Jamie Oliver's Slow Roasted Pork

This is my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging round up.  The blogging event was started by Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen. This week's round up is being hosted by Rinku from Cooking in Westchester.

My sister gave Paul this cookbook for Christmas. It is Jamie Oliver's attempt to help everyone learn to be a better cook. We were very happy with Jamie's last cookbook Jamie's Italy so we were excited to receive this one. The book is fairly well-written (once you get used to Jamie's hyper and casual style) with some great recipes. I was flipping through it the other day and Paul saw a picture on page 174 - 'mmmmmmm' he said, 'I think I'd like to make that'.

Up front I need to say that we made some changes to the recipe. It calls for a 11 - 13.5 pound of pork shoulder, on the bone, which you roast all night. Not wanting to eat pork for an entire week, we cut back the recipe and did a 6 pound pork shoulder roast on the bone. Jamie says that this recipe only works with a whole shoulder, well Mr. Oliver, I must strongly disagree with you because the dinner Paul turned out last night was a treat!

Because we used a smaller cut of meat Paul adjusted the cooking times and the remaining ingredients. 

Slow Roasted Pork Roast with Mashed Vegetables and Greens

6 lb pork shoulder one the bone, skin scored
375 ml dry white wine
1/2 pint chicken stock
2 medium carrots, peeled, sliced into thick rings
1 1/2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed
1/2 head garlic, peeled, and smashed
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 tablespoon sea salt
olive oil

Preheat oven to maximum.

Smash fennel seeds with salt in a mortar and pestle until fine.

Put the veggies, garlic, and thyme sprigs into a large roasting tray.

Pat shoulder with olive oil and put on top of the veggies.

Massage with the smashed fennel into the skin of the pork, rubbing into the scores.

Put into max heated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until it is beginning to color, then turn down to 250F and cook for 4 - 6 hours or until you can pull it with a fork.

Pour the wine into the roasting tray and let it cook for another hour.

Remove and let rest for a half hour, before moving to a very large cutting board.

Strain the veggies from the sauce, being sure to capture the sauce in a large bowl.

Mash up the veggies with a potato masher, set aside.

Pour the strained sauce into a pan. Add the chicken stock, and boil until you have a nice gravy. You may need to thicken it (we thickened it a bit with corn starch).

To serve it Paul made a bed of sauteed swiss chard on the plate. We spooned some of the mashed veggies on top of the chard. Two or three pieces of the meltingly tender pork went on top of the veggies and he poured some of the sauce over it all. We had some cooked beans and rice left over in the freezer so he added those to the plate for a final touch. WOW

This recipe makes great use of Fennel - one of my 'new' favourite vegetables/herbs/flavourings. Fennel is crunchy and slightly sweet, adding a refreshing contribution to foods. Most often associated with Italian cooking, be sure to add this to your selection of fresh vegetables from the autumn through early spring when it is readily available and at its best.

Fennel is composed of a white or pale green bulb from which closely superimposed stalks are arranged. The stalks are topped with feathery green leaves near which flowers grow and produce fennel seeds. The bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds are all edible. Fennel belongs to the Umbellifereae family and is therefore closely related to parsley, carrots, dill and coriander.

The three different parts of fennel—the base, stalks and leaves—can all be used in cooking. Cut the stalks away from the bulb at the place where they meet. If you are not going to be using the intact bulb in a recipe, then first cut it in half, remove the base, and then rinse it with water before proceeding to cut it further. Fennel can be cut in a variety of sizes and shapes, depending upon the recipe and your personal preference. The best way to slice it is to do so vertically through the bulb. If your recipe requires chunked, diced or julienned fennel, it is best to first remove the harder core that resides in the center before cutting it. The stalks of the fennel can be used for soups, stocks and stews, while the leaves can be used as an herb seasoning

In addition, dried fennel seeds are a popular spice. Seeds are oval, green or yellow/brown, have a sweet scent and warm, sweet taste. Fennel seeds have been said to be anise-like but they’re sweeter and more aromatic. Seeds are clustered and harvested once the flowers have died and the seeds have dried.

Today, fennel seeds are mostly sourced in India and Egypt and used in curry powder mixes, spice mixes for fish and spice blends from India, Scandinavia, China and the Mediterranean. Fennel seeds are also used in baked good and liqueurs. In India, fennel seeds are used as an after-dinner breath freshener and digestive.

Fennel has symbolized many things in the past. In Ancient Greece, fennel was given the name Marathon because the Battle of Marathon against the Persians took place in a field of fennel. Fennel then, was used to symbolize victory, longevity, strength and courage. In Medieval England, the plant was used to ward off witchcraft and hung on doors to ward off evil spirits. The Puritans called them “The Meeting Seed” since it was chewed during meetings.

In France, India, Iran and Russia, fennel seeds are cultivated specifically for their medicinal properties. The seeds do have a long medicinal history and were originally cultivated by the Ancient Romans who identified at least 22 uses — including to improve eyesight and to relieve jaundice.

As early as the Third Century, Hippocrates prescribed fennel to combat infant colic. And even today fennel is known for relieving gastrointestinal disorders and indigestion since it relieves spasms in the digestive system. It also acts as a diuretic and both a pain and fever-reducer. In Latin America, fennel seeds are believed to boost the production of breast milk in nursing mothers. Fennel seed tea has been used to treat food poisoning, snake and insect bites, to increase urine flow and help with menstruation.

Fennel seeds may be chewed whole or steeped to make tea (use one-half teaspoon of crushed seeds per one cup of boiling water).

Comments

[Laurie Constantino]

This looks completely delicious in every way! I really like the idea of serving the succulent pork on top of a bed of swiss chard. Great recipe.

[Jerry]

Thanks Laurie - all thinks have to go to Jamie Oliver though! LOL The chard was a paefect foil for the richness of the pork and the sweetness of the fennel.

[Ulrike aka ostwestwind]

I saw Jamie on a German cook show, I have to say, I like him more and more

[Kalyn]

Great post about fennel! Fennel seeds are one of my very favorite flavors. I have no idea why I haven't cooked fennel as a vegetable; it's been on on list "to try" forever. The recipe sounds good and I have heard things about Jamie's cookbooks. (So many vegetables and cookbooks to try! What a good problem to have!)

[Jerry]

Kalyn - I'll be posting another great fennel recipe shortly. We made it on Saturday night - it was pasta with fennel, onion, and sausage. YUM

Ulrike - I used to not be such a Jamie Oliver fan but I guess he's growing on me. I like the way his recipes are relatively 'approachable' for non-cooks.

[Claudia]

I just wondered if you have to cover the pork with foil while you cook it?

[Jerry]

Claudia - we didn't.