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tender yummy and a little spicey roast pork!

The Amazing Cookbook by The New York Times Food Writer and Minimalist Mark Bittman

Please stop by my newest blog feature, Baby Steps to a Rockin’ Life From the Middle of the Road, to get weekly tips and life hacks to help you move in the right direction! Each week I welcome 4 wonderful guest bloggers so please stop by to see who is taking baby steps with me and joining the Slow-vo-lution! Yep, the slow lane will certainly get you there, and the scenery is much nicer! Also, if you are interested in joining in a Tackling Bittman Recipe Roundup, please visit Girlichef for the details and submit your recipes before January 31st and you could win a copy of the new Mark Bittman The Food Matters Cookbook!

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I have a confession to make that most “generalist” home cooks will probably share with me. I tend to cook the same things over and over. Not the same recipes, because certainly you can see from my posts that I do try quite a few new recipes and create a far share all by myself.

That’s not what I meant. I meant, I cook the same “things.” Things like bacon, beef, sausage, greens, chicken, pasta, pizza, root vegetables, broccoli, rice and potatoes. I tend to stick to these foods because I know how they react to cooking, what spices they do well pairing with and I feel that I have a good mastery of their range.

Last week, when my sister suggested the Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin recipe and I tried it, I remembered how much I liked pork. Sure, we have bacon a lot and our fair share of ham, but I think the last time I had pork it was Shake ‘n Baked so that should tell you something. Cooking the tenderloin also took me a bit outside my comfort zone and made me pay closer attention to the process. You know what? I liked it. Not just the successful meal, but the challenge of it and the new experience.

So, this week, with the taste of pork tenderloin still fresh in my mind, I decided to tackle two different things. First, I wanted more pork, and second, I have NEVER made a roast in my life. Well, take that back a bit. The first thing I ever looked up on the internet to cook and the thing that lead me into food blogging and this wonderful ride in the middle of the road was Pot Roast, but I don’t think that counts because I cooked it in the crock pot and it doesn’t seem “roasty” it seems more like pulled pork in the end! No, I stick with my statement…I have never cooked a roast.

My mother used to make lovely Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding and Roasted Potatoes or a delicious Roast Leg of Lamb with Mint Sauce on holidays or family gatherings. I capitalize the names to instill the sense of awe and gratitude that was generated at those times she undertook a roast. It was something mystical indeed and we were encouraged to show the proper level of appreciation at such times. I was taught, making a roast was hard work. Period. End of story.

Well, so now you can understand why I have never made a roast, but that simply will not do anymore. If I want to call myself a foodie, and especially a food blogger, I have to try cooking things outside of my domain, and so, that’s what I did last night. I grabbed a lovely loin of pork, and I grabbed my How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, because you really didn’t think I would undertake a completely new experience without Bittman holding my hand did you? Well, On page 754 I found what I was looking for and felt the knot in my stomach ease somewhat!

Roast Pork with Garlic and Rosemary

Page 754 Serves 6 or more

If you like a very garlicy flavored meat, slices up a few fresh cloves of garlic and pierce a pre-washed pork roast with a knife and insert the garlic cloves into the meat a day or two in advance of cooking. Also rub the roast liberally with salt and keep it covered loosely with a towel or waxed paper in the refrigerator.

Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 Tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves or 1 Tsp. crushed dried rosemary

1/4 Teaspoon cayenne (optional-I used it and it was great and not too spicey)

1 Tablespoon sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals)

1 Teaspoon minced fresh garlic (I used about 2 Tablespoons as we love garlic)

3-4 Pound pork loin roast with bone in or 2-3 pound boneless roast or similar sized portion of shoulder or fresh ham

1-1/2 cups dry white wine or stock (I used a turkey-chicken combination stock)

1 Tablespoon butter (optional)

Heat oven to 450 degres. Mix a liberal amount of sea salt and pepper with the cayenne, rosemary, garlic and sugar. Wash and dry the roast and then place the boneless roast on a rack in a roasting pan. If you have a bone in roast, you can eliminate the rack. Rub the roast all over with the spice mixture and then place in the oven and roast undisturbed for 15 minutes.

Pour about 1/2 cup of stock or wine over the roast and then turn the heat down to 325 degrees. Continue to roast and add 1/4 cup of liquid about every 15 minutes. If there is adequate liquid in the pan, simply baste the roast with that liquid and add a little the next time you check the roast in another 15 minutes.

Start checking the roast at about 1-1/4 hours by inserting an instant read thermometer in a variety of spots to see if the temperature is 145-150 F degrees. It will probably take a bit more time for the bone in roast and the boneless roast should be complete in 1-1/2 hours unless it was very large. Remove the roast to a warmed platter and allow it to rest for a few minutes.

Here Bittman says to put the roasting pan on your stove over 2 burners and add a little bit more stock and deglaze the pan and scrape up the brown bits making a sauce. Add in the butter and stir, bringing the liquid to a simmer and reducing it to create a pan sauce. Slice the roast and serve with the sauce. (I made real gravy, cause I love it!)

This roast was tender and delicious and everyone in my family adored it. I would say that the checking it every 15 minutes was a bit of a pain, but well worth the outcome. I wonder if it would be possible to pour over the liquid and then foil tent the roast for about 40 minutes, but the outside of the roast was deliciously crispy and covered with a spicey rub coating, so I guess it was all good.

I will be making this again certainly whenever I can get my hands on a good piece of pastured pork. I will also try my hand at a roast beef sooner or later and maybe I will even invite my mother to dinner!

Remember, I highly recommend How to Cook Everything By Mark Bittman for ease of use and variety. Even the most traditional cook will get some amazing ideas from it. You can view more information on all Mark Bittman’s terrific cook books at my Stuff I Like on Amazon store, or by clicking the Amazon Banner at the bottom of this page. You can also find great information and more recipes from Mark at his website Mark Bittman, and of course, the New York Times.

Please stop by the first Thursday of every month (February 3, 2011!) and join the Tackling Bittman Recipe Hop, so start thinking of recipes you want to try. There are hundreds available online if you do a search for Mark Bittman and he even has some available on his website. I highly recommend you try out a recipe or two because they really are easy, generally quick and delicious! This recipe was submitted to the Tackling Bittman Recipe Roundup hosted by Girlichef .

This recipe is a part of Hunk of Meat Mondays,  Full Plate Thursdays, Pennywise Platters Thursday, Real Food Deals, Potluck Sunday, Sundays at One Food Club, Tailgating Time, Recipe Swap Thursday and Frugal Food Thursdays.

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