Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Pork and Poppins

Last year I found the recipe for this pork roast on this website.



I wrote on the recipe, "Excellent."  And that one word sums it up well.

So yummy,  so delicious, the whole family gobbles it up faster than you can say, "supercalifragilisticexpealidocious."



Want to know a secret?  It is easy - only 7 ingredients, including the pork roast - which I bet you have in your cupboard right this moment.  Things you use all the time, like salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar, or even garlic and oregano.


There, I gave you all the ingredients.  Enjoy!




What?  What's that you're saying?






Mmmmm,  yes, mmm-hmmmm, I see.  You do have a point.







Okay, I guess it might be helpful to give you quantities.  It might be useful to have it turn out the very first time.

Here it is.

Pork Shoulder Roast - from the above website with my notes added

1 boneless pork shoulder (about 4 pounds), fat on (I used a pork arm, bone-in)
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
2 Tablespoons Kosher salt (I've used table salt before)
1 Tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper (I've used regular black pepper before)
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil (I use olive)
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar (I use balsamic)*

Place the pork, fat-side up, in a roasting pan covered with foil for easy clean-up** and using a sharp knife, score the surface of the meat with slits about an inch or two deep.

Mash the garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper into a paste on a cutting board with the flat side of a knife; place the mixture in a bowl and stir in the oil and vinegar. (I just mix everything in my mixing cup, and use one of those garlic presses to smoosh the garlic cloves.)

Rub the garlic paste all over the pork, being sure to get into the incisions so the salt can penetrate the meat and pull out the moisture - this will help form a crust on the outside when cooked.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roast the pork for 3 hours, covered.  Then heat the oven up to 400 degrees and uncover the roast and cook for another 30 minutes.  (Mine was ready to change the temperature after 2 and a half hours of cooking - so total time was 3 hours, not 3 and a half.)

*If, like me, you get interrupted while fixing supper, and forget to add the vinegar, don't worry.  I experimented was interrupted tonight and left out the vinegar and it still tasted delicious.  I didn't even know I had forgotten something till I typed the recipe.  I can't vouch for leaving out any of the other ingredients.  But if I try it, I'll let you know how that tastes, too.

Yes, I think you should make it.  Yes, I think you'll like it.  Yes, I want you to lie to me when you try it and you don't like it, because I want to be in denial that everything I cook people like. :-)




**It probably is a good idea to do this step.  I usually don't and my pan usually looks like this.


Don't yell, I'm practically perfect in every way.  And I do spray it with non-stick cooking spray first.  But even then, I have to let it soak for awhile before I decide to tackle it.


Just look at that baked-on, peppery, garlic paste mixed with roast juices all over the bottom and sides.

Would you want to come do my dishes?  I would cook for you.  We'd have a lovely Fall Dinner.

The menu would include Pork Roast, served with sautéd apples with red cabbage, and sautéd green beans with onions.

Sounds like a deal to me.  And then we can watch Mary Poppins.

4 comments:

Katie said...

Yes, please! The meal sounds perfect and so does Mary Poppins. See you soon! :)Oh, and I WILL be making this roast - I will get back to you on the ingredient I forget! p.s. I still greatly enjoy your blog!

Glenda said...

:-D Thanks Katie.

Well have you and the family anytime!

Katie said...

I wanted to update you and let you know I made this meal when my in-laws recently made the trip to Indiana to meet their first granddaugther. It was AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing. Josh said it was by far the best roast I've made yet. It is here to stay. :) Thank you!

Glenda said...

I'm glad everyone liked it Katie!

Snuggle that cute little girl for me, and Happy Birthday a couple of days early from all of us.