Snowed in but at least eating well... Pork Roast "Mexican Lomo" style (Recipe)

We are planning a central Mexican (gourmet) cooking fest over the holidays when the family gathers, so in preparation I have been perusing Diana Kennedy's fantastic (and very authentic) Mexican cookbooks.  There are two types of dried chiles my son's girlfriend will bring from California, but I wanted to make sure I had everything else. Then it began to snow, I was bored and here is the result:

"Pork Roast Mexican Lomo/Carnitas Style"

Ingredients:

1.5 to 2.5 pound whole Pork loin (long roast cut)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon roasted, minced garlic

¾ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black or white pepper

¾ teaspoon oregano

¾ teaspoon Hungarian paprika

½ cup of good Balsamic vinegar

Herdez brand, mild Mexican Green Salsa (or Red)

Fresh corn tortillas (or flour)

Aluminum foil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 Degrees Farenheit. Wash and pat the pork loin dry with a paper towel. Drizzle 1 TB of the olive oil on a glass or Corningwear roasting pan and place the roast fat side up in the center of the pan. Mix the remaining olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, paprika and Balsamic vinegar together to form a thin paste. Pour it over the top of the roast, covering it as evenly as possible.

Cover the roasting pan tightly with two layers of aluminum foil as you are poaching the meat in a sense and do not want the liquid to evaporate while cooking. Roast at 450 degree temperature for 10 minutes only, then without opening the oven, turn the heat down to 250 degrees and continuing roasting for 2.5 to 3 hours. As ovens vary significantly, use a meat thermometer to make sure the pork’s internal temperature reaches at least 170 degrees Farenheit. The pan will have about a cup and a half of meat juices, which can be made into a light gravy for the pork roast or discarded if you are making carnitas.

For Roast Pork, skip the next paragraph and proceed to Directions for Roast Pork below.

Directions for Carnitas:

At this point in the process the fat layer at the top of the roast can easily be removed and discarded. It will be too squishy to eat and as many of us are trying not to overload our arteries with saturated fat, I peel it off. Then I slice or tear the meat into tender pieces to be taken as each person stuffs their own individual tortillas with the meat. This is a healthier way to obtain an authentic flavor similar to Mexican carnitas, which are often pit-roasted and then deep-fried. This pork is very tender and slices easily too. To make the carnitas, stuff a warm tortilla with a few tablespoons of the meat and then top the meat with a tablespoon of Mexican green salsa. Green salsa, but the way, is used traditionally with pork, but a few people prefer the red salsa.

Directions for Roast Pork:

To serve the roast in a more traditional roast style, leave the fat on after roasting the meat. Preheat the broiler to its High setting, place the meat fat side up on a broiler pan and place under the broiler for two to five minutes. You can also throw the meat, fat side down, on a grill to brown it. Either method will quickly crisp the fat on the top of the roast without drying out the meat. Do keep the crisping process short or you will dry the meat out and/or the fat may burn and ruin the delicate flavor. If you find it hard to judge, check the fat and put it back into the broiler for a minute at a time until you reach the desired crispness.

Slow Food Thinkers: Working people may not find this a practical weekday recipe unless you do what I did yesterday. While I was making last night’s dinner I put the meat in to roast. When it was done, I cooled it, refrigerated it overnight (tightly covered) and then reheated it tonight for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Farenheit. It was effortless tonight and delicioius. I may end up using the last leftovers in a pork fried rice dish or freeze it for another dinner. Once the meat is defrosted it can be gently reheated on low for another meal. This recipe serves six people generously.

Enjoy!