Pork is my friend. Tom Douglas

Monday April 24…Rainy days and comfort food just go together and for us, today, both will happen.  On the menu juicy Tuscan-style pork butt, fresh from the garden kale and roasted potatoes…  I thought of the slow cooker, the Instant Pot and the oven roast method and finally decided on the oven to roast the pork because I wanted the herb and garlic aroma wafting through the house and it have that as I type.

Of course a 4 pound hunk of pork butt is going to be too much for two of us to eat, but I think that I can manage the leftovers and already thinking of a juicy Italian sandwich with garlicky broccolini another night this week and then maybe a quick pork ragù for another night.  I prepped the roast the day before roasting and served it with 5 minute Instant Pot kale spiked with garlic, fresh thyme leaves, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, pancetta and caramelized sweet onions…simple kale transformed into a gently sweet bowl of goodness, I could easily eat the whole bowl of greens.

For another time… I will post the Instant pot caramelized onions thoughts on what supposedly would take 20 minutes took more like 50 minutes.  You can look around for Serious Eats caramelized onions in the mean time and maybe give it a try, let me know how it works for you.

Tuscan-style Pork Butt
1-4 pound hunk of pork butt, bone in
6-8 cloves of peeled garlic, mince 2 cloves and leave the rest whole
salt and pepper
3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3-4 tablespoons additional chopped fresh herbs, rosemary, thyme, oregano
1+1/2 teaspoons fennel dust or toasted fennel seeds (I used my homemade sausage spice)
3-4 tablespoons EVOO
Salt and pepper

Pierce the meat deep enough to stuff half a clove of garlic into the slit, continue until you have used all but two cloves of garlic. 

Blend all of the herbs, seasonings and minced garlic into the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Have ready a zip bag large enough to hold the meat or use a food sealer bag. Place the meat and all of the marinade into the bag and slather the meat with the marinade, seal bag and refrigerate over night. Remove roast from fridge at least one hour before time to roast/pressure cook.

Preheat the oven to 450º and roast the pork for 20 minutes to crisp up the skin a little then turn the oven down to 300º and roast for at least 3 hours or until internal temperature is 190º Remove roast to carving board and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes…strain pan juices and pour into a fat separator cup, deglaze pan with white wine and then add pan juices into the pan and reduce for a few minutes…serve with pork.

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