Skip to main content

Pork Shoulder Confit

I heard one or two food shows talk about pork confit, a variation on duck confit that had never occurred to me. A confit is a meat cooked in a bath of its own fat. So I decided to take this idea out for a spin. My ingredients were simple: a complete pork shoulder from Publix, a steal for less than $20; and two tubs of fresh lard from the Buford Highway Farmer's Market. The pork shoulder came vacuum packed in a brine, but I decided to pack it in my own brine (pickling salt plus molasses) for the last day. The shoulder was so big that I didn't have a pan big enough to hold it, so I also picked up a foil roasting pan.

Here is my pork shoulder going into the oven. I also threw in two carrots from the refrigerator, which turned out to be a great idea. I didn't have enough lard to fully cover the shoulder. As it turned out, I had enough to produce a good effect. The fat cap on top of the shoulder probably contributed as well.

Here it is coming out of the oven. I think this was the best pork roast I have ever had: juicy, tender, porky but not overly strong. It was so good I went back for seconds and thirds. A surprise bonus was the skin that came on top of the shoulder. It wasn't quite a ciccarone since it hadn't been fully fried but it was delicious. It was crispy, slightly carmelized, and with a touch of pork flavor, like a thick pork potato chip. The carrots were delicious, too. They didn't taste fatty, just like a concentrated carrot.

And I now have enough pork left over for three or four more meals. My next step is to use some of the pork in a batch of chili.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pressure Cooker Candied Ginger

I made candied ginger a few years ago. It's not something I would do every day but I had a lot of fun doing it. I recently acquired a pressure cooker and it inspired an interesting idea to me: why not make candied ginger in the pressure cooker? It should be very soft and flavorful. Here is the result. I peeled two large ginger roots, cut them into small cubes, and put them in the pressure cooker with heavily sugared water. The traditional method first boils the ginger in plain water to soften it and then again in sugar water to candy it. The resulting candy was very tender but still with the characteristic ginger texture. It was also sweet without being overpowering. The traditional method leaves a lot of sugar crystallized around the ginger. The pressure cooker gives a much more subtle result. The ginger stays moist even after it cools but you can dry it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. That inspired me to dip it in chocolate. While I was in the b...
2 comments
Read more

Blue Ridge Parkway: Pisgah Inn

I've wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway for a long time. I finally got my chance and started driving from the southern end. Just about dinner time, I ran into the Pisgah Inn near the high point of the Parkway. It's a lodge and restaurant. It promised to be just the dinner experience I had hoped for. Here is the view from my table: The restaurant is nice but casual, as one would expect in a national park. The servers were all extremely friendly and helpful. I tried the pork chop, which I thoroughly enjoyed. In addition to the cole slaw and squash, it came with a cauliflower and beef soup. For dessert, I splurged and had a piece of apple pie. The crust was very buttery and it capped off the pork perfectly. This meal was the perfect capstone to a day full of unexpected pleasures.
Post a Comment
Read more

Autumn Harvest in the North Georgia Mountains

Fall has its own harvest and rituals. One of mine is to enjoy the apple crop. So I got in the car and drove past Clayton to my favorite farm stand, Osage Farms. Before I looked for produce, I enjoyed a half rack of ribs from Tomlin's BBQ; sorry, no photos, I was too hungry. With my hunger sated, it was time to get down to business. I surveyed the huge selection of apples and was about to select two small bags. Then I saw this box of assorted apples for only $12. Assorted apples are exactly what you want for a variety of baking needs---a mix of varieties gives the best flavor. I also picked up some eggplant, peppers, and okra. My next stop was the drug store in Clayton for a root beer float. Their soda fountain is a reminder of a simpler time. My next stop was Blue Ridge Honey Company. They sell an impressive array of beekeeping equipment as well as maintaining a large honey processing operation. They also stock beeswax; you could make one heck of a candle with some...
Post a Comment
Read more