Monday, October 20, 2014

The Pigs of Autumn

Ahh the taste of slow roasted pig as the leaves turn color and fall! Now to many, the pigs in Autumn usually refers to football games. However, to slave it brings back memories of learning to roast whole pigs over an open fire. Getting to watch them slowly twist over a bed of hardwoods overnight is an experience that delights the senses. While this is a great tradition, it just is not practical for the overwhelming majority of us.


The simple Crock Pot offers a user friendly way to cook “low and slow”. It also allows us to do most of the “work” ahead of time and is not very picky on the time when things are done. Most of the meal is cooked in one pot and clean up is fairly easy.
















Ingredients:
2 lbs. pork loin (approx)
1 butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 medium onion sliced
1 baking apple peeled, cored and sliced
½ cup dried cranberries
¾ cup unsweetened pineapple juice (juice from 20oz can of pineapple)
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp garlic powder

2 tbs cornstarch
¼ cup cold water

Directions:
Night before:








Slice the onion, put in zipper bag or just wrap tightly. Peel and dice the squash. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Both go in the refrigerator overnight.


In a medium bowl mix the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, garlic and ginger. Stir this together well. This is your basic teriyaki sauce. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight to blend the flavors.

In the Morning: (count the time backwards. This takes 8 hours. So if your meal is planed for 6PM, everything will have to be in the pot and covered by 10AM)



Heat 2 tbs of oil in large frying pan over medium high heat. Brown the outsides of roast about 3 minutes per side. While that is browning, wipe out and spray the crock pot. Turn it on to low heat.
When roast is a golden color on both sides, remove from heat.


Pour about ½ cup of your teriyaki sauce into a bowl large enough to hold the roast. Place the roast in and turn it around to completely coat with sauce.


Put all of the diced squash into the crock pot, then a layer of half of the onions.
Sit the roast on top of that and cover with the rest of the onions.
Pour what is left of the bowl you turned the roast in, over everything and cover.


Plan on this cooking for a total of 8 hours.
However: After 6 hours:



Peel, core and slice the apple. Mix in the dried cranberries.
Uncover the crock pot and spread this mixture over the roast. Pour the rest of the teriyaki sauce over that, re-cover and continue to cook for the last 2 hours.


Remove the roast to a platter and cover with a piece of foil. Using a slotted spoon dish out the veggie – apple mix to a large serving bowl.
Pour out the liquid from the crock pot into a sauce pan. Mix cornstarch with cold water and stir this into the liquids. Heat on stove top, stirring, until this thickens, about 2 minutes.

Remove the foil and serve the roast on a platter.
Next, a bowl of beautiful colors and aromas: the squash – apple mix with a small bowl of the thickened sauce on the side.
For an additional vegetable slave choose to roast asparagus with no sauce.
This makes a hearty table of bright harvest colors and a balance of tastes that will please your Master!




This is especially pleasing to slave to be allowed to serve this meal in honor of my Master Indy.

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.
To nourish, support and maintain.
To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,
to nurture, assist, and sustain
..I cook!

Please read slave's column for Saint Louis LGBT History Project:

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



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