While the weather was cold mid-week, I bought a pork butt roast at Country Mart. It was on sale for $2.98 a pound. I guess that's a good price. It's cheaper than beef! I don't usually cook a pork roast. Mine have always been beef, like an arm roast. HOS (Farmer H's Oldest Son) used to call it "stringy meat" in his adolescent days. He ate it. Just called it "stringy meat." He still preferred my cooking over that of Farmer H, to which he once inquired concerning his grilled-cheese sandwich: "Where's the cheese?"
Anyhoo... this pork roast was 4 pounds. I consulted my estranged BFF Google for a temperature and cooking time. There was a peel-off sticker on the front of the package, but of course it peeled off faultily and I couldn't read the chart.
Anyhoo... the recommendation was to cook a pork roast low and slow. To keep it tender, falling off the bone, and possible flake it to make pulled pork. However... advice varied. The temperature was the same: either 250 or 275. But the time was 40 minutes per pound, up to 70 minutes per pound. That's quite a difference!
Anyhoo... I put in my baby carrots and the roast, fatty side up. Since the reviews complained that the roast was done, but rather lacking in taste, I poured some steak sauce and then some Worcestershire Sauce on top. I put it in the oven, and cut up my onions. Added them and a dash more sauces on top. Then I peeled and cut the potatoes. And added a dash more sauces on top.
I checked the roast every half hour, adding sauces to the top, and swirling the pan to distribute juices to the vegetables. I also had more vegetables in a pan alone, because the roast took up so much room in the pan. After 5 hours, the meat was pulling away from the bone. I set the roast on top of the stove to let the juices distribute themselves while I put some biscuits in the oven.
That roast was succulent and tasty! Even Farmer H raved about it. More than once. And again the next day, having a sandwich of it with BBQ sauce and pickles. We still have plenty left for some more meals. The Pony said he'd take some "vinchtables" on Sunday, but he's not much of a roast or pork eater.
The only drawback was that the potatoes got a bit overdone, not being in the juices. They weren't burned, just a bit spongy from losing their moisture during the long cooking time. When I put away the leftovers, I put the roast in the small pan, and all the vegetables in the pan with the juices. It helped the potatoes a bit for the next day.
I will definitely make this again. Probably putting a couple strips of bacon over the potatoes. And maybe next time, the weather won't warm up to 80 on the day I cook it.
4 comments:
I don't eat pork and my mother will never forgive me, since Germans are very fond of pork, but I was raised in Australia where Lamb is "the big thing." We had TV ads for a while where people would get asked on dates that promised to be amazing but they turned them down because "Mum's doing a lamb roast" Anyway, I don't eat lamb much either.
I'm happy your pork roast turned out so well, the sauces helped with that, since pork is so bland on its own.
River,
I've never had lamb, and don't think I want to try it. Funny how I'll eat meat from a big fat smelly pig, but not a sweet fluffy lamb! I think The Pony has had lamb in some some kind of wrap that he got at college. He's not much of a pork fan, but will eat BBQ pulled pork.
That was good advertising for lamb! The big commercial push around here used to be "Pork. The OTHER White Meat." I don't notice any meat commercials these days. It's almost all about drugs, with a hundred side effects!
I've seen "other white meat" ads and also "get some pork on your fork" and there's one where an elderly woman comes out of the doctor's office and her elderly husband says "what did he say?" the woman answers "we need to pork more" and everyone still waiting their turn looks a little astonished.
River,
Heh, heh! Your ads are better than ours!
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