99 Cent Pomegrante Braised Pork
Occasionally, watching the morning news can be inspiring, but sometimes you have to get through the politics and the crime and sometimes even the weather to find a nugget of goodness. As the current events were wrapped up and some of the feel-good segments began, my ear picked up on the word “recipe”. That word was quickly followed by “brisket” and I moved in front of the television. This is how my Pomegranate Pulled Pork recipe was conceived.
pomegranate pulled pork … not brisket
Ninety-nine cents per pound.
I walked into the grocery store with the intent of buying beef brisket for the recipe that was on the news. The special of the day at the meat counter was bone-in pork butt roast for 99 cents a pound and the brisket was $5.99 a pound.
Gee, let me think …
I headed home with 8 pounds of pork butt and the ingredients for stone-ground mustard coleslaw and cheesy jalapeño corn. Eating this meal while watching our beloved Cyclones earn their way into the Sweet 16 was pure bliss!
pomegranate juice + beer + spice blend
Do not let the fruit and fruit juice in this recipe throw you off. My husband does not like fruit flavors on meat, but this one is so balanced with the beer and spices that he was truly impressed.
This recipe was written for a 3-5 pound roast so if you want to use a bigger roast, just increase the spice rub and braising liquid ingredients proportionally. Also, be prepared for it to take longer to braise. It is not a fussy recipe and does not have to be exact.
the best is yet to come …
The potential for the leftovers from this enormous pile of tender meat is unlimited. My oldest son made a burrito out of it with some of the leftover coleslaw and some bottled Szechuan stir-fry sauce. It was amazing! I plan to try some of it with fresh cilantro and fresh cabbage in a taco. My younger son took a bunch back to college with him. I’m guessing part of it will get eaten straight out of the container, and some of it will end up with eggs for breakfast.
poutine
There’s leftovers … and then there’s LEFTOVERS! It’s called poutine and it’s glammed up meat and potatoes. This bowl starts with a layer of my Parmesan Potato Rounds , followed by a generous portion of Pomegranate Pulled Pork, a sprinkling of cheese curds, a hefty drizzle of hot gravy and a few green onions … you know, as a veggie.
The extra sauce from the pork can be used as the gravy or you can make Food For My Family’s Guinness Gravy which is excellent!
Pomegranate and Beer Braised Pork
Ingredients
- 1 3-5 pound pork butt or other pork roast
- 2 tablespoons ground chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3-5 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon per pound
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1-2 medium yellow onions peeled and quartered
- 3-4 garlic clove(s) peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 apple quartered and cored
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1-2 cups pomegranate juice see notes
- 1 12-ounce bottle beer see notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix chili powder, paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, and brown sugar.
- Pat pork roast dry with paper towels and place in a roasting pan or dutch oven. Rub all sides of the roast with chili powder mixture. Scatter quartered onions, garlic cloves, quartered apple and bay leaves around the edges.
- Whisk together one cup of pomegranate juice and tomato paste and pour around roast. Add beer and then enough water for the liquids to surround half of the roast.
- Cover the pan with the lid or aluminum foil and braise in oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and flip the roast over in the braising liquid.
- Reduce heat to 300 degrees and return to oven.
- Allow roast to braise for 2-3 hours. Larger roasts may take longer.
- Check the roast each hour to ensure liquid has not completely evaporated. Add a cup of water/beer/juice as needed.
- Roast is done when it can easily be pulled apart with two forks.
- Carefully remove roast to another dish (like a 9x13 pan).
- If using a bone-in roast, the bone should release cleanly and easily from the meat when fully cooked. Discard bone, bay leaves and any large apple pieces.
- Shred pork with forks, removing any excess fat.
- Allow braising liquid to cool and skim excess fat off the top. Ladle liquid, a cup at a time, over shredded meat just until lightly coated. Reserve extra liquid for leftovers or heat in a saucepan to reduce to a thicker sauce.
Notes
Wouldn’t the news be so much more enjoyable if it started with a good recipe?
Food for thought.
Yum