Michigan Luau

Directions

1. Place potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnip, and carrots into a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Place pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Skim and foam that rises to the top. Cook poi until all vegetables are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain well and return to the pot. Add the butter, salt, pepper, and olive oil and mash by hand with a potato masher. Add the fresh herbs, adjust the seasoning and reserve to keep warm.
2. Place coconut milk, sugar, balsamic, and coconut into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Once simmering, place the gelatin in a medium size bowl and pour in the cherry juice. Pour the hot coconut milk over the top and whisk to combine. Place this mixture in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours. Once the gelatin is firm, whisk the heavy cream in a separate medium-size bowl until thickened. Add the powdered sugar and whisk to combine. Fold the heavy cream into the cherry coconut gelatin making sure to combine well. Let mousse refrigerate overnight. Pipe or spoon into service bowls and garnish with toasted coconut, chopped macadamia nuts, and chocolate flakes. (Alternatively, pipe mousse into the chocolate cup and garnish with toasted coconut and macadamia nuts.)
3. Place a scoop of Michigan Poi in the center of a serving plate then spoon some of the balsamic Pork around the Michigan Poi and drizzle some of the juice from the pork over the top. Garnish each plate with a couple of slices of apples and pears and serve with the Cherry-Coconut Mousse on the side.
4. Whisk the cherry juice, balsamic, shallot, garlic, honey and salt and pepper in a medium size bowl until the honey is dissolved. Remove 1/4 cup of this mixture for the marinade and store the rest in the refrigerator. Rub the 1/4 cup of marinade all over the pork and place in a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight., Remove the pork from the bag and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour prior to cooking.
5. Prepare a charcoal grill for indirect cooking. Place the pork directly over the coals and sear all sides. Move pork to the indirect side of the grill, cover and cook until tender, basting with some of the reserved marinade every 30 to 40 minutes. If the temperature is low enough, the pork may take 3 to 4 hours to cook depending on cut and size. Remove pork from grill when temperature approaches 190 degrees.
6. Let pork stand until you can use your hands to separate meat from fat and bone. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place meat into oven proof pan, add the rest of the reserved marinade and the 1/4 cup of water. Cover tightly and bake in oven until pork is soft and liquid has reduced slightly, 30 to 40 minutes.