Garlic Crusted Pork Roast

When is the last time you really looked in your freezer?  I know you might go in there every day for a few ice cubes or a bit out of the ice cream you try to hide from yourself, but there are probably a few secrets lurking in there.

Last week, when I made my food inventory (seriously, do it.) I found a bag of really good pistachios, a pint of my favorite sorbet, and the melange of meats thrown in when they were reaching expiration.  After getting through the ground chicken with the green curry chicken chili, I decided to make a lovely Sunday dinner with a sirloin pork roast.

For larger cuts of meat, I like to season the outside like crazy.  My pork roast was no exception; mustard seeds with a little bit of dried thyme were crushed in a mortar and pestle and then massaged into the seasoned pork roast.  In order to help the spices adhere, I dried the roast with paper towels.

I don't have a roasting rack, so I engineered one out of a bed of thick cut red onions and granny smith apples.  I propped the seasoned roast on the fashioned rack and then covered it with finely minced garlic and olive oil.  Before putting into a 325 F oven, I made sure to put in a temperature probe.

I cooked it low and slow for an hour plus, until the pork reached an internal temperature of 145 F.  The finely minced garlic crusted the pork roast without burning, thanks to the low temperature.  I was picking them off while slicing, so addictive!

To top the pork, I made a quick honey mustard finished by blending in some of the roasting rack onions and apples.  I think this was Lisa's favorite part!

To accompany, I made a quick side of roasted brussels sprouts with apples while the pork rested.  Hopefully, this recipe will prompt you to dig in your freezer and see what goodies are hiding in there.  I'm certainly pleased!

Pork Roast Pibil: 50 Women Game Changers in Food - #45 Diana Kennedy

Okay, so I've been a bit MIA but all with good reasons.  On May 7, I will officially be done with classes in grad school.  I'm in the throws of finals while finishing up grading for my class I teach and keeping up with my research.  On top of this all?  Signing my first mortgage today!  Oh hayyy grown up . . . sort of.  Cute condo with a gas stove (yesss) in a lovely kitchen, two steps from a metro stop, and a great outdoor space that my kickball team is already reserving for barbecues.  So forgive me in the months leading up to the move for not being too active in the kitchen, I'm going to be on a rampage to cook everything I own before leaving and it probably won't be too blog worthy.

This pork, however, was delicious and definitely blog worthy.  I didn't know too much about Diana Kennedy before this post, or for that matter anything authentically mexican cuisine wise.  I love eating non-tex-mex mexican food in California (ohhh ceviche in Berkeley!), but that was the extent of my knowledge.  Diana Kennedy is referred to the Julia Child of mexican cuisine, amassing a huge wealth of mexican cooking techniques and history over 45 years.  I do not have access to a lot of her typical ingredients, so I decided to take her banana leaf wrapped pork pibil and lightened it up and make it a little more Sarah-friendly.

First, I used a pork roast I found for dirt cheap, both for cost and because I wouldn't know what to do with a 3 pound+ picnic.  I grabbed a can of chipotle in adobo because even after searching in many a spots across DC I couldn't find annatto or dried chiles (any help would be appreciated).  I didn't have banana leaves so I mashed up a little bit of banana for the marinade and wrapped the pork in foil.  I made a quick avocado, cucumber, and mango salsa to cool down the spicy roasted pork for tacos.  Everything can be found in your local grocery store (with a baller ethnic aisle), so get to it!

And here are all of the lovely ladies who also interpreted a Diana Kennedy recipe for the week:
Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan - The Spice Garden
Heather - girlichef, Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades
Mary - One Perfect Bite, Sue - The View from Great Island, Barbara - Movable Feasts
Linda A - There and Back Again, Nancy - Picadillo, Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits
Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen, Annie - Most Lovely Things, Jeanette - Healthy Living
Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce - More Time at the Table
Kathy - Bakeaway with Me, Martha - Simple Nourished Living, Jill - Saucy Cooks 
Sarah - Everything in the Kitchen Sink

Jerk Pork Loin

I can't lie, I'm very intimidated by jerk seasoning.  Ever since a harrowing jerk experience in college where I was reprimanded by a Jamaican chef for drinking water after every bite of his chicken, I've stayed away from all things habanero.  However, I'm not one for being afraid of an ingredient.  It was time to conquer the pepper and the jerk! 

Jamaican jerk spice typically contains really hot peppers like habaneros and scotch bonnets, allspice, and other various spices.  I started reading around, finding what I liked best, and played with my food processor until I got a great wet jerk marinade.  The most important thing is to taste while your making the marinade to ensure you can handle the jerk.