Every time I even remotely remember some of the downright stupidity and lack of thought versus research that C.I. magazine spews my mind goes in to a tailspin. One such largish article they put in to print was a review of pork and its many cuts. It was well laid out with pictures and everything. They wanted us to know what was which and how to play with each one. My jaw hit the floor when they said the pork sirloin roast was not recommended.
Not Recommended was all that cut got. It was too hard to slice they said, too uneven. Not Recommended. Wtf, over?
The pork sirloin roast is one of my top favorite cuts! It’s got the rich porky flavors that you’d find in a butt roast, the tenderness of a loin roast, you can cook it to 138 or 190. How could this cut not pass muster? They’re stupid, that’s all there is to that. And? For this recipe I didn’t use a knife at all! Gah.
Last Saturday found Biggles at the meat area, lifting up packages of this and that. I wasn’t inspired until I spied a sirloin roast in the back. Yoink! It was about 3 pounds of inexpensive perfection. I knew right where this sucker was going, in the clay cooker and it was going to be simple.
Jack oven to 400, rack on bottom. Sliced a white onion and laid on the bottom, 7 cloves of whacked garlic and a sprig of fresh rosemary. Kosher salted the roast and brought to room temperature. Put the lid on and toss in the hot oven for 25 minutes, drop to 350 for an hour. Turn temp down to 325 and cook for another 3 or so hours.
Use 2 forks to splay meat and let it sit for a bit to soak up the juices that collected on the bottom. Remove portion of meat to fry pan, add BBQ sauce and gently warm. Slice bun, install meat and enjoy! The pork could have been used in the sammich as it was, so perfect. Toothsome, rich and every bit a winner. It’s porky love at its best. MmMmMmmm, porky love.
Biggles
MeatHenge
"If it ain't pork, it ain't sausage"
Hey Dr., get yourself some Bear Paws, they pull big ol’ pork shoulders perfectly in less time than it takes to look at ’em and are way more fun than forks. Made in Santa Rosa, too.
Hey Aaron,
Yeah, saw those a while back, very cool machines. Thought about it, but I don’t shred meat often enough to make it worth my while. Plus? That meat was so juicy tender I could have just dropped it on the floor and it would have shredded itself.
Cheers!
Yea, CI gave a thumbs down to a bottom round beef roast, too – and I really like those!
Hey Ricki,
Yeah, see! Gah.
Biggles
Yeah! Cooks Illustrated sucks ass!
Rev,
You prompted me to pull down my clay cooker the other day – and it was covered with mold inside. So now I’m trying to figure out how to clean it (I’m thinking a good scrubbing, then cooking some water for a few hours).
While I can’t claim to have tried every single part of a pig, I can safely say that he’s good and tasty from end to end. Crazy thing for CI to say. Shame on them!
Hi Everbody!
Hey Kevin, I would be prompted to let a very light bleach/water solution sit in there for a bit, rinse well. I know the clay is porous, but the soaking shouldn’t take long, ya know? Then another washing, scrubbing and sitting should do the trick.
Biggles
Biggles–long time reader, first time poster. I had to weigh in on your opinion of CI. Living in New England, it is difficult to get away from their strangle-hold on both PBS and the minds of unsuspecting home cooks. They eschew both experimentation and creativity in favor of rote recipe learning. Disgusting behavior…idiotic behavior…And that dude CK thinks he’s the shiznit, but he isn’t. Bravo, Biggles, bravo.
Kind of reminds me of those sammiches that Chilebrown made.
Being the grandchild of a hog farmer, I was raised with the idea that just about every part of the pig is good. I still won’t sample the feet and ears though, no matter how many times my dad tells me that they’re tasty.
Hey Rev. Biggles,
It’s 6:15 here and I got a brisket on. But, that looks amazing. I’m goin’ for that cut next.
I like CI, but they often come back to a slight variation on some 20 year old method in Joy of Cooking. And, that publications practically free.
Clay Cookware Care and Cleaning
Caring for your clay cooker has a few rules too, but remember that you usually only use one pot so an extra rule or two shouldn’t be a problem. It just takes some getting used to and after half a dozen uses, you will just take it all in stride.
• The first time you use your clay cooker, soak the top and bottom in water for 30 minutes and then scrub with a brush or nonmetallic scrubbing pad to remove any clay dust residue.
• Never use scouring powders because they will clog the pores and make the pot useless. Salt can be used as an abrasive cleanser.
• For general washing, wait until the cooker cools, wash it in warm water with a very small amount of dishwashing liquid and rinse thoroughly.
• DO NOT put the clay cooker in your dishwasher. Sudden temperature changes may crack the pot and excessive soap will clog the pores.
• For a thorough cleaning, allow the clay cooker to soak overnight in the sink with water that has about ¼ cup baking soda added to it. Then wash, using a brush or nonmetallic scrubbing pad. Follow this treatment after cooking fish or foods with strong seasoning.
• After washing, dry thoroughly and store with the lid inverted upside down in the bottom, ideally with a towel between the layers. Avoid storing the cooker with the lid sealed because it may become moldy if not carefully dried.
• If the cooker should become moldy, make a paste with baking soda and water, cover the cooker with the paste and allow it to dry. When the paste is dry, rinse with water and dry well.
• If clay pores become clogged, boil the clay cooker to remove debris. Use a roaster with a rack and add tepid water. Place clay cooker bottom (first) in pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 30 minutes to remove the debris. Repeat doing the top if necessary.
Clay-pot Preparation and Usage
You really do not need much preparation. The main thing to remember is to completely submerse and soak both the top and bottom of the clay cooker in cold water for at least 15 minutes before loading the ingredients. This is easily accomplished by filling your sink with water and soaking top and bottom while you prepare the ingredients.
Once loaded, place the covered claypot into the center of a cold oven. ***Do not preheat the oven.*** It is necessary to the cooking process to gradually bring the pot up to the desired temperature. If you put a cold clay-pot into a hot oven, you also risk cracking the pot due to extreme temperature change.
Most clay cooker recipes call for a temperature of 400 to 480 degrees F. Larger pots will take longer to cook, of course, but many dishes will be done within an hour. Some recipes will require you to remove the top near the end to achieve a browning or crisping effect.
Hi RC,
Thank you so much for stopping by, your information is invaluable. Thank you!
Biggles