Savory Slow Roasted Pork and Potatoes

When is a butt not a butt? When it's a pork shoulder! Sometimes pork shoulder is referred to as pork butt and apparently this is why:

"In colonial New England butchers packed inexpensive cuts of meat in large barrels called butts for storage and transportation. The shoulder meat packed into these barrels became known as pork butt and the name stuck."

Thanks Google. 

Ingredients:

6 lb pork shoulder (A.K.A. pork butt)

2 tbsps minced garlic

2 tbsps fresh chopped rosemary

2 tsps dry thyme

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp sea salt

2 tsps brown sugar

2 tsps black pepper

4 or 5 medium potatoes, cut in chunks

To start, you want to bring the pork to room temperature so take it out of the fridge and leave it on the counter for about 2 hours. Then pat dry with paper towels and make 1/2" cuts through the fat just to the meat. Combine the garlic, rosemary, thyme, olive oil, sea salt, brown sugar and pepper and, using a mortar and pestle, grind into a paste. Rub the paste all over the roast and in the cuts.

Roast in a slow oven, just 250°F, for about 4 hours. You'll want to keep the overhead fan on low. Start checking for doneness. You want to reach an internal temperature of 175°F. Baste with pan juices and return to the oven in half hour increments until you've reached the desired temperature. This one took another hour but it may still have been a little frozen in the middle when I started it.

Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 15 minutes or up to 2 hours. Preheat oven to 500°F. Place roast in a clean pan. Toss the potatoes into the original pan and coat with pan juices and fat. Place both pans in the oven. Remove the pork pan after 15 minutes and cover with foil. Turn the potatoes over. They should take another 15 or so minutes to roast nicely. Once they are cooked you can slice into the pork. Oh and if you deglaze the pan the potatoes were in with beef broth you'll get a lovely au jus!

Serves 6-8

Adapted from: seriouseats.com

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Sweet Potato CornBread

With sweet potato in the mix this easy batter bread is just sweet enough to serve with chili to counter it's heat, but is equally tasty for breakfast. I finally hit on a cornbread my husband likes!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potato

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup dry Cream of Wheat

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

3/4 cup milk

2 tbsps olive oil

4-5 pats of butter

First roast the sweet potato, foil wrapped, in a 425°F oven for 1 1/2 hours. This was a large potato, if you use two smaller ones the baking time may be shorter. Once it is baked cut it opened and mash with a fork. 

Place an oiled 10" cast iron pan in the 425°F oven to heat up while making the batter.

In a large bowl mix the cornmeal, Cream of Wheat, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together.

In another bowl combine the mashed sweet potato, eggs, Greek yogurt, milk and olive oil. Fold this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Remove the skillet from the oven and pour the batter in.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Dab with pats of butter and serve immediately.

You can even see flecks of sweet potato in it! Yum!

From: chewoutloud.com

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Parmesan Butternut Squash

Make it early to save time. Make it often because it's just that good! Roasted slices of sweet butternut squash with a crispy Panko, parmesan and garlic topping.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized butternut squash

1/4 cup butter

2 tsps minced garlic

1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

First cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and peel, then cut in 1/2 - 3/4" slices. Arrange in an oiled 13 X 9" baking dish.

In a small saucepan melt the butter on medium heat then add the garlic for 1-2 minutes and remove from heat.

In a small bowl mix the Panko, parmesan and 1 tbsp of the garlic butter together. 

Brush the remaining garlic butter on the squash, add salt and pepper, then sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top.

Bake at 425°F for 30-40 minutes and broil 2-3 minutes more to give it a little golden finish.

Make ahead: This recipe can be assembled up to 24 hours early and then roasted when needed.

