuffing the pita too much and the whole thing broke apart. So I had to finish it with a fork and knife, but it still tasted great! I really liked this dish and will be doing it again. It will be great for company because you can make the majority of it ahead, leaving you time to entertain instead of in the kitchen or at the grill the whole time. Since I didn’t make all of the sausages, I’ll grill them in a few days and let you know in the Clubhouse how it holds up.
What is your favorite food or drink in Batuu, and have you tried to recreate any of it at home? The blue or green milk or the popcorn? I would love to see and hear how it went. And as always, “May the Force Be With You!”
