Monday, April 29, 2013

Pork: It's What's For Dinner


Want to hear the words "This may be the best pork I have ever eaten in my life?".

Read on.

First dash into Whole Foods after a full day of work on Saturday with a head full of menu ideas all centered around a leg of lamb.

Pick up the vegetables for the bulgur salad and the tzatziki, a package of pita bread and some plain yogurt.  Head to the meat counter.

And prepare to be crushed. One tiny boneless lamb roast. Fine for 2, not enough for 5 adults, 1 Mr. Baby and Timothy.

(One of my guests, Geoff from the farm, sent me a text and said they might bring Timothy. I text back, "great, who's Timothy, but neglect to hit send).

Quickly decide on a pork shoulder and have all recipes drain from brain, but no time to think, bus coming in 10 minutes.

Hit the house, let the cats out, walk around the garden thinking, do a spot of reading and concoct marinade.

In a food processor I put 6 peeled cloves of garlic, a handful of cilantro, chopped and then added 1/4 cup of olive oil. I moved this to a bowl and stirred in cumin, chili powder, freshly ground black pepper, the juice of 2 Myers lemons and 1 lime. I slashed the pork shoulder and  rubbed 2 T of kosher salt over every inch then slathered the roast with the marinade. I covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator to scent the entire house all night long.

Next morning boil bulgur, chop copious amounts of parsley, cut up a Vidalia onion, roasted red peppers, sweat a cucumber, run to the store for more lemons for the dressing and a can of garbanzo beans. Also get corn tortillas, the dinner is leaning towards South America and away from Greece. Make dressing and add beans to bowl.  Pop into garlicky smelling fridge and let salad flavors meld.

Spice some nuts, pull some weeds, let pork come to room temperature at least an hour before cooking. Pop into preheated 350 oven for an hour covered with aluminum foil then turn heat down to 275 and leave to cook for 4 hours.

Hook up with some neighbors and go to dog adoption fair. Cry behind sunglasses but smartly come home sans puppy.

Set table for 6, wonder again who Timothy is. Take out olives and homemade hummus to come to room temperature. Eat a nut. Have a few more.  Make a Myers lemon syrup for sparkling water.

For the 5th hour of cooking remove foil and spread hot pepper jelly all over pork. Find 4 ripe avocados in refrigerator and make guacamole.

When your guests all run late, take pork out, now at hour 6, slice thinly, splash with wine or stock to keep moist, return to 200 degree oven and make a latte.

Stroll around garden. The first car to arrive holds Mr. B and parents. Hug, kiss and peer inside bakery bag. Pastries!

Second car arrives, Geoff, Chuck and Timothy.


 Remove 6th plate.




32 comments:

  1. Pork sounds luscious and a half but I'm afraid Timothy is stealing your thunder. (I'm assuming Timothy is the little guy in the last picture) and OMG I just remembered, when we rescued Max the shelter had named him Timothy! which we didn't think was a good name for a pup but what the heck do we know.

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    1. Not a good name for Max but perfect for this little critter.

      He stole everyone's thunder. But not their appetites :-)

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  2. I'm exhausted just reading about it. Is this a real pork recipe or are you just winging it. It sounds really good.

    And who's cuter, Mr. Baby or Timothy? I'd say it's a tie.

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    1. I just winged it. But I did check out times and temps. Nobody likes a chewy pork shoulder. Not even Timothy!

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  3. Awwwww ... Timothy is beautiful! Look at those delicious pink paws.

    Sounds like a perfect day. You are awesome.

    S
    xo

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  4. I bet that was a big laugh when plate 6 was removed.
    Lovely sounding dinner, the write up of the flavor building has me (almost) drooling. You season/cook same as my hubs.
    The pup is adorable, look at that belly.
    So good that you had company, I have been following along but less commenting (for no particular reason) and you are standing tall dear girl.
    Kitty, USA

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  5. Ok Jane. What vitamins are you taking? Like Steve, I'm breathless reading the prep of your delicious sounding dinner. (even though I won't eat Wilbur).

    No plate for adorable Timothy?

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    Replies
    1. Timothy ate the kitten's crunchies while Lucy watched in disbelief. Gus was power napping(?).

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    2. Gawd I love animals . Hard to not adopt a puppy, huh?

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  6. The pork sounds yummy and nothing better than a delicious Vidalia onion! Of course being just down the road from those awesome onion fields makes me partial! Mr. Baby's curls and those big eyes are heartstoppingly beautiful! Good food and friends... And such adorable puppy love... A lovely time!

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  7. It was the best pork I have ever eaten in my life! Thank you so much for a wonderful evening.

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    1. No ,hank you all for packing up your babies and puppies and trekking to Virginia, where the politics stink but the food is good. xo

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  8. I can smell both the pork roasting and the puppy breath...sounds like a great evening.

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  9. I went blank with a pork shoulder yesterday too but wasn't nearly as creative as you. It was Pork Rogan Josh in the end from an actual recipe. Timothy is a great dog's name but for some reason Timmy is a cat's name I think.

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  10. Creativity is your gift . . . food, flower, word, sharing, giving . . . this was delightful. For you I am sure . . . and for me . . .

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  11. Now you've gone and made me want to make pork roast! Your description is totally yummy, and I will certainly give this a shot one of these days ... when I have more than just two of us to cook for. (I hope Timothy didn't mind being removed from his place at the table.)

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  12. You treat your guests well! I'd have been thrilled with Myers lemon and guacamole! And playing with Mr. B and Timothy, who could not be any cuter. Love the name Timothy! Were Gus and Lucy banished for the evening?

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    1. No but Gus was asleep for 3/4s of the visit. Imagine his surprise when we woke up.

      And Lucy followed his every move.

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    2. When he woke me. Not we, we were awake.

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  13. I would have loved to see a snap of the resulting meal. It sounds very yummy ...and how on earth can you leave the roast out for an hour with two very curious kitties in the house. This is an ongoing problem for me. I've had to resort to "resting" the meat in the microwave unless I want to stand guard.

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    1. I wish I had a picture to show you but there was so much going on I didn't have a chance to get out the camera!

      The kittens found the roast too odoriferous for their tastes I believe. Thank God. It wouldn't have worked with a dog.

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    2. You were lucky. Anyway, if you have too much leftover pork due to having one less "person" at the table, make pork fried rice! We're making chicken fried rice tonight with leftovers. I use the "Stacey Snacks" recipe as a starting point. Very yummy and frugal too.

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  14. Timothy is adorable! You were rewarded for wisely coming home without a puppy :)

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    1. For a minute I thought Timothy was for me. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry :-)

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  15. What! Timothy slept through the party?

    I knew you would cry at the dog adoption fair.

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  16. Timothy - I WANT HIM! What is he going to be when he's grown up, (apart from gorgeous)? Talk about relaxed!
    So glad you are getting back into your stride, it sounds a great party.

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    1. He's a rat terrier chihuahua mix. He'll only get to be 10 lbs. when fully grown.

      I know it sounds like a horrifying mix but clearly he is just delightful.

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    2. Wow, that is some mix! Just ten bags of sugar when fully grown; there is serious Timothy envy going on here in Blighty.

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  17. How funny but what a nice surprise..Timothy is so adorable.

    You are brave to go to the dog adoption fair.

    Your description of the dinner prep was so detailed that I can smell it ion 'my' house right now..yum!

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  18. Timothy might be the cutest dinner guest ever!

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  19. Aren't you glad that no one told you who Timothy was in advance? Another cutie to add to your collection....

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