I discovered a real husband pleaser in the past few months: pork roast. Our menu normally doesn’t expand much beyond chicken or fish when it comes to meat. So many years of vegetarianism has left me with little confidence with cooking meat, which is funny since I cooked professionally for six years. Get over it, right? I decided to experiment with pork loins and roasts since those seem to be something everyone turns into an overcooked, dry lump of mealy rubber.
I buy pork roast in bulk at the wholesale club, until our local source comes through for us. Pop it out of the freezer and thaw, preferably overnight in the fridge.
- Rinse thawed meat and pat dry.
- Sear on high heat for 30 seconds on each side.
- Place in large Pyrex or roasting pan
- Rub down with a bit of butter. About a tablespoon for just a sheen.
Mix together one tablespoon of each:
- Dried rosemary
- Garlic granules/powdered garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dried thyme
- Plus three tablespoons of dried minced onions
Rub spice mixture all over buttered roast.
Add three tablespoons water and one tablespoon Worcestershire to the pan you used for browning and deglaze. Add that liquid to your roasting pan.
I like to tuck a bunch root vegetables around the meat right in the roasting pan. Make sure they are cut into chunks no wider than an inch or they won’t be done when the roast is finished. I usually use carrots, parsnips, and Yukon gold potatoes. I usually sprinkle any extra herbs over the veggies.
Cover your roster and pop in your oven for one hour at 400°F.
Your roasts should be almost to the easy to pull apart point. Remove them from the oven and let it sit for 20 minutes uncovered. Leave it alone! It is still cooking inside.
While the pork sits undisturbed on a cutting board, pour your seasoned liquid from the roasting pan into a sauce pan and place on low heat. I usually add a quarter cup of whatever wine we are having at the time, (something dry) and simmer to reduce. Mix a tablespoon of rice flour with two tablespoons whole milk or cream in a cup. Add the milk mixture once your pan juices and wine have reduced a bit. Keep simmering and stir like crazy. You don’t want to scorch your gravy!
Turn down super low. Better yet, get a partner in crime to keep stirring while you slice up your roast. Your roast is almost falling apart, but not in that dry disintegrating way. Slice in quarter inch thick slabs against the grain. Turn off that gravy. Dish up a couple slices of roast with your root veggies and drizzle your gravy over the top.
Want to lighten it up? Skip starchy root veggies and roast cauliflower and zucchini instead! Just as delicious with your gravy without the blood sugar spike.