Saturday, December 20, 2014

Saturday Recipe

Here’s a delicious one from the New York Times. I have a large lump of the leg from the top part which I will be cooking on Boxing Day (Dec. 26) and I might follow this recipe for it to make a change. I have never used pork shoulder. I eat this type of pork more for the crackling than the meat. It’s absolutely delicious and crunchy but NOT low in calories. So, it’s Christmas!!!!

Porchetta Pork Roast

Melissa Clark
  • Time4 to 5 hours, plus marinating
  • Yield 8 to 12 servings
 
This rich, crackling-coated pork roast has the all the intense garlic, lemon and herb flavors of a classic Italian porchetta, but is much simpler to make (case in point: you don’t need to de-bone a whole pig). The only potentiallyPorchetta Pork tricky part is scoring the skin. If you are buying the meat from your butcher you can have them do it for you. Or, use your sharpest knife. It’s worth the effort for the amber-colored cracklings it produces. The recipe feeds a crowd, so make it for a large gathering. Or plan on leftovers, which make excellent sandwiches for lunch the next day.
 
Ingredients
  • 1 (7- to 8-pound) bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder roast, or a 6- to 7-pound boneless roast, fat trimmed to 1/4-inch thickness
  • ¼ cup chopped fennel fronds
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
  • 5 garlic cloves, grated or mashed to a paste
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seed
  • ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
  1. Score skin and fat all over pork, taking care not to cut down to the meat.
  2. In a food processor or mortar and pestle, combine fennel fronds, rosemary, sage, garlic, lemon zest, salt, fennel seed, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Pour in oil. Pulse or mash until it forms a paste. Rub all over pork. If using a boneless roast, tie with kitchen string at 2-inch intervals. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.
  3. Remove pork from refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before you want to cook it. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Transfer pork to a rimmed baking sheet and roast 35 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and cook an additional 2 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 180 degrees, which will give you sliceable, tender meat. (Bone-in roasts will take longer than boneless ones.)
  4. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Make sure everyone gets some of the cracklings.

Have a great weekend.
Jo



16 comments:

  1. Hi Jo - that sounds a very rich, but very good way to do roast pork .. and pork crackling from the pig is absolutely delicious ... enjoy making a delicious boxing day meal ..

    Happy Christmas and build up .. I'm running towards what, or away from .. I've no idea - but better get my act together over the weekend!!! Cheers Hilary

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    1. I am a fanatic about crackling Hilary. Matt not particularly interested. I hope our dinner guest isn't either LOL.

      Merry Christmas to you Hilary. Not long to go.

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  2. Enjoy all that good food this weekend. Happy Saturday.

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    1. Not this weekend Vanessa, next week. Merry Christmas.

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  3. You get stuck into that pork crackling Jo. As you said... it's Christmas! When else can you indulge if not then?

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  4. True Pinky, but having spent so long losing weight, well........

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  5. We love crackling also but have to limit ourselves. As you say, its not exactly low in calories. I buy belly pork and cook it very slowly for several hours on low heat so the meat is very tender and the crackling very crispy. I use a 'Stanley' knife to score the skin before rubbing salt into the scoremarks. Don't know if you call them Stanley knives in Canada?

    Anyway, my mouth is now watering just thinking about that pork.

    We're having pizza with salad tonight - trying out dough base made with just Greek Yoghurt and SR flour (comes highly recommended and is quick/easy to do.

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    1. Can't wait for the crackling. Stanley knife is a good idea. I have no idea if they are available here.

      Rarely eat pizza, not a favourite of ours.

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  6. Oh my goodness! I'm game with a shoulder pork thawed in the refrigerator! I'm drooling.

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  7. Love pork shoulder and butt. Super cheap here but also really tender when I make stew with it. Yum yum.

    Happy Eating :-)

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  8. I love roast pork, and this looks and sounds delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.

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