The Bears On Blue River Blueberry Roast Pork

When my mother was a child, my grandparents owned a small island in southern Indiana on the Blue River. There was an old book called “The Bears of Blue River”. Growing up I heard many a story about summers spent there.

Since slave is a bear and this recipe calls for blueberries, it all seemed to fall into place for this Mother's Day Dinner. I'm sure that the whole family: my great grandmother, my grandmother and grandfather and my mother would have loved this dish. Not to mention all the cousins that would descend for a weekend away from the city!

Of course their neighbors would pick the blueberries, another would trade the butchered pig parts etc. My great grandmother would put the pot on to boil and then go out into the field to pick the sweet corn. If you ever get the chance, try it sometime: Pull an ear of corn off the stalk strip back the leaves and take a bite. It will be sweet as any candy you ever had!

That's just the way things were done back then on the farms on the river.

 

Ingredients
¼ cup blueberry preserves
3 tablespoons white wine balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1½ -to-2 lbs. boneless center-cut pork loin, trimmed
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 red onions, quartered
8 slices bacon
2 tablespoons instant flour (such as Wondra)
3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Directions

Spread out some wax paper on the counter and have a plastic bag ready that is big enough to hold the roast. (I used a cooking bag I had left over)

Combine the preserves, 1 tbs vinegar, the mustard, thyme and ½ tsp each salt and pepper in a small bowl. Poke the pork in a few spots with a paring knife. Smash the clove of garlic with the side of the chef knife's blade on the cutting board. Smear it all over the roast; season with salt and pepper.

Now is really going to get messy

Rub the pork all over with the preserves mixture. Work in in with your hands. Get your bad self down with that hunk of pig! Then transfer to a large bag and tie it up. You might feel like taking a shower now but first put that away and refrigerate it overnight.

Pre heat oven to 325 degrees

About a half an hour before roasting, remove the pork from the refrigerator and get everything ready for roasting.

Fixin the green beans:

You know, no matter what kind of day it has been, slave always feels better and more centered if fixing fresh green beans. I find no fault with the frozen. In fact, had some the other day that were really great! It is just the act of snapping the beans, taking the time and effort, all for my Master. The factories and farms have excellent workers picking and fixing for people they don't know. This, I sit and snap, I know who I'm doing this for and that just makes me feel better.

Clean and snap the green beans, toss with 1 Tbs oil. Spread on a lined cooking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt. Set aside.

The two ears of corn just go into the oven with nothing done to them.

I always put the tray under the corn in case any cooked corn syrup drips out.

 

Remove the outside skin from the red onion and roughly chop it into wedges. This goes into the bottom of a sprayed metal roasting pan and set a rack on top. 

 

 

Lay the bacon slices over the pork, overlapping each then set on the rack. Insert the meat thermometer: If you like spoon a few spoonfuls of the marinade over the top of the bacon!

Roast for 45 minutes at 325 degrees. The clues will be the corn feels soft, the bacon will be crisp and the green beans just starting to have brown edges.

However the bottom line is that thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 140 degrees F, about 45 minutes, but check with the thermometer! Some old timers and country folk insist pork be cooked till it is 160 degrees: however for the past 40 years or so experts agree that cooking till it reaches 140 and then letting it rest till the temp reaches over 150 will produce a juicier roast that is still perfectly safe.

If Your Master wants it that way – then that is the way you cook it! Period, end of discussion.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board and tent a piece of foil over the top, let rest 15 – 20 minutes.

Remove the onions with a slotted spoon to a medium serving bowl and set aside.

Scrap up as much of the crusty bits from the bottom of the pan along with about 1 Tbs. Of the dripping fat. Put this in a sauce pan and whisk in the flour. Heat over a medium low heat, whisking until the four is well mixed into the drippings. Add the broth and continue whisking until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Don't worry about using a whisk in a non-stick pan, it will be OK. When thick, adjust with salt and pepper to your taste. slave added the broken bits of bacon from the outside of the roast to the gravy! YUM!

The ears of corn just get peeled down to the husks and use as a handle when eating, the silk comes right off. If it gives you any trouble, use the pastry brush! Might need gloves or just stick a fork in each end. A few squirts of butter spray and some salt and pepper gives you corn the way it was intended to be eaten.

Slice the pork. Serve with the green beans, onions and gravy.

Bite into this and let your toes curl!

 

You will find the flavors combine in such a way that you will know your Master is enjoying this!

Slave admits that this is one of his best!

Anytime slave is allowed to serve Master with a dinner like this is a special night for slave.

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes by Dan White http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F315Y4I/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via @amazon