Slow Cooked Pork Roast

[sudsmaster]

The other day I was in the local Safeway and saw a bargain I couldn't resist: pork bone-in shoulder blade roast, $.99/lb.

Now I've had pork shoulder blade "steak" before, and, while tasty, it's always been a bit too gristly.

But a slow cook process promises to reduce that gristle to a jelly like consistency. Not so great on an already tender meat like chicken, but probably perfect for a tougher cut of pork.

So I popped for it: all 17 lbs of it. Luckily it was in two pieces (probably because a pig has two shoulder blades), and each 7lb section fit just fine in the Hamilton Beach meat probe equipped slow cooker.

Per the appliance's recipe instructions, I marinated the one of the roasts overnight in a big baggie (tight fit!). The other one got frozen and vacuum sealed the next morning.

The marinade was based loosely on the "Cuban" recipe in the booklet, but with some of my own modifications. I increased the portions and used all lime juice (lemon tree is currently out of lemons), as well as some curry powder and lots of chinese flaked red chili pepper, as well as some cajun seasoning and some fresh marjoram from garden.

To make a long story short, put the marinated roast in the slow cooker, fat side up (so the fat could dribble down the sides), inserted the probe through the cover, and set it on low heat with a final temp of 160F. That was around 8:30 am. Around 2 pm I had to go out shopping - it was still slowly climbing in temp, around 140F. By the time I got home at 4:30 it had already reached full temp and was in keep warm mode. What a wonderful gadget.

The results are better than I expected. The chicken I roasted in it a couple of months ago was OK, but I really prefer rotisserie chicken. Chicken just isn't improved much by slow cooking, I think. But the pork roast: just the right level of doneness, still relatively juicy and tender, and still with a lot of flavor. Other than the thick layer of fat on top, not much in the way of gristle, either, at least in the portions I carved off for supper.

There was a fair amount of fat and meat juice left in the cooker, so I added some cornstarch to that and made a gravy for subsequent servings. Pretty tasty that stuff.

By the way, nothing really wrong with gristle. Once it's properly softened, it's quite beneficial - think of all the collagen we pay big bucks for in capsules and skin lotions.

So I think I've learned the prime benefit of a slow cooker - it can make a humble piece of meat tender, juicy, and tasty.

I also learned not to add much if any veggies to the cooker. They rarely come out what I'd call properly cooked - either too raw or overcooked and soggy. But meat and seasonings... good fit!

Next time I'll probably work on creating a more original marinade. I'm thinking fresh oregano, fresh sage, fresh rosemary, maybe even a fresh bay leaf. Then some minced fresh hot peppers (the garden is full of them right now) as well as some ground cumin (just bought more today), as well as olive oil, lime juice, and cooking sherry. Maybe even some minced garlic, although I've learned to keep that to a minimum since garlic doesn't take well to being slow cooked for hours (in my opinion). It tends to get bitter.

 

[revvinkevin]

WOW, great job Rich!! Thanks for sharing all this information, it sounds fantastic!

 

[polkanut]

That has been one of the main advantages of slow cookers since they were introduced. The slow cooking process also helps to more fully develop the flavor of the meat being cooked, as well as breaking down any hard tissue. I'm sure your pork roast was fantastic.

 

[toggleswitch2]

~Maybe even some minced garlic, although I've learned to keep that to a minimum since garlic doesn't take well to being slow cooked for hours (in my opinion). It tends to get bitter.

With time everything and everone does.

Garlic powder won't get bitter.

 

[panthera]

Not if one eats pinneaple and avoids beer

dear.

Good recipe in the NY-Times today on 'quick braising' when you have no choice.

Would work for tofu, too - a notoriously difficult dinner partner.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/dining/11appe.html?hpw

 

[westie2]

Try this

Use Zatarans"s Crab Boil in the bag. Place the bag in the bottom of the slow cooker along with 1 cup of water then place the prok or beef roast on it and cook just like you did. Wonderfull flavor.

Zatarain's® Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil | Zatarain's

The original Zatarain's Dry Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil with seven premium spices and seasonings delivers the authentic taste of New Orleans seafood

www.zatarains.com

 

[wetguymd]

Hey Sudmaster....

I am in Maryland and Safeway had the same sale. I bought a much smaller portion...it was like 4.5 pounds. On the package there was a recipe so I decided to give it a try. I cubed the roast up and browned it in a little oil and then put it in the slow cooker. In the pan where I seared the meat I add one chopped onion, 3 cloves chopped garlic, 1 4oz can chopped green chiles, 2 cups chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring this to a boil and add it over the pork. I set it for 8 hours on low and went to work. When I got home the smell met me at the door...yummmm... The pork was so tender it melted in your mouth and the broth was more of a gravy. I trimmed as much of the fat off of the meatas I could when I was cubing it. I made a pot rice and it was great with the meat and grayy over it. The next day I skimmed off a good bit of fat that had hardened and then added some store bought barbaque sauce and it was great on sandwiches.

The moral of the story... I love a crock pot to do pork in also. Perfectly done and juicy and tender.

 

[sudsmaster]

Next time...

Getting a little tired of trying to cut around the odd-shaped bone in this roast.

