Seasons {Cajun Pork Roast}

Do you eat "with the season?"

So much is accessible so much of the time. We can have practically anything we want any time we want.

But when there's a chill in the air as I crawl out of my warm bed...

when there's not much daylight between getting off of work and super time,

slow-cooked, gravy-heavy meals are what I want.

Cajun Pork Roast is Cajun food at it's best.

Pork seasoned from the inside out with our usual onion-bell pepper-celery-garlic trinity plus one

Slow cooked in a roux-based, luscious, velvety gravy

All of it set on top of a bed of rice

'Tis the season.

• Cajun Pork Roast
• inspired by Donald Link's Smothered Pork Roast
• 1 7 lb pork roast
• 1 bell pepper, chopped and divided
• 2 onions, chopped and divided
• 1 large rib celery, chopped and divided
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped and divided
• Tony's Creole Seasoning, to taste
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 Tbsp thyme leaves (fresh)
• 2 Tbsp dried rosemary, crushed
• cooked rice

Set aside 1/4 of the chopped bell pepper, about 1/8 of the chopped onion, 1/2 of the chopped celery, and 1/4 of the chopped garlic and place on a cutting board. Season with Tony's, salt, and black pepper to taste. Chop the vegetables and seasonings, working your knife through them until they are chopped very finely. With a paring knife, cut slits in the roast. Work the vegetable/seasoning mixture into the slits with your fingers. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil on med-high in a large dutch oven. When hot, sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned. Remove the roast from the pot.

Lower the heat to med-low and add the butter. When melted and foamy, sprinkle in the flour. Cook and stir, making a roux the color of a penny.

Mix the chopped vegetables into the roux. Cook until they are tender. Stir in about 4 cups of water and season to taste with salt, black pepper, and Tony's. Bring to a simmer. Place the roast back in the pot, cover, and simmer for 3 hours. Spoon some of the sauce over the roast ever 1/2 hour.

Spoon some of the gravy over a mound of rice. Top with a spoonful of falling-apart pork roast.

Cajun & Creole Pork Recipes...

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