Smoothered Pork Roast

Smoothered Pork Roast

Ingredients:

• 1 (6- to 7-pound) boneless pork roast (shoulder or butt)
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Juice of ½ lemon (optional)
• Perfect Steamed Rice (recipe follows)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 275ºF. Season the pork very generously with salt and pepper, rubbing the seasonings into the fat and flesh of the meat. Set the roast aside for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour to bring to room temperature.
Combine the onions, garlic, thyme, and rosemary in a medium mixing bowl and toss to combine. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, sear the meat on all sides until deeply browned and crusty, 10 to 12 minutes total.
Transfer the meat to a plate, reduce the heat to medium, and then stir in the butter. When the butter has melted, stir in the flour to make a roux and continue to cook, stirring, until the roux turns a dark peanut butter color, about 10 minutes.
Add the onion mixture and cook, stirring, until all the ingredients are well coated and the mixture is thick. Whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Return the pork to the Dutch oven, spoon some of the onion mixture over the meat, cover, and roast for about 3 hours, turning and basting the pork every 30 minutes or so, until the meat will break apart when pressed gently with a fork.
At this point, you can serve the roast right out of the pan, or transfer it to a plate, then simmer the pan drippings, skimming off excess fat, until reduced by about one-third, or until it coats the back of a spoon. Add the lemon juice and taste for seasonings.
Before serving, sprinkle the roast with some additional salt, to taste. Serve the roast smothered with a generous amount of sauce over hot steamed rice.
Perfect Steamed Rice
Makes 3 cups

• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1½ cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• Pinch of salt

Combine the rice, water, bay leaves, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to very low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the heat, and keep covered for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the lid, cool for a few minutes, and then fluff the rice with a fork.