Next time I'll get the same cut of meat, except boneless, at Costco. Price is a bit higher, $1.39/lb, but I think it would be worth it.

Will also look for a smaller portion. Pork is generally considered to be best if not frozen...

 

[mattl]

I slow cook that cut of pork for parties, it's always a hit. I cook it in the over at 200 degrees for 24 hours, and it's fall off the bone good. I use a rub that has fresh sage and rosemary with about a dozen cloves of garlic, some fennel seed, some white wine and olive oil. I cut slits at various areas of the pork and insert a spponful about an inch in. The rest I rub over the meat. Shred it up and eat it with the drippings or some barbecue sauce on a bun and it's hard to beat.

Slow Pork

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
12 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil

I usually increase the above by 1/2

6-8 pound pork shoulder roast

Blend together sage, rosemary, garlic, fennel seeds, salt and pepper in a food processor until a thick paste forms. With motor running, add wine and oil and blend until combined well.

If necessary, trim fat from top of pork, to leave a 1/8-inch-thick layer of fat. Make 3 small incisions, each about 1 inch long and 1 inch deep, in each side of pork with a small sharp knife and fill each with about 1 teaspoon herb paste. Spread remaining herb paste over pork.

Put pork, fat side up, in 200 degree oven in a roasting pan and roast in middle of oven for 24 hours. Transfer roast to cutting board and let stand 15 minutes.

 

[frigilux]

I love pork shoulder roasts---think some parts of the country know them as "Boston Butt" roasts. I slow-roast them at about 300 degrees in the oven for 4-6 hours, then I let them cool a bit and shred them for bbq pork sandwiches. Yum!

 

[rp2813]

Pork shoulder rules!

Nothing else compares as a filling for tamales.

Kalua pork is a good recipe too, and easy, if spices aren't your thing.

Re: gristle, when I'm out for pho, I order a combo with the most tendon in it. I love the texture. I also love the gelatainous texture of slow cooked pig's feet and knuckles, particularly in pasta sauce. Mmmmmm good! Dim sum tripe is awesome too. Melts in your mouth.

OK I need a sandwich now.

 

[sudsmaster]

One of my favorite preps is to take the bones of a chicken or two, or a turkey, and slowly simmer them with salt and vinegar overnight. The salty, acidic mixture solubilizes a lot of the minerals in the bones and cartilage, and the end result is a concentrate broth full of gelatin that turns to a meat flavored jello in the fridge. Makes for an extremely hearty soup, or a great stock to add to any number of dishes. It puts the canned colored water that passes for chicken broth to shame.

The next morning one simply brings the stock to a boil to drive off the remaining vinegar, and it's good to go.

One of these days I'm going to try my hand at risotto using some of my home-made broth...

 

[perc-o-prince]

think some parts of the country know them as

Bought a few of these last week at BJs. Sudsmaster--- they'll usually bone them for you at no additional charge. I think I paid $1.19/lb and they were pretty lean! Ground one and froze it, froze one for later use, froze the three bones for sauce, and made an Italian roast pork (a Porketta of sorts) with the other one.

I ground about a dozen cloves of garlic with about a tsp of rosemary, tsp of fennel seeds, tsp of ital seasoning, and tsp of ground pepper. Butterflied the pork into thirds. Spread about a third of the herb/garlic mix in each of the two internal cuts, popped some ground salt pork fat in there (actually a base recipe that includes salt pork fat, onion, garlic, pepper, and parsley) then tied the roast together. Popped some more sp fat and herb/garlic blend on it and put it in the grill/oven at 325F for about 6 hours. I foiled the top of the roast after about 4 hours. The fats melted and basted the pork, the garlic stayed plenty savory, and the top was crusted nicely.

It was moist and tender. Could have been pulled apart, but we were also able to slice it (though the slices fell apart with a fork when eating them!).

Suds, I agree as far as doing chicken the same way. I do cook chicken legs and thighs on a slow grill, but it's still less than an hour-and-a-half. Had that tonight as a matter of fact!

Chuck

 

[frigilux]

I'm supposed to watch sodium intake (yes, I've joined the blood pressure meds club), so I've been making my own chicken stock/broth using chopped up wings. I think the recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated. It's a very flavorful broth, and once the wings have all been browned (I split 4 lbs. of chopped wings between two stock pots), they simmer for around an hour and it's done.

I'm horrified at the amount of sodium in processed foods! I've stopped using fat-free ham/turkey from the deli due to the sodium level. Now, I make a small beef roast and a small pork roast (or chicken breasts) and slice them for sandwiches. That method is not only better for me, it's also much tastier.

 

[cuffs054]

I did my last pork roast in Cpot and it turned out really good. Put it in fat up. Poured a pint of hot pepper vinegar over and used a good bit of SeasonSalt. Cooked it about 12 hours. Used the left overs, shredded, with BQ sauce the next day.

 

[rayjay]

Slow Cooked Barbecue Pork

I usually buy a boneless pork roast put in a crock pot, pour over Jack Daniels barbecue sauce (the whole bottle with some water added to it), then slo cook for 8 hrs. Meat falls apart, excellent gravy. you then shred it with 2 forks and serve with soft rolls.