Adapted from: keyingredient.com

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Worcestershire Roast Beef

Tender roast beef infused with the flavours of worcestershire sauce, Montreal steak spice and grainy dijon. Is your mouth watering yet? 🤤

 

2 lb beef filet

2 1/2 tbsps butter

2 tsps minced garlic

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry thyme

1 tsp Montreal steak spice

2 tsps grainy old fashioned dijon mustard

Cream the butter, minced garlic, worcestershire sauce, thyme, Montreal steak spice and dijon together and, with wet hands, spread all over the roast. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let sit on the counter for 60-90 minutes. Then uncover and place in a shallow roasting pan and into a 425°F oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375°F and return to the oven for about 40 minutes or until internal temperature is 145°F for rare or a little longer, 160°F for medium or 170°F for well done.

Remove from the oven and cover with a lid or foil for 20-30 minutes before slicing.

Adapted from: rockrecipes.com

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Glazed Brown Sugar Shortbread

Delicate and flaky shortbread cookies to munch on!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter,

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups flour, sifted

Glaze:

1 cup icing sugar, sifted

4-5 tsps water

coloured sugar and sprinkles (optional)

In a large mixer bowl beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then add 1 1/4 cups flour. Once incorporated add the remaining 3/4 cup flour and mix just until you have a soft dough.

Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or until you are able to roll it. Roll to 1/4" thick and use your favourite cutters to shape cookies.

Place the cookies 2" apart on parchment lined sheets and bake at 325°F for 8-10 minutes.

Not sure why some of the bottoms turned out like this 😕

Anyways, once the cookies are completely cooled mix up the glaze and spread on each one adding sprinkles or coloured sugar before it sets.

Makes 48 cookies, suitable for eating while card writing!

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Easy Bacon Carbonara

I can't resist carbonara! And I love the simplicity of it. Just a handful of ingredients and less than 30 minutes to serve up this classic Italian dish. (Well, pancetta instead of bacon would make it more classic, but I digress)  

Ingredients:

1/2 lb bacon, cut in 2" pieces

3/4 lb spaghetti

4 egg yolks (1 per serving plus 1 extra)

1/2 cup 10% cream

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

fresh parsley

Cook the bacon until crispy. Keep the fat.

Separate the eggs and put the whites in the fridge for another use.

Cook the spaghetti and drain. Then immediately stir in the egg yolks and quickly mix together so the eggs stay smooth and not scrambled looking. Add the cream to make a saucy consistency. Then toss in the bacon with some of the reserved fat, the parmesan, salt and pepper. Simmer until warmed through.

Garnish with fresh parsley.

Serves 3

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Coffee Chocolate Chip Sablés

Whether plain or chocolate dipped, these buttery crumbly shortbread cookies will please any coffee lover! Or cookie lover!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee

1 tbsp boiling water

1 cup room temperature butter

2/3 cup icing sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

pinch of cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

4 oz chocolate chips, roughly chopped

about 2 oz 70% dark chocolate for dipping (optional)

Add the instant coffee to boiling water then set aside to cool.

Beat the butter, icing sugar, sea salt and cinnamon in a large mixer bowl for 3 minutes, then add the vanilla and cooled instant coffee. On low speed add the flour in 2 additions and mix just until combined, then add the chopped chocolate chips. Divide the dough in half and roll between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4" thick. Fold in ends of paper to cover the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. 

When ready to bake butter a mini muffin tin. As you can see in the photo above I use butter wrappers for buttering tins. Keep them in the freezer for this purpose... butter is expensive, use every bit! Use a 1" cookie cutter. I used an empty large pill bottle or you might have a small shot glass, use whatever fits your tin. Place the cut dough in the buttered tins and bake at 325°F for 12 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan and sampling!

I used this 70% dark chocolate for my dipped cookies. Melt a few squares in the microwave, 10-15 seconds at a time until almost completely melted. Stir and let the rest melt in the bowl on the counter. Then dip cookies halfway, tapping on the side of the bowl to remove the excess. Set on racks for about 1 hour.

Makes 70 two-bite cookies

Adapted from karenskitchenstories.com

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