Spanish Pork Roast

We ordered a bunch of delicious Iberian Pork from Campo Grande on a whim (by we, I mean my husband). What a good whim it turned out to be because this pork is delicious. Our package came with one small rib roast and I wanted to honor the Spanish heritage of the pork by using some warm spices. I love the combination of ancho chili and smoked paprika so I put together a little spice rub highlighting those flavors and I am feeling pretty smug with how delicious it turned out to be. I think these flavors would go well with any pork, beef, or game such as venison or elk.

For the spice rub:

1 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp ground mixed peppercorns

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp sugar

2 1/2 tsp course ground or flaky sea salt

This rub provided enough to generously coat a 2.5 lb pork roast and have enough leftover to sprinkle over the potatoes I added to the pan. For the rib roast, I pulled the meat out and coated it with 2 tbsp olive oil and about 3/4 of the spice rub mixture. I let it sit out for an hour to come to room temperature and allow the flavors to meld.

Next, I preheated the oven to 425 and coated a cast iron skillet with some olive oil (about 3 tbsp). I threw in some potatoes and swirled them around in the olive oil and the remaining spice rub. I gave the potatoes a 10 minute head start in the oven and allowed the pan to heat up. After 10 minutes I pulled the pan out and moved the potatoes to the outskirts of the pan and added the pork roast to the center (fat side up) and placed it back in the oven. I let the pork sear for about 15 minutes at 425 and then dropped the temperature down to 325 for the remaining cooking time. I am really spoiled and have a thermometer probe that turns the oven off when it has reached the desired temperature. For a good quality pork roast, the ideal temperature is 145. I set the probe to 140 because I know it will finish cooking while it rests. If you aren’t fortunate enough to have this I would start temperature checking after about 25 minutes assuming it will take between 30–40 minutes to finish cooking (but it would be devestating to overcook it). When the pork has reached your desired temperature pull it out and tent it with foil. Be sure to let it rest a solid 10-15 minutes before carving. Let me know what you think!

Italian Sausage and Rapini Stew

With the continuation of snow, ice, cold, and wind…we are still craving comfort food. After a while though, I always want something a tad lighter than the gut bombs I craved during the first few days of aggressive January weather. This Italian Sausage and Rapini stew has all the comforts of a good Italian dish but is rather light and healthy. It’s really easy to make and made me feel a whole lot better after cleaning the barn in the 20 degree weather and fishing out ice chunks from the water buckets for yet another day. Hopefully February will bring us some reprieve.

What you need:

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 small onion

1 large carrot

1 lb uncooked hot Italian sausage

3 cloves of garlic

1 28 oz can whole peeled San Marzano Tomatoes

1/4 cup Gavi or good dry white wine

1 cup chicken broth

About 2 cups roughly chopped rapini (thick stems removed)

1 Parmesan rind

salt and pepper

Begin by dicing your onion and carrot and adding to a warm pan with the olive oil and butter. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and begin to sweat the vegetables. After a few minutes remove the casing from your Italian Sausage and add to the pot. Break up the sausage and brown it on all sides. Add your garlic and stir so that it doesn’t burn. As soon as the garlic becomes very fragrant, scrape up the brown bits and add your 1/4 cup of white wine. Let the wine bubble for a minute or two and add your can of tomatoes. I like to use the spoon and mash and break up the tomatoes into small pieces. Now add your chicken broth, rapini, and Parmesan rind and simmer for about 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally. Fish out the Parmesan rind and serve with crusty butter bread to mop up all the yummy goodness. Enjoy.

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili

As far as vegetarian chilis go, this is by far the most full bodied and flavorful one I have made so far. You really don’t miss the meat at all in this version. I love a classic chili but occasionally, I omit the meat for a number of reasons and this is a great alternative. The secret is using 2 cups of chopped butternut squash and taking a potato masher to blend the majority of the squash into the soup after its softened. The smoked paprika I used adds just enough heat and smokiness to give this another layer of flavor. This chili is warming and flavorful and so easy to make.

What you need:

Olive Oil

2 tbsp butter

1 poblano pepper (chopped)

1 green bell pepper (chopped)

1 small yellow onion (chopped)

salt and pepper

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp smoked paprika

28 oz can of diced tomatoes

14 oz can black beans (do not drain the can)

*do not use sodium free tomatoes or beans unless you like really bland chili, I rely on the salt in these items for flavor.…if you used sodium free canned tomatoes/beans you will want to salt this soup to taste

Begin by putting a small drizzle of olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a pot and heating to medium/low heat. Add your chopped peppers and onion and stir with a bit of salt and pepper. After about 5 minutes add all of your spices. Stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes to soften the vegetables and cook the spices. The spices will release much more of their flavor if you cook them slowly in a (mostly) dry pot, this is crucial. When the spices and oregano are fully aromatic and the vegetables have softened add your tomatoes, beans, and butternut squash. Instead of using chicken broth, I get all of the liquid in the soup from the beans and the tomatoes. It should be enough liquid to just cover the butternut squash. The starch from the liquid in the bean can is useful in thickening up this chili. Simmer on low for about 30-40 minutes. When you can easily pierce the butternut squash with a fork the chili is done. Take a potato masher and place it into the soup pot, mashing up the cubes of squash. Leave it a bit chunky and cook for about 5-10 more minutes so the starch from the squash thickens it even more. This chili can be enjoyed right away, adding cheese is a great addition. Like most soups and stews, its even better the next day!