It used to happen to me a lot that I had opened glasses with capers and sun-dried tomatoes for a long time in the back of my fridge, so once there were no vegetables or even anything, I tried to bake them with my roast. And that was so good! The roast was just amazing , tender, juicy with a bunch of flavors. So since then, this roast has become one of the most favorite dishes in our home. And with pan-fried gnocchi and blanched beans - you can't go wrong.
I really like roasting big parts of meat like this pork neck. Although I may not do them as often as I would like. But if so, it's worth it and we have a great feast!
Roasting a big piece of meat is really convenient and you end up with a lot of leftovers , which can be used in a lot of delicious dishes over the next few days. It's also better for pan-frying than frying smaller pieces or slices of meat individually, because you have to flip it only once so it doesn't take too much time.
What's more, making this roast is so easy! Just season the meat, fry on each side until brown to stay juicy, add the rest of ingredients and roast until tender. Nothing too complicated, right? And if you make the roast in a pressure cooker, as I do, you also have the dinner ready in "minutes".
What are the benefits of cooking in a pressure cooker?
I bought an electric pressure cooker when I started to make bone broth regularly. And since then I have used it for so many other recipes, but most often it's roasting or cooking meat or various ragouts . Because you can hardly overcook the meat and it's always good! For example with cooking beans I overcook them all the time and end up with a mash!
The pressure cooker allows you to cook food at a higher pressure than our "normal" one, while achieving a higher cooking temperature. As a result, you can cook food faster and it saves energy. Which, if you cook broth regularly, is a big savings.
Is it better to roast big parts of meat or slices?
As I mentioned before, it's definitely better for me to bake the pork neck as a whole big piece. But you can definitely slice it for this recipe. There is a little more work involved in the frying process, but otherwise the recipe stays the same. Cooking time is also not significantly reduced.
what could be useful...
If you roast the whole big part of meat - pork neck, boneless pork leg, boneless turkey leg, chicken breasts .. , and you cut it only before serving, you eat less meat, than if everyone got "their slice or steak" - then you can feed 4 people with only two chicken or duck breasts and they will be satisfied. Which is great to know if you're generally trying to eat less meat.
What can I use instead of pork neck?
Pork neck is an amazing piece of meat to roast as a whole. It is very well marbled and so while roasting the meat stays tender and juicy. But if you don't have a pork neck available, or for some reason you just don't like it, here are some good alternatives:
- Pork leg - in this case I recommend wrapping the meat in bacon so that a little fat gets into the meat
- Veal leg - this piece of meat also doesn't have much fat, co it's also great to cover the meat with a few stripes of bacon
- Turkey leg - it is easier to digest than pork meat and you can prepare it in the same way.
How to make pork roast with capers and sun-dried tomatoes?
First step is to pat the meat dry well with a paper towel, then add 1 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle generously with a freshly ground pepper and dried thyme. Rub well the spices in the meat. Then fry the meat in a hot pot or pressure cooker with oil until the meat has a beautiful golden brown color. Then remove the meat and put it aside in a bowl. Don't use a cutting board or a plate for that, because you would lose all the juices from the meat that need to be caught in a bowl.
Then add the chopped onions to the pot and stir until golden for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, all the fragrant browned pieces help the onions to caramelize. After 3 minutes, add finely chopped dried tomatoes, garlic and capers and stir for another 2 minutes.
Put the meat back in the pot, along with all the juice in the bowl. Now season the meat with 1 teaspoon of salt and pour 250 ml of water. Cover with a lid and cook it on the stove or in an oven heated to 175 ° C. The meat should be done in about 90 minutes. It is possible that you will need to add a little extra water during cooking, so if you are going to roast meat in the oven or cook on the stove, check the meat from time to time and add water if necessary.
If you are making roast in a pressure cooker, then on a high pressure it will take about 30 minutes.
When the meat is nice and tender, take it to the cutting board to rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, thicken the sauce. In a cup, mix 2 tbsp of flour with a few spoons of water into a smooth slurry, then gradually pour it into the future sauce and mix with a whisk so that no lumps form. Let the flour cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, then add 1 tbsp of a cold butter and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with finely chopped parsley. Cut the pork neck into thin slices with a really sharp knife and serve with the sauce.
What to serve the pork roast with?
Most often we make the roast at home with a potato gnocchi , but it also pairs nicely with rice, pasta, with potatoes prepared in every form, french fries, creamy or fried polenta - just with any side dish! Along with some "green vegetables" such as green beans, broccoli, spinach or peas, you will make the most delicious meal.
How long to store pork roast with sauce?
As the sauce doesn't have cream added, it will last up in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. It is better to slice the meat for storage and reheating, it also makes the meat more flavorful.
TIPS:
- try adding different spices! Instead of thyme you can add Italian mix or Herbs de Provence, basil, oregano or marjoram
- you can also cook the meat in a slow cooker, which makes the most tender meat
- into the base along with onions you can add also 2 finely chopped celery stalks
Recipe
Recipe for 6 servings
Pork roast with capers and sun dried tomatoes
Ingredients:
⦁ 1 kg of pork neck roast
⦁ 5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
⦁ 1 large onion, diced
⦁ 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
⦁ 2 tbsp of olive oil
⦁ salt and pepper
⦁ 1 tsp of dried thyme
⦁ fresh parsley
⦁ 250 ml of water (or more)
⦁ 2 tbsp of flour for thickening the sauce
⦁ 1 tbsp of cold butter
Instructions:
- Pat the meat dry well with a paper towel, then add 1 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle generously with a freshly ground pepper and dried thyme. Rub well the spices in the meat. Then fry the meat in a hot pot or pressure cooker with oil until the meat has a beautiful golden brown color.
- Then remove the meat and put it aside in a bowl.
- Then add the chopped onions to the pot and stir until golden for 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, add finely chopped dried tomatoes, garlic and capers and stir for another 2 minutes.
- Put the meat back in the pot, along with all the juice in the bowl. Now season the meat with 1 teaspoon of salt and pour 250 ml of water. Cover with a lid and cook it on the stove or in an oven heated to 175 ° C. The meat should be done in about 90 minutes. It is possible that you will need to add a little extra water during cooking, so if you are going to roast meat in the oven or cook on the stove, check the meat from time to time and add water if necessary. If you are making roast in a pressure cooker, then on a high pressure it will take about 30 minutes.
- When the meat is nice and tender, take it to the cutting board to rest for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, thicken the sauce. In a cup, mix 2 tbsp of flour with a few spoons of water into a smooth slurry, then gradually pour it into the future sauce and mix with a whisk so that no lumps form. Let the flour cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Then add 1 tbsp of a cold butter and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with finely chopped parsley.
- Cut the pork roast into thin slices and serve with the sauce.
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