In Praise of Pork

My vegetarian and non-pork-feeding friends will not appreciate this post, but I just can't fucking help myself.

I spend most Sunday afternoons and evenings cooking ahead for the week--parboiling pasta to flash fry for lunch and braising whatever kind of meat I have on hand so I can use bits of beef or pork to help season vegi entrees. But today, today was a day for PORK due to an amazing dollar per pound special. I bought eight pounds and fifty-one ounces of pork for, yes, $8.51. This rarely happens. Even better, the cuts in the "value pack" were perfect for what I like to cook: one center cut for roasting, spare ribs, and about eight hansome, bone-in chops. Thanks be to Cub Foods.

Braised anything is amazing. You could probably braise possum and it would be tolerable (depending on sauce and seasoning) especially considering that braising is the answer to making less desireable cuts of meat mouth-watering. Personally, I believe braised meat tastes best when you let whatever has been braised chill overnight in it's own sauce then reheat it. Marination.

Last night I braised the pork roast following instructions from the best braise recipe I have, which I have nearly memorized, in the best cook book I have. Today I reheated the braise and I must say I have never been able to peel, yes, peel pork straight from the roast. It was a heavenly braise.

With the left over braise sauce (you can reduce this to gravy if you want) I made homemade pork stock. Currently some of that stock is in with some homemade rice and beans I making in my slow cooker. The stock came out well and I've even got a little extra.

As for my apartment, it smells like heaven is a place on Earth. As for all the dirty dishes and pots and pans that piled as I whirled around like the Sweedish chef from the Muppets (wearing my PJs the whole time, mind you) the dishes are all clean. I consider this a personal triumph.