Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder with all its wonderful marbling is a delectable cut of meat and very easy to cook, provided you allow plenty of time for the cooking. Pork shoulder can be roasted at low temperatures and served with rice and beans or over polenta with a side of sautéed bitter greens. Any which way, it will be delicious. 

Pork shoulder can also be braised, slowly cooked in a sauce. Usually a BBQ sauce is used then shredded for pulled pork. This is another really popular preparation.

Ingredients

1 pork shoulder 3 - 5lbs

1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp mild chili powder

1 tbsp dried mixed Italian seasoning

1 tbsp Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Preparation

As with all meats, let the pork sit out of the refrigerator for at least an hour before cooking and for best results. Place it on a rack in a shallow pan to allow the Convection heat to circulate around the meat. The pork can be roasted in either a Combi Steam oven or a Convection Oven.

Keep the temperature low and allow 3 - 4 hours, it will be well worth the wait.

Heat the oven in the Convection Steam Mode (Combi Steam Oven) to the Convection Mode (Convection Oven) to 300 degrees. If your oven does not have a Convection mode use the Convection Bake mode 280 degrees.

Puree the onion, garlic and seasonings in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Stir in ¼ cup of olive oil and the vinegar to make a thick paste.

Place the meat fat side up on a rack in a shallow pan. Score the meat in a cross-hatch pattern and rub the puree all over the meat. Pour enough water into the bottom of the pan to cover the surface and slide the tray into the oven.

Check the meat after 2 hours and add a little more water to the bottom of the pan if needed.

Check the meat again after 3 ½ hours to see how tender it is. The final result should be meltingly tender. Remember you can’t go wrong if you keep the temperature low.

Larissa Taboryski

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Steamed Couscous Broccoli Salad with Almonds

Quick cooking grains such as couscous and bulgur can be cooked by pouring boiling water over them, covering the pan, and leaving the grain to absorb the water or you can cook them in the steam oven using the Steam-mode.  Of course, the benefit of using your steam oven is that you can cook some vegetables at the same time for an easy delicious salad or side dish.

If your oven doesn’t have small-sized pans to cook the ½ cup of couscous, use a small pyrex or other ovenproof casserole dishes.

Larissa Taboryski

Ingredients

½ cup whole wheat couscous (I used the Trader Joe’s brand)

½ cup water

2 large broccoli crowns, florets, and some tender slices of the stem only

½ red onion, minced

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup toasted almonds (toasted in regular Bake mode 350 for 10 minutes)

½ cup toasted pepitas (toasted with the almonds)

Dressing

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp apple cider or golden balsamic vinegar

Preparation

Heat the steam oven in the steam mode at 212 degrees.

Place the couscous in a small solid pan and add ½ cup of water and a pinch of kosher salt.

Place the broccoli florets and stems in the perforated pan.

Slide the pans into the oven and set the timer for 6 minutes. Remove the broccoli and set it aside to cool before adding to the remaining salad ingredients. Leave the couscous in the oven for another 6 - 8 minutes until all the water has been absorbed.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a large shallow bowl and prepare the dressing.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a glass measuring cup, mix well and add a good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Link: Orzo Pasta Salad Grilled Artichokes

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