Not one to keep email from interrupting my exercise (ahem), I finished the final plank (go, me), collapsed in a sweaty heap on the floor, and opened the message.  How exciting; it was from one of my readers!  She had written to tell me her favorite method for cooking a pork roast, which I’ve never made before.  I was so overcome with happiness that a reader would actually take the time to email me, that I skipped my last five minutes of crunches, grabbed my coat and ditched LeClub like a bad habit.

I made a bee-line to Sendik’s, where I loaded up on the short list of ingredients Cookinmama (her screen name; in real life her name is Pat!) called for in her recipe.  My only problem was that Cookinmama likes to do her pork roast in a slow cooker, which takes roughly 10 to 12 hours.  Since it was already 1:45 by the time I got home from the Store, time was not on my side.  I decided to fiddle with the cook method just a touch, and I roasted the pork in the oven instead.

I’m so happy to say that it worked out great!   My only issue was that I inadvertently let the pork go a weeee bit too long in the oven, and it was a little on the dry side (my fault completely, boo hoo L!).  My mom chimed in this morning to say that the proper cook time for a pork roast is 25 minutes per pound; I probably went a good 50 minutes over that (what a ding dong).  But, it was still good.  A little gravy can go a long way!

(Speaking of gravy, do you like the picture today?!  How do you think I feel about gravy, LOL J ?!  I got a little heavy handed there, don’t you think?  Guess that’s why the gym will remain a stop in my daily life.  *Le sigh.*)

Here’s my oven roasted version of Cookinmama’s recipe.  For her original slow cooker method, scroll to the comments in the Chicken Stock post from a few days ago.  Thanks, Cookinmama — next time I make a pork roast, I’ll dig out my slow cooker and try your method.

I love to learn something new!  ENJOY!

GARLIC ROASTED PORK WITH PAN GRAVY

Serves:  4-5

Source:  Adapted from a recipe by FFF Reader Pat; a.k.a. Cookinmama!

• 1 – 3 lb. boneless pork sirloin roast (on sale this week, so cheap!)
• 2 -3 cloves garlic, peeled and slivered
• Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
• Olive oil to coat the pan
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 smallish onions, sliced
• 1/4 c. hot water mixed with 1 T. Worcestershire sauce

• 2 T. flour
• 2 c. chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 350.  Pat the pork dry with paper towels.  Use a small, sharp knife to make ½” cuts in the top of the pork.   Insert garlic slivers into the cuts, pushing the garlic down so the opening almost closes over the top of the garlic.  Season the pork liberally on all sides with salt and pepper.  Place a Dutch oven just big enough to hold the pork over medium high heat.  Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  When oil begins to shimmer, add the pork to the pan, and sear the roast on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the pork to a plate; add the onions and bay leaf to the pan.  Place the pork on top of the onions; pour the water mixture over the roast.  Cover with a tight-fitting lid, place in the oven.  Roast for 25 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer registers 150.

Transfer pork to a cutting board and tent with foil.  Remove bay leaf from Dutch oven; place Dutch oven over medium heat and add the flour to the drippings in the pan (*see note).  Cook flour, stirring, for two to three minutes.  Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits.  Increase heat to medium high, and cook until gravy is thickened.  Remove the strings from the roast, slice thickly and serve with the gravy.

*Note*: Because I stupidly over cooked my pork roast, my pan was dry at the end of cook time (tsk, tsk!).  I had to add about a tablespoon of butter to the pan before I could cook my flour and deglaze the pan.  So if your pan ends up dry, be sure to add a bit of fat before you add the flour for your gravy.

BEEF BURGUNDY

KAT-N-CHEESE, GT

SERVES 6

PREP TIME: 1HR

COOKING TIME; 8HRS

• 7 Strips bacon
• 3 med onions, minced
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 5 lbs cubed beef, browned
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• ½ cup burgundy
• 32oz Beef Stock
• ¾ cup flour
• ¼ cup grated carrots
• 8oz small mushrooms or sliced mushrooms
• Grapeseed Oil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbl fresh Thyme
• 1Fresh Bay Leaf
• You’re Choice of fresh grated Saxon Big Ed, grated Fontinella or crumbled blue Cheese

In a large pot, fry bacon until crisp. Set off to side and cut into ½ inch pieces.  In the bacon fat sauté onions and garlic, remove onion/garlic mixture.  Set skillet off to side saving bacon fat.  In a clean pot heat app. 3 tbl of *Grapeseed oil.  Brown beef, caramelizing exterior.  Add bacon, pepper, herbs, onion/garlic mixture, burgundy and one cup of beef stock.

Using the skillet with the remaining bacon fat, on medium heat, add flour a small amount at a time until all of the fat is absorbed into the flour.  Slowly add remaining beef broth, creating a thick sauce.  Add Gravy to the beef mixture.  Slowly cook in a low temp oven (250 degrees) or in a crock pot on low for at least 8 hours.  I typically use the crock pot and cook over night.  Serve on egg noodles or rice.  Topped with your choice of grated cheese, I recommend Saxon Big Ed, Fontinella or Crumbled Blue.

• Grapeseed oil requires only about one half as much to achieve the same results as other oils.  It has a much higher smoke point, as much as 400 degrees, creating browning at a faster rate without smoking or burning.