In May, Rachel and I will be moving out of our NYC apartment and moving across the Hudson to New Jersey. We’ll definitely miss living in Manhattan, with all its markets, amazing culinary shops…not to mention the restaurants. Anyway, one of our current challenges is in our freezer. As a CSA member of 8 O’clock Ranch in upstate New York, we have a freezer full of lamb, pork, and beef that needs to be consumed before we move out.
With only a couple months to go, I’ve been trying to find new and delicious ways to cook up the different cuts of meat. Last week, I pulled out a pair of pork shoulder steaks (bone-in). I love slow-roasting pork at very low temperatures, allowing it to break down into tender, juicy bites that fall apart with just a fork. It does take a lot of time, typically 6-10 hours, depending on the cut, temperature, and size of the meat. But it sure is worth it. Sometimes I’ll cook it overnight, which ends up leaving me dreaming about food while I’m sleeping.
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| Adding the sherry and shallots to the pan |
To spice up the pork last week, I used a combination of fennel seeds, juniper berries, black pepper, sumac berries, and olive oil. I ground the spices in my Magic Bullet, which I love. Then I drizzled some spicy Tuscan olive oil on the pork, tossed on the spice mix, and rubbed it into the meat. In a ceramic baking dish, I placed a layer of carrots. To help the pork stay juicy, I seared it first on the stove and then added some sliced shallots and sherry at the end to give it some extra flavor. From there, it all went on top of the carrots in my dish. I added a little white wine and a bit more sherry, covered it with a lid, and placed it in the oven. One of my favorite parts is the aromas that come out of the oven over the next several hours. Yum.
Also, I highly recommend brining the pork for a few hours before roasting. It helps keep the pork even juicier and allows for some really complex flavors to seep into the meat itself. For pork and chicken, I always brine unless I am short on time.
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| Pork Shoulder from 8 O'clock Ranch (NY) |
While the pork was baking, I looked in my fridge to settle on the sides. I saw that there was a chunk of Gruyere cheese (you could also use Provolone cheese, which is a lot cheaper than Gruyere), a little bacon, and fresh herbs. I sliced a few gold potatoes, and layered them with grated Gruyere and Parmigiano-Reggiano, along with thyme, rosemary, and olive oil. I also placed a layer of bacon on the bottom of the dish to give it a little smokiness. My recipe was inspired by Chris, a fellow blogger that writes the Pantry Raid, a fun blog on creative cooking. It looks like she hasn’t blogged in a year or so, but she has some great recipes on her site.
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| View from Artesa Winery in Napa, CA (Los Carneros AVA) |
To drink, I popped a 2005 Artesa Merlot Reserve from Napa. The soft red fruit, firm acidity, and slight earthiness of the Merlot paired very well with the fennel and juniper flavors of the pork. Artesa Winery makes some great red wine (Cab Sauv, Merlot, and Pinots are all superb). Their Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are good too…but only if you love the big, oaky California style.
Enjoy!
Roasted Pork Shoulder
Ingredients:
1 to 1.5 lbs pork shoulder steaks (previously brined, rinsed, and dried)
2 carrots, cut into 3” sticks
2 shallots, finely sliced
2 T. white wine
¼ cup sherry, divided into two 2 T. portions
Olive oil
Spice mix:
2 T. whole juniper berries
1 T. fennel seeds
1 tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. ground sumac berries (or you could substitute lemon zest)
Directions*:
1. Brine the pork for 2-3 hours (add some juniper berries and whole allspice to the brine)
2. Preheat the oven to 200 F
3. Mix spices together in a food processor and grind into a powder
4. Drizzle the pork shoulder with olive oil, rubbing it into the meat
5. Add spice mix to the pork, rubbing it into the meat, ensuring it is well coated
6. Heat a grill or skillet to medium and add a little olive oil to the pan
7. Sear the pork on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side, or until slightly browned
8. Add the shallots and half the sherry, using the sherry to deglaze the pan
9. Place the carrots in a baking dish with high sides (I use a 2 ½ quart Corningware dish)
10. Add the pork and shallots to the dish, layering on top of the carrots
11. Add the remaining sherry and white wine
12. Roast, covered, for about 6-8 hours, or until it easily shreds with a fork
13. Remove from the oven, pull out pork and carrots separately, careful to not mash the carrots
14. Serve
*Note – if you brined the pork, you shouldn’t need to add any salt
Potato and Gruyère Galette
Ingredients:
4 medium yellow potatoes, sliced in ¼” slices
2 slices bacon, cut into 1” pieces
1 T. fresh thyme, minced
1 T. fresh rosemary, minced
¼ cup Gruyere cheese, shredded (or sub Provolone)
2 T. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Directions:
1. In a ceramic baking dish (such as another Corningware casserole dish), place the bacon on bottom
2. Add a layer of potatoes
3. Drizzle with olive oil, top with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of fresh herbs
4. Add a layer of Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano
5. Repeat until you finish with one last layer of potatoes on top, then drizzle with olive oil, add salt & pepper, and a dash of the herbs (I didn’t put any cheese on top)
6. If cooking along the pork, roast at 200 F for about 90 minutes. If roasting separately or with another dish, roast at 350 F for about 45-60 minutes. The potatoes should be soft and slightly browned.
