Who among us can deny the allure of a piece of roasted meat. I'm sure that deep within each of us is the belief that this is a good thing, maybe even our vegetarian brethren. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for eating less meat, because I think it is clear that in today's day and age our meat consumption has gone off the charts, leading to obesity, environmental catastrophe, and an industrialized food system that is criminal at best. I certainly don't eat meat everyday, having even gone weeks without a single indulgence, but when the desire arrives, quenching it with a good roast is tough to beat. And when I think about a piece of meat roasting to perfection, I can't help but think of days of old when people would gather round the fire, play music, dance, celebrate, and eat. In my mind, music and food seem to go hand in hand. The right music at a restaurant adds so much to the experience, while the right track played at home while cooking can elevate the entire creative process. Now I'd like to be super hip and tell you that I have a deep collection of vintage vinyl that I play on my German turntable, but I'd be a big fat liar. The truth is, many times when I cook I listen to my ipod with headphones, as my girlfriend studies away. Yet that simple act of creating a cooking soundtrack transports me to a wonderful place, and adds yet another element of fun to the daily meal. Food, and its preparation, should be enjoyable remember. I even think it is allowed to be classified as fun, but don't tell too many people about that or we may disturb the delicate balance of daily drudgery that so many people have bought into. Shall we roast some meat? I think so.
Step #1: Go to a good butcher or farmer's market if possible. Procure a piece of humanely raised, antibiotic-free meat. If they can tell you where it came from it is a very good sign. In my case I went to Dickson's Farmstand Meats (dicksonsfarmstand.com) and purchased a beautiful Boston Butt pork roast. If you question my use of the term beautiful, just look at the picture above. It is beautiful, with plenty of fat, proof positive that good pork was never meant to be the 'other white meat'. The sad fact is that 'the other white meat', encased in styrofoam and plastic wrap at your local Mega Super-Duper Mart, tastes like shit. Good pork is a revelation for those who are uninitiated.
Step #2: Turn your oven on to 450F. Take your roast out of the fridge and allow it to come up to temperature while the oven is heating up. This is a step that so many people never do, and it makes a huge difference.
Step #3: Put on some great music. (My choices are listed below, and will be attached to many of my future posts. You don't have to like what I do, but try and put together a sweet playlist the next time you cook, if you don't already)
Step #4: Season the outside of the roast with whatever you damn well please. In my case I went pretty straightforward, salt, pepper, and herbes de provence.
Step #5: You should already own Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Meat Book. If you don't, you should stop reading this and go buy that, you owe it to yourself. Use Hugh's 'half hour sizzle' method of roasting (half hour at 450F, then take the oven down to 325F to finish the roasting). For my pork, I was looking for an internal temp of 160F. On that note, make sure you have a good thermometer. They are incredibly useful, yet men in particular seem to shy away from them at all costs. Cooking a large roast without a thermometer is similar to the 'I'm obviously lost, but refuse to stop and ask for directions' maneuver.
Step#6: Make some vegetables, maybe a starch. I had some cute little mini acorn squash, and a bunch of multi-colored baby carrots from the farmers market. The oven was being used for one thing, why not use it for two? Squash and carrots on a baking sheet, toss a little olive oil over top and pop them in the oven. I don't salt vegetables beforehand when I roast them because it hinders the caramelization process, which is the whole point of roasting them in the first place (thanks Mr. Carmellini). Salt later if necessary.
Step #7: When the roast is done (you will know with the use of your trusty thermometer remember), take it out and let it rest for at least fifteen minutes, reserving the roasting pan and its contents for a pan sauce/gravy. Letting it rest means not touching it, AT ALL! Don't cut into it to see if it is done (remember the thermometer? if you used it, you already know it's done). Don't poke, prod, or shake. Think about when you want to rest. During those moments, would you appreciate someone poking at you? Well neither does your meat.
Step #8:Finish your vegetables or starch. I took out my squash and carrots when they were nicely roasted and preceded to make a little beurre monte. This is just the french term for butter sauce. You heat a little water and whisk in some butter, emulsifying the two together. Drop a couple sprigs of time (or any herb) in there and gently toss the carrots in the sauce. I placed a half a squash on the plate, placed some carrots on top, and placed a small spoonful of the beurre monte inside the natural well of the squash.
Step#9:Make a gravy or pan sauce. I'm not going to tell you how to do this because at some point I want to talk extensively about the lack of sauce making in home kitchens, and how to remedy this ugly reality. It's not that hard, I promise. The River Cottage Meat Book also has great instructions.
Step#10:Now that the roast has rested, cut nice slices for service. Not too thick, not too thin.
Step#11:Spoon a bit of sauce over the meat, and serve to someone you love, which could be yourself, though people seem to avoid cooking for one at all costs.
Step#12:Enjoy the fruits of your labor, and thank the pig for being the magnificent culinary creature that it is.
10/12/10 Playlist
Mumford and Sons: The Cave
White Blank Page
John Lennon: Beautiful Boy
Drake: Unforgettable
City and Colour: Live at the Orange Lounge EP
Black Star: Definition
The Black Crowes: Freak 'N' Roll....Into The Fog (2 CD)
No comments:
Post a Comment