The weather in our part of the world finally got chilly. The moment that happened I had a definite urge to slow cook something for a very, very long time. Luckily I had just picked up a pork butt roast at the store a few days before. Originally I’d planned on grilling and smoking, but with the mercury suddenly in the 40’s the roast suddenly had a new direction in life. I knew I wanted a nice slow braised pork roast, the only question was exactly how I was going to braise it.
The answer came more from a need to get going than it did from planning. There on the counter sat a few onions that needed to be used and a few heads of garlic that are on their way to getting woody, so those looked like prime candidates. On the other counter sits a bottle of Sherry that’s past its prime for baking, but would still go wonderfully in a sauce. Then there was a lonely 1/2 stick of butter and most of a box of vegetable stock in the fridge… I was good to go!
With just a little effort and a little patience we had what is very likely the best pork roast I have ever made. The pork was tender, so packed full of flavor that a little goes a very long way, and with the potatoes… Well, let’s just say that on winter days when I don’t have a post for this blog, I’m probably making this dish again! I hope Y’all enjoy it as much as we did.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
- One 3-1/2 to 4 lb flat-cut pork butt roast. (I’ve never seen this before, if you can’t find it, use a Boston blade roast instead.)
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large onions, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup sherry wine
- 1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
- 2-4 cups vegetable broth
- 6-8 Yukon gold potatoes, cut in bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 bunch parsley, rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1/2 cup cold water
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
- Heat a dutch oven or large lidded cast iron casserole and 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium flame until oil is nearly smoking. Salt entire roast well. Sear in dutch oven until well browned. (approximately 5 minutes per side.) Remove pork from pot and set to the side on a large plate.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add another 2 tbsp. olive oil to casserole. Add onions and salt well. Stir frequently until onions are just translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional 4 minutes or until cloves have begun to brown around the edges.
- Turn heat to medium high and allow pan to heat. Remove pot from flame and add sherry. (Never add flammable liquids to a hot pan over an open flame!) Add butter and stir vigorously to dislodge any brown bits remaining on the bottom of pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is reduced by 1/2.
- Add Italian Seasoning and about 10 grinds black pepper. Stir to combine. Return roast and any juices that have accumulated on plate to pot, nestling the roast down into the vegetables. Add enough vegetable stock to cover roast half way. cover and place in 250 degree oven for six to seven hours, or until pork falls off the bone when nudged.
- When the roast has finished cooking, boil 2 cups water in a large pot with a steamer basket. toss potatoes, parsley and a dash of salt and pepper together in a large bowl then place in steamer rack. Cover and steam potatoes for approximately 15 minutes or until a paring knife pierces potatoes with little or no resistance. Turn off heat and allow to sit uncovered while making gravy.
- Remove casserole from oven and carefully remove roast to a serving platter or large plate. Bring remaining juices to a boil over medium heat. Mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup very cold water. Add cornstarch to pan juices in increments, stirring as slurry is added. Continue until juices have formed a gravy of desired consistency. Remove from heat.
- To serve:
- Place a bed of potatoes in a bowl or high-edged pasta plate. Nestle 3-5 oz pork on top of potatoes and drizzle with gravy. Serve hot.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 897Total Fat: 62gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 34gCholesterol: 261mgSodium: 739mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 71g
What I would have done differently
I really can’t think of anything. If you have any ideas, feel free to tell me, but this braised pork roast was just about as good as it gets.
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