Roast Pork with Garlic & Rosemary- How to Cook Everything

Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" is another one of my favorite cookbooks. My sister in law, Laurie, got this for us as an engagement gift (I think?) and I refer to it constantly. It is exactly what it says. The Basics. They discuss every type of food and each section discussed the types and then a basic recipe with variations. This is a must cookbook for anyone, in my opinion.

This week's project was pork roast, which was (of course) on sale at Acme. I picked up a 4lb roast and decided to do a simple method, as this is my first time ever working with pork when it isn't in the crock pot.

The reason I like HTCE is that it's perfect for something like this. The "Basics of Pork Roast" section starts with a discussion on the various types of roasts available and what they are best used for. There was the standard recipe, which I went with, and another variation with sage and potatoes that also looked tasty. I opted for the simpler option.

I started by cutting small deep slits around the roast and inserting slivers of garlic into the roast. I rubbed it with salt, covered it back up with saran wrap and put the roast back in the fridge for about 2 more hours. When the time came for roasting, I made a rub with rosemary, minced garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, and cayenne and rubbed it all over. Cooked the meat for 15 minutes at 450, then for another hour at 325, pouring a 1/2 cup of stock over the meat every 20 minutes or until it starts producing enough juices for basting. My oven is notoriously long when it comes to meats, so I ended up cooking it another half hour to temp. The roast is to be cooked to 145 or 150 in the center and then sits while you prepare the rest of the meal. I have such a hard time wth meat thermometers- I don't know why but I always end up stabbing the poor thing to death trying to figure out if it's done.

Once we were ready for carving, I called in my father in law for assistance. Carving is another one of my weak points and his wife volunteered him for the job. I'm glad, too, because it was carved perfectly! The meat was fantastic- moist and delicious and I loved the little surprises of garlic inside the roast. I saved the bone in the freezer to make red beans and rice, which I'm sure you'll read about at a later date!

For a sauce, I heated up the roasting on the stove top and whisked it a bit to gain juices and reduce it down. I got a little impatient with this, so I added a little corn starch to the juices to thicken it up and voila! Sauce!

The meal was served with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and.....

Spinach to Like
(Unfortunately, I don't know where the recipe came from as it's in a book that I wrote stuff in years ago)
2 pkgs frozen spinach, thawed and drained
8oz sour cream
1/2 pkg onion soup mix
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Mix spinach with sour cream and soup mix, put in a casserole, top with breadcrumbs and bake for 30 min at 350.
This tasted good, but was a little overcooked and the cream was almost a little curdled. I love my spinach gratin recipe and hoped this might be an easier way to make something similar. I probably wouldn't make this again, though.

All in all, great meal! The pork was about $8 and fed 4 of us with leftovers and a bone for future use! Not bad....

Roast Pork with Garlic & Rosemary
salt and freshly ground pepper, to tast
2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary leaves, or 1t dried rosemary
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 (3-4 lb) pork loin roast, bone-in, or 1 (2-3 lb) boneless roast, or a similar size portion of fresh ham
1 1/2 cups dry white wine, or stock, approximately
1 Tbsp butter, optional

1. preheat oven to 450F. Mix liberal amounts of salt & pepper together with the spices and garlic, and rub it all over the roast. Place the meat in a roasting pan (use a rack if the roast is boneless, but don't bother if the bone is still in) and put in the oven. Roast, undisturbed, for 15 minutes
2. Open the oven and pour about 1/2 cup of wine or stock over the roast; lower the heat to 325F. Continue to roast, adding 1/4 cup of liquid every 15 minutes or so. If the liquid accumulates on the bottom of the pan, use it to baste. If not, add more.
3. Start checking the roast at 1 1/4 hours of total cooking time (it's likely to take about 1 1/2 hours). When it is done- a meat thermometer will register 145F to 150F- remove it to a warm platter. Pu the roasting pan on the stove top set to medium high. If there is a great deal of liquid in it, reduce it to about 3/4 cup, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any brown bits that have accumulated. If the pan is dry, add 1 cup of liquid and follow the same idea. When the sauce has reduced some, stir in the butter if you like, slice the roast, and serve it with the sauce