ROAST PORK WITH CIDER GRAVY

I know this photo doesn't quite look like roast pork, but I wanted to share the irises my lovely daughter gave me for Mother's Day. I love irises, they are my favorite flower. I have so many planted in my gardens. So thank you very much Rachel!!!!

This recipe is the perfect dish to make on a Sunday afternoon when you want to make a delicious dinner that smells up the whole house. The flavors are wonderful and the cider gravy works so well with the pork. (oh and by the way Rachel loves hard cider from her days over in Scotland)

I serve this dish with some nice roasted red potatoes cooked with onions and garlic swimming in olive oil. A 13 x 9 pan of diced red potatoes takes about an hour to roast in the oven at about 375 degrees. I add a little sauteed asparagus with tomato that also works well with the cider gravy.

Many sides would work like au gratin potatoes, and any sauteed vegetable you like. Two 5 lb pork roasts will serve about 8 people but it is also great for two with a lot of pork left over for sandwiches, tacos, burritos, even a nice spicy chili.

Ingredients:

2 (5lb) pork roasts bone-in

1/4 lb pancetta roughly chopped

2 stalks celery roughly chopped

1 medium onion preferably Vidalia roughly chopped

2 carrots roughly chopped

4 cloves of garlic peeled

1-1/2 cups olive oil

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup white wine

3 cups water

1 (12 oz) bottle of hard cider

2 tbl cold butter

3 tbl flour

1 bay leaf

2 tbl sage roughly chopped

2 tbl thyme roughly chopped

whole peppercorns

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Place pork roasts in a roasting pan ribs facing up. Put pancetta, celery, onion, carrot, garlic, white wine, water, chicken broth, bay leaf, butter and spices in the bottom of the pan around the roasts. Combine olive oil, sage and thyme and brush the roasts. Add salt and pepper to the pork. Roast for 2-1/2 hours until skin is crackled. Remove the roast to a cutting board and let it rest at least 15 minutes before carving. Strain the gravy removing all the vegetables, spices, bay leaf etc. Pour the gravy back into the pan and put it on the top of the stove over medium-high heat. Put flour in the gravy and stir until incorporated and light brown. Add hard cider and continue to stir. Add more chicken broth if you need more gravy. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Just delicious and the whole house smells divine!

ENJOY!