Beer-Braised Pork with Bacon - Cooking Club of America

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Beer-Braised Pork with Bacon
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By: Janice Cole

Online Rating: (9.5/10)

Pork shoulder roast, also known as pork blade roast or Boston butt, is the perfect cut for braising. It contains a lot of connective tissue, which dissolves during long, slow cooking, creating a moist and tender roast. The bacon adds quite a bit of flavor, so choose a top-quality extra-smoky bacon. 8 oz. applewood smoked bacon, chopped 2 1/2 to 3 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast (3 to 3 1/2 inches thick) 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon dried sage 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 4 large shallots, halved 6 large garlic cloves, halved 3/4 cup dark beer or nonalcoholic beer 1/2 cup lower-sodium beef broth 6 new red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered 3 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces 3 parsnips, sliced (1/2 inch) 2 ribs celery, sliced (1 inch) 1. Heat oven to 325ºF. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp; drain on paper towels. Reserve drippings in skillet. 2. Cook pork in drippings over medium-high to medium heat 5 to 6 minutes or until browned on all sides. Reserve 2 teaspoons of the drippings in skillet; discard remaining drippings. Place pork in shallow roasting pan large enough to hold pork surrounded by vegetables. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, sage and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. 3. Cook onion, shallots and garlic in drippings over medium heat 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Scatter around pork. 4. Add beer to skillet; boil over high heat 2 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add broth; bring to a boil. Pour around pork; cover tightly with foil. 5. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes. Scatter potatoes, carrots, parsnips and celery around pork; sprinkle vegetables with remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Reserve 1/3 cup bacon for garnish; sprinkle remaining bacon over vegetables. Bake, covered, an additional 1 hour or until pork is fork-tender and pale pink in center. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. 6. Spoon pan juices over pork; surround with vegetables. Microwave reserved 1/3 cup bacon 30 seconds or until warm; sprinkle over pork. 6 servings PER SERVING: 670 calories, 30.5 g total fat (10.5 g saturated fat), 49 g protein, 48.5 g carbohydrate, 135 mg cholesterol, 580 mg sodium, 8 g fiber

MEMBER COMMENTS

msdrake

Location: rochester, NH
Life Member

Posted:2/12/2009

Member Rating: (9/10)

This is a wonderful dish. Instead of cooking it in the oven, after I browned the pork I put it in my crock-pot about 9 a.m. Brought it to a simmer turned it on low and let it go until about 2 pm then added the vegetables leaving the onions and potatoes whole. By 6:00 it was done and absolutely delicious.

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Mena

Location: costa mesa, CA
Member

Posted:5/15/2009

Member Rating: (10/10)

Excellent recipe! Don't change a thing: it's perfect.

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Cooking Question and Answer

What's the best way to wash fruits and vegetables to remove pesticides?

Even though the pesticide residue found on fruits and vegetables is generally well below the levels considered harmful, produce should be washed with cold, drinkable water. Fruits and vegetables that will be peeled also should be washed first to avoid any cross-contamination between the peel and the flesh.

Here are some other washing tips:
--When possible, wash produce just before using it. Many fruits and vegetables, such as raspberries, are delicate and will usually stay fresh longer if stored without washing.

--Before cleaning produce, wash your hands with soap and water and make sure that your sink, countertops and cutting boards are clean.

--Scrub firm produce well with a brush or rub it with your hands under cold running water; the abrasive action of the water helps dislodge and rinse away surface residue.

--Soft or fragile produce can be placed in a colander or basket, immersed in water and gently swished around; it also can be rinsed with a sink sprayer.

--Before washing leafy greens, remove and discard the outer leaves.

--Plain water works best when washing fruits and vegetables. Avoid washing food with soap, and never wash it in any bleach or detergent mixture because it can absorb these harmful solutions. The effectiveness of commercial washing solutions has not yet been established, and they aren’t recommended by the government agencies that regulate pesticide use.

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