Super
Simple Pork Roast
National Pork Month is here! Let me hear a cheer!
Goodness you’d think I still had
a pork queen’s crown on my head with lines like those. I enjoyed my days working with Iowa pork
producers, first as Buena Vista County Pork Queen and then as the State Pork
Princess. I met so many neat people and
learned so much about the industry that I’m still a sideline promoter of.
I
married the Farmer Boy in 1999 and spent a good portion of trips back to Iowa
while we were dating and engaged helping him run electrical lines, a first generation
radiant heat system in pex pipes and set up crates in the farrowing building that
Bartling Land & Livestock was building.
The Farmer Boy and I spent our first married New Year’s Eve in that
farrowing building making sure the electronics that had been installed were Y2K
compliant and that no technological glitches resulted in danger for the sows
and piglets in that barn. We are still cautious and diligent in the care we provide
to the hogs on our farm. We have both
confinement and hoop barn structures and both produce healthy, safe meat for our
nation’s food supply. One production scenario isn’t better than another, they
both produce a safe and healthy product that I’m willing to serve to my
children and sell to my friends and neighbors.
Our kids
now work in that building I help build with the Farmer Boy. The Mini-Me learned how to do practical
application math while she helped wean piglets. “How many cc’s of iron will I
need if there are seven piglets and each piglet needs 2 cc’s?” “Two cc’s, seven
times means you’ll need 14 cc’s Dad.” The Mini-Farmer Boy is polishing his
animal handling skills and improving his eye hand coordination by learning how
to catch piglets that can run like greased lightning. Pork production is providing the chance to
educate my children about the food they eat, how to ethically and humanely
treat animals and allows my kids to see my husband’s work ethic in action. I think raising hogs gives us far more than
just a paycheck.
Enough
waxing nostalgic about what pork production means to our family. Here is a tasty and simple roast pork recipe
that the Mini-Me can even make. It is
crockpot friendly and is great to come home to on a busy family night.
The Groceries:
1 boneless pork roast (is great
with a fresh ham, shoulder or loin roasts can be fresh or frozen)
1 Envelope Good Seasons Italian
Dressing Mix
1 C Water if frozen, 2 C Water if
unfrozen
1 Large Onion Sliced in ¼ inch
slices (Our family likes 2 onions, but not everyone is onion crazy like we
are)
Optional: Bag of baby carrots to
add to cooker for an instant side dish.
The Process:
Line your crock pot with a
disposable cooking bag and spray lightly with cooking spray. Place pork roast
in cooker and pour water in bottom. Spread
seasoning mix across the roast and top with slices of onion. Cover with a lid. Turn on low and let cook all day while you are at
work. To serve remove roast from cooker,
slice and cover with foil to keep warm. Take juices from bag and skim as much
fat as you can from them. Bring to a
boil in a sauce pan. While juices are
coming to a boil, add 1 T cornstarch to 1 C milk or water and add to the
boiling juices. Salt and Pepper to taste. Stir constantly until thickened. Serve the gravy over riced or mashed potatoes,
with the onion slices served to the side.
