How to Roast a Pork Roast

I love roasts, I always have. There's something about the smell as it fills the house, the way it tastes, and as I got older I soon realized that a one pan dinner was an amazing way to go when you had to do dishes later!

So here is how I do mine.

Put a roasting pan on your stovetop and add some oil to coat the bottom. (A cast iron pan would work marvelously as well.)

Once the pan gets very hot, add the pork roast. You want to get every single side nicely browned, for that beautiful flavor. Use a pair of tongs, or two strong forks to help you roll it around. Depending the shape of your roast, you will probably need to hold it in place on some sides.

Once a side is done it should no longer stick to the pan.

(In hindsight I probably should have salted and peppered the pork before searing, in which case I would cut back on those spices in the third step. But I thought mine still turned out fine.)

After searing, it's time to add some vegetables.

Adding things like onions and garlic will help flavor the pork roast while cooking.

Adding veggies makes it a rounded meal. Cooking them with the pork allows them to pick up some amazing flavor. Any hearty vegetable will probably do well. Potatoes are classic, as well as carrots. I've used sweet potatoes in the past too. Turnips, parsnips, celery, etc. could all be added. Consider it a: whatever you have in your fridge, type of thing. If you don't have a potato or some sort of starchy add, pork roast would pair with many starches, like a tomato sauced pasta, or maybe even polenta. It ruins the one pan idea, but it will still taste amazing.

To further add flavor, I put a sort of rub on my pork. It makes a flavorful crust. Scavenge through your spice drawer and decide what would taste best to you. I chose salt, pepper, garlic powder (because I hadn't added garlic to my pan), paprika, thyme, and a little red chili flake. Then I added a little oil to it to make a paste, and spread it on the roast with a spoon.

Some of those flavors will get into the vegetables too.

For my 5 pound roast, I cooked mine in a 325 degree Fahrenheit oven for somewhere around 2 and a half hours, or about 30 minutes per pound. Ovens differ however, so you might want to check yours sooner.

Use a meat thermometer to see if it is done. It should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit on the inside.

Rest your roast on the counter for about 5 minutes, to let the meat juices get reabsorbed into it so you don't loose them all while slicing.

While this is happening, I like making a thin sauce, what I would call an au jus. I do this by adding about a cup of chicken stock to the roasting pan, and putting it back on the stovetop. (I actually used chicken bullion dissolved in water, which is why mine looks a little weird) A dash of red wine wouldn't hurt either. Bring this to a simmer. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the stuck on meat flavor in the sauce.

And yes, I leave my veggies in there. They help add flavor. Also, they can look a little dried out when coming out of the oven, so it gives them a glaze and makes them look good. Whether it would still work with potatoes in the pan or not, I'm not sure.

Slice into nice thick slices. You can either move the veggies to the plate, or move the roast back to the pan, it doesn't matter. I think family style service is the best way to go though, all on one platter.

After you dish up your portion you can take some of the sauce and spoon it over your meat.

I hope you try making your own roasts at home. Enjoy!