Roast Pork and The First Snow

Happy New Year! I hope that you all had a great one.

Though I have lived in The South for more than half of my life, I can't quite get accustomed to eating black-eyed peas to celebrate the New Year. I would much prefer to follow the traditions of my German family and eat pork and sauerkraut, which either my grandmother or mom usually made in the beginning of January. Eating sauerkraut is said to bring blessings and wealth and is eaten along with pork, the pig being said to be a symbol of good luck and well-being. Though I imagine that doctors might argue these fine points, my dad is alive and well at almost 93, so I will maintain this hearty, if not healthy, tradition!

After years of eating lean and healthy pork tenderloin, I yearned for my grandma's slow-roasted pork that was loaded with flavor, melted in your mouth and had that delicious crust on it. I remember her starting it early in the morning in the oven that she had in the basement so that it wouldn't heat up the whole house. There it sat slow roasting until we arrived on the scene mid-afternoon.

Though tenderloin is a lot healthier, I feel that it lacks the flavor that we experienced in the old days. And since this is a meal that I usually only make once each year, a little splurging can't hurt! The recipe that I use is from the the "Make-Ahead Recipes 2010" issue of Cooks Illustrated, which is my favorite cooking magazine.

On New Year's Eve we went to a party given by our neighbors who live across the street, and on Sunday we had the two of them over for a roast pork and sauerkraut dinner. Though the recipe is intended to be a make-ahead version, I can't bear to wait to eat it, so I make it as a roast to be eaten when ready.

Note: I use what we call a fresh (not smoked) pork picnic,

WITH the bone,

rather than a boneless Boston Butt, 

which I have tried but didn't like as well.

I don't bother to tie the meat.

After trimming most of the fat

(the rest is cooked out during the slow-roasting,

and makes wonderful drippings for gravy),

fresh rosemary (still growing in my herb garden),

freshly cracked black pepper, table salt,

fresh sage leaves (NOT still growing in my herb garden!),

 fennel seeds, and garlic,

are mixed together...

...and then rubbed all over the meat,

which is then put in the oven for three hours

at 300 degrees.

During this time you do nothing

except inhale the wonderful aroma

of it cooking,

and quite literally,

this starts in less than 15 minutes!...

After the three hours,

you take out the meat,

add the wedged-up red onions

to the drippings that have already accumulated...

...and roast for another 3 to 3-1/2 hours,

during which time I keep an eye on it and add

a cup or so of water

(or white wine!)

and then it will look like this...

At this point I don't follow the recipe any further.

I make my own gravy (not the apple cider and

apple jelly version).

I also don't set any meat aside for Cubans.

Here is the recipe, which I hope you can enlarge

and print...

If you wish to make the roast and Cubans as specified,

here is the rest of the recipe...

And here is the recipe that I use when I make

most of my gravies.

I could never remember the formula of butter

and flour to drippings,

and this seems to work for me.

From Pinterest, where else!

I do use just a little less flour than specified.

For the pork I use chicken stock or broth,

but this also works well for beef recipes

using beef stock or broth.

Ignore my chicken scratch on the bottom!

By the way, for side dishes I made

a Martha Stewart recipe that I have been

using for years with saurkraut,

white cabbage, and browned mushrooms

in it,

along with mashed potatoes 

and a spinach salad with pears and

Gorgonzola cheese.

Oh, and NY Cheesecake,

another standby from the same issue of

Cooks Illustrated as the pork.

If you're going to cook,

you might as well cook!!

*********************************

And a day after eating this nice winter meal,

low and behold,

we got snow! 

It didn't stick, though!

Have you cooked anything delicious lately?

Have a great evening!