Creative Cooks

Rockin' Porchetta with Fall Veggies
Serves10 Total Time half-day

Ingredients

1 bunch of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 bunch of fresh sage, finely chopped
10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 picnic pork shoulder with the skin on, bone out (save the bone)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 or 6 onions, sliced
1-pound fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 pints Brussels sprouts, halved
1 celery root, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
1 bottle of dry white wine
1 thyme bundle, tied with butcher’s twine
10 bay leaves
2 quarts chicken stock

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, sage, garlic and red pepper and add enough olive oil to form a loose paste. Rub the mixture all over the inside of the pork (be sure to get it in every nook and cranny). Sprinkle the pork generously with salt and pepper, then roll it back up into a bundle and tie it tightly with butcher’