Pork Roast

Here's what I did with the 8-1/2# pork roast my husband brought home:

Heat the oven to 325ª

I made a slurry- a paste of oil and seasonings and spread it evenly over the roast.  In a small bowl combine all these ingredients and smear over the roast:

2 Tb. olive oil

1 Tb. worcestershire sauce

1 Tb. balsamic vinegar

1 Tb. dark brown mustard

1 Tb. brown sugar

1 crushed garlic clove

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. Trader Joe's 21-season salute (non salt all seasoning)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

Sprinkle with additional freshly ground black pepper. 

 Put roast in the oven, bake for 2 hours. Kick the heat up to 350º -  To the pan,           

add 1-1/2 cups water to the pan. Return to oven for another hour.

Take out of oven and test with a meat thermometer, making sure the end of it is in the thickest part of the roast (and not on a bone).  It should register @170º for COOKED pork (I'm not a fan of medium/pink pork.).

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before carving.  Use the pan drippings to make a gravy (which is what I did for the pork and mashed potatoes)  or pour it over the sliced meat.

Pork TWO WAYS

How do I cook efficiently? I'll make a couple meals at one time, especially when the weekend arrives and I don't want to be in the kitchen at kickoff time! This weekend- problem solved. I made pork two ways:

Buy a large, boneless pork loin (6-10#) and cut it in half.

I'll generously season one pc. (LOTS of black pepper, minced garlic, oregano, rosemary, lemon zest, salt...) and roast it in the oven @350º until it's done. I canNOT eat pork 'pink' (as chefs are promoting lately) - I use a meat thermometer to test the thickest part and remove it from the oven when it's reached.

The other half is for something else & today's something else happens to be pulled pork. 

Pulled pork

Take 6# boneless pork (I used lean, boneless country ribs but a boneless roast is fine) - rub with olive oil and spread with a mixture of seasonings:salt, fresh ground black pepper, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, seasoned salt, cumin powder.
Put the seasoned pork in a greased 9x13" pan. Crush/mince 4 cloves of garlic, slice a large white onion (2+ cups) and scatter over the pork. Bake, uncovered for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.... OR toss the meat on a hot BBQ grill and cook the meat for several minutes on each side (making a golden crust & being careful not to burn it) - then bake the meat/onions/garlic in a pan as stated above.

Remove from the oven & in a bowl, mix together & pour over the pork: 1 cup ginger ale, 1 cup water, 1/4 cup catsup, 4 Tblsp. worcestershire sauce & 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce (home made or bottled - I used Jack Daniels brand). Cover pan tightly, return to oven & bake @325 degrees for 2-1/2 - 3 hours until pork is ultra tender. Uncover and mash pork with a potato masher or pull it apart with forks. If you like it 'saucier', add more sauce before serving.