August Recipe of the Month: Cajun Pork Roast

This pork roast recipe is wonderful. I cook this roast in a roux-based braising liquid. The roast I use is a 4 lb. sirloin roast. I sometimes use a 6 - 7 lb. shoulder or butt roast but the smaller size was all I needed. This is a great roast for Po-Boys as it just falls apart. You can also substitute a beef chuck roast if you prefer it. This makes a nice gravy and is great with rice. I hope you enjoy it, here's the recipe.

Pork Roast with Brown Roux Gravy

½ cup oil
½ cups plain flour
2 lg onions (sliced)
5 ribs celery (¼ in. sliced)
1 bulb garlic (whole head peeled & diced)
4 - 5 lb sirloin pork roast
1 tbs black pepper
1 tbs salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 sprigs thyme (fresh
1 tbs parsley (chopped)
3 bay leaves
2 tbs worcestershire
6 cups water (hot)

Preheat oven to 250º. Rub roast with half the salt and pepper. In a 7 to 8 qt. Dutch Oven, or similar kettle, heat oil on MED. When hot, add flour and stir continuously until the roux reaches a dark brown color. Add onions, garlic, and celery, cook 5 mins., stir in the cayenne, the remaining salt and pepper, worcestershire, and cook 5 more mins. stirring continuously.

Add half the water, whisk it into the roux, and bring it up to a boil. Carefully lower the pork roast (fat side up) into the roux mixture. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Add enough water to reach just halfway up the roast. Bring back up to a boil for 5 mins. and turn down to MED. for a while with the lid on.

After cooking for 15 mins. on MED, turn down to LO for 2 hours. After two hours, spoon some of the braising liquid onto the roast, cover it, and place it onto middle rack of your 250º oven. Leave roast in oven for at least 2 more hours, I let mine go for a combined 5 hours in all. After turning the oven off, let relax for about another half hour. You can baste it if you like.

Using a giant spoon or spatula, lift roast out of the pot and rest it on a plate. Skim the grease off the top of the roux gravy and serve over the pork roast. Best served with rice or on a sandwich.

RouxBDoo