Saturday, September 4, 2010

Me, Aaron Sanchez and a Pork Roast!





Well as you know, this blog is also about cooking, not just baking. And you may not know that Aaron Sanchez is a very famous Chef who can be seen on Chopped, TV Food Network and Iron Chef. The way he carried on when talking about his mother's cooking was the inspiration for this next dish!

Last December, 2009, my darling daughter and I were watching a show called "The Best Thing I Ever Ate". The show varies from episode to episode talking about things that are crunchy, fried, baked, salty, sandwiches, whatever and it is all done by interviewing famous chefs about their favorite things. A pretty interesting show. We happened to catch the segment with Aaron Sanchez, known for his Latin cuisine. He said, "No matter where I am in the world, it just would not be Christmas without my mom's Pernil..." and then he went on to describe in juicy, mouthwatering detail this Latin-style pork roast that his mother makes every year. The pictures defy description but the way he spoke about his mother and how synonymous she was with that dish. You could tell how it just felt like all her love was in every bite.

I just HAD to make it! Apparently so did my daughter because she turned to me and screamed, "MOM!! You HAVE to do it!" and so it was decided. I'm casually familiar with some Latin dishes, afterall, you can't live in Southern California or Southern Florida without learning a thing or two about Latin Cooking. Granted, Mexican food and Cuban Food are barely similar in that they just both happen to be food, but I felt pretty confident in my skill.

I carefully researched several recipes, all the ingredients and different techniques. I purchased my Boston Butt/Pork Roast and made a mouth-watering dinner. It was so good, I impressed myself! The kids ate themselves silly and we even made Cuban sandwiches out of the leftovers the following night!

So, one time is a fluke right? But can it be duplicated 8 months later? Would the results be just as tasty? You betcha! That roast was so tender, so fall-off-the-bone delicious...all I can say is Que Sabroso!!! Es muy suculento!

Here mis amigos y amigas is my recipe for Pernil with a little cooking lesson thrown in for good measure:

You will Need:

1 Pork Roast (I prefer Boston Butt) about 6-7 lbs if it has a bone (Feeds about 6 adults generously with leftover)
1c. Mojo Criollo (any brand will do, look near the Latin foods, Goya makes a decent one)
1 Orange or 1/2c. orange juice
1 lime
1-2 bulbs of garlic
1 Reynolds cooking bag (worth the trouble and expense)
Pinch of Kosher Salt

Here's what you do:

Get out your cooking bag and a bowl large enough for the roast to fit in. Place the opened bag in the bowl with the top/excess of the bag draped up and over the sides. Open your roast carefully and remove from packaging. Place the roast in the bag-lined bowl. With the point of a sharp knife, make about 10-12 slits in the top, fatty part of the roast. Pour about 1-1 1/2c. of Mojo over the roast. Roll your orange on the counter to get it nice and juicy, then squeeze all the juice out over the roast. Do the same thing with the lime. Peel several cloves of garlic and make 1/4" slivers. Stick a sliver into each of the slits in the roast.

Take about 5-6 cloves of garlic and chop it fine on a cutting board. When it begins to get fairly small, add your pinch of kosher salt, right on top. Now continue chopping the garlic and the salt together until you get a paste. Smear the paste over the top of the entire roast.

Wash and dry your hands. Gather the excess cooking bag together to close and squeeze out the air. Begin to twist, winding as tightly as you can, forcing the marinade to come up over the top of the roast. Tie the bag closed and place the roast in the refrigerator for at least 3 hrs or over night. ( You can remove the bagged roast from the bowl if space is a problem. The longer you marinate, the more intense the flavor.)
Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove roast from bag but save the marinade! Place the roast on a roasting rack or broiling pan, fat side up. You can score the top with your knife if you prefer or just leave it alone. Cook the roast for 30 minutes at 425. While the roast is cooking, pour the left over marinade in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes and then turn it off. Reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees and continue to cook for several more hours until roast reaches an internal temperature of approximately 160 degrees. Baste frequently with the boiled marinade. It is perfectly ok for the top of your roast to be a little black and crispy. If it looks like it is burning or you prefer it less crispy, cover loosely with foil.

Allow roast to rest for 30 minutes before carving. It will practically fall apart and come clean off the bone. Watch out for all the fingers picking at the crunchy parts as you try and carve the meat! Enjoy!