Pork Roast with plums, rosemary and dark beer
Pork leg/ham is very tasty, and quite popular among the cuts sold for roasting. However, sometimes it tends to get a bit dry as the meat pieces are lean with very little fat content.
The pork roast recipe we suggest here will make the meat tender, and it will keep a good amount of its moisture:
Pork Roast (ham) with plums, rosemary and dark beer!
The base for this recipe is dark beer. We used Guinness ourselves; you can choose any Bock, Stout or Porter beer you prefer. We added some extra virgin olive oil, garlic, a sprig of fresh rosemary (stripping the leaves), coriander powder, a little honey and mustard. Finally, we threw in a few dried plums.
The taste of the dish was really amazing. The meat is tender and sweet (with a touch of fruit), and full of flavor! Simply put it in the marinade we will describe and let it soak in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours (ideally a whole 24 hours; it will be so much better).
The technique to roast the meat used here is "Kleftiko"; Kleftiko is a Greek technique where you put the meat in some baking paper, close it inside (usually in a bag shape), and cook it slowly in an oven for 2 to 6 hours (depending on the type of meat used and the intensity of the heat). So, that’s what we’ll do with our pork bites. We will put them in the oven with some of the marinade, enclosed in some baking paper (a couple of sheets are enough), and we will open this ‘bag’ for a few minutes to allow the meat to get a bit brown.
This recipe is perfect during the holidays, when you have family & friends over; it’s ideal for a more ‘festive’ meal. You can use it for a successful Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday meal and every special meal.
Serve this dish with some mashed or baked potatoes, or even potato salad on the side. Alternatively you can also serve some -long grain- rice.
- 500g/17.6oz pork (ham/leg), skinless, boneless, cut into large bites
- 330ml (1 1/3 cup), dark beer (Stout/Bock/Porter)
- 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 100g (3.5oz/about 12 pieces), dried plums
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons pepper
- 3 teaspoon coriander, powder
Preparation:
In a large bowl add: the beer (pic. 1), the olive oil (pic.2), the garlic (pic.3),
the plums (pic.4), the leaves from the rosemary sprig (pic.5), the mustard (pic.6)
the honey (pic.7), and seasonings (pic.8). Whisk for a few more seconds to mix the ingredients (pic. 9).
Instructions:
Put the pork bites in the bowl (pic.10), cover the bowl with cling film and let it marinade in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Cut two pieces of baking paper and place them one on top of the other in a criss cross fashion inside a baking pan. The length for each piece of baking paper should be about the same with the length of the baking pan.
Take the bowl with the meat out of the fridge, and use a large spoon to add the meat pieces and the plums at the center of the baking sheets. Add a bit of the marinade as well (pic.11).
Close the baking sheets, forming a small package, and cover with a sheet of aluminum foil (pic.12).
Put the baking pan –having the ‘package’ in the center- in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1h 30 minutes at 200 degrees Celius/390 degrees Fahrenheit.
Next, open the ‘package’ (cut through with a knife of scissor) and put it back in the over for 30-50 minutes (depending on how dry and brown you want the surface of the meat). Check for the desired result and remove when ready.
Serve with mashed or baked potatoes or some rice on the side. Kali oreksi!
You can wash some potatoes, cover them with aluminum foil, and place them in the baking pan next to the ‘package’ with the pork. This way, you will have baking potatoes ready to serve with the dish.
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