Drunken Pork Roast

[Mikey]

This was definitely a "break from the norm". I bought a boneless pork loin roast from Costco on Saturday and was looking for a new way to fix it (actually it was two roasts tied together, but I untied them and cooked them like two separate pieces).

I often look in Marcalla Hazan's book for new ideas, and decided to try this one tonight. One thing that attracted me was that the prep was fairly easy and then there was 3 hours of unattended simmering, giving me time to work out on my rowing machine and watch the 49ers while waiting for it.

I served this with baked white sweet potatoes (white flesh and purple skins bought from the farmers market) and steamed/sauteed french beans. This turned out to be an awesome combination as the somewhat astringent red wine reduction tasted great soaked up into the sweet flesh of the batatas blancas.

One thing, I don't have a small cast iron pot and used a rather large pot that I usually use for boiling water for pasta. The two roasts fit pretty tightly into this pot, but it still took about 1 1/2 bottles of red wine to almost cover the meat (I used a Rioja Tempranillo). Then I had to reduce it for a while after the meat was done. Definitely a worthwhile investment, though.

Also, with the pieces of loin roast I used I didn't need to truss it at all. Oh, yeah...I didn't have any grapa or brandy, so I skipped it. I don't think it hurt the final product at all.

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Drunken Pork Roast by Marcella Hazan
from the Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

3 medium carrots
3.5-4 lb. pork center loin or Boston Butt, trussed tightly with string
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
Flour, spread on a plate
2 tbsp grappa, marc, calvados or grape brandy
1.5 cups or more dry red wine (Sangiovese, Shiraz, California Zinfandel, or Cote du Rhone)
Whole nutmeg
2 bay leaves
salt
freshly ground pepper

1) Peel and wash carrots, cut them lengthwise into sticks 3/8 inch or less
2) Take a long, pointed fairly thick tool, such as a meat probe, a knife-sharpening stick or a chopstick and pierce the meat at both ends in as many places as you have carrot sticks, keeping the holes about 1.5 inches apart. Stuff the carrots into the holes.
3) Choose a heavy-bottom pot, preferrably oval, just large enough to hold the meat snugly. Put in the oil and butter and turn on the heat to medium high. When the butter foam begins to subside, turn the meat in the flour, coating it all over, and put it in the pot. Brown it deeply all around, turning it to do so.
4) When you have browned the meat, add the grappa or other brandy. All it to simmer a few seconds, then pour wine until it is just shy of covering the meat. If the 1.5 cups does not suffice, add more wine.
5) Add a tiny grating of nutmeg - about 1/8 teaspoon - the bay leaves, several pinches of salt, and liberal grindings of pepper. Turn pork over once or twice. When the wine begins to simmer, adjust heat to cook at a gentle simmer and cover pot tightly. It's advisable to place a double sheet of heavy aluminum foil between the pot and the lid.
6) Cook at low heat for 3 hours or more, occaisionally turning the meat, until it feels tender when prodded with a fork. After cooking for 2.5 hours, check the pot to see how much liquid remains. If there is a substantial amount, remove the foil, set the lid ajar, and turn up the heat a little.
7) When done, the pork should be quite dark, and there should be a small amount of syrupy sauce in the pot. Transfer the meat to a cutting board, slice thin, and arrange slices on a warm serving tray. Spoon pot juices over it, together with any carrot sticks that may have slipped out and serve at once.

Roast may be made ahead of time and reheated gently in a pot until warmed through. Add 2-3 tbsp water if necessary.

[mvscal]

Haven't made this one. I've looked at it a few times. The beef pot roast braised in red wine is excellent. I'm suprised you don't have any enameled cast iron wear. With as much as you cook, you have got to get one of these.



I've got a 5 qt oval and a 3 qt round and use them all the time. They're perfect for sauces, stews and roasting. They're a little pricey, but indestructable and will last a lifetime. Well worth the money spent.

[Mikey]

Yep, those are definitely something I've missed over the years, and the reason for not doing new dishes on more than one occasion. I actually mentioned this to the OL while I was fixing the pork roast, and will probably be getting something along those lines sometime around the end of December.

[mvscal]

You'll definitely smack yourself on the forehead and wonder why you didn't get them years ago. I did. They really shine when making stews or any slow simmered dish. The thick sides conduct heat througout the entire column of food rather than just heating from the bottom up.

Beef Bourguignon is a great meal to break them in. Especially in late December or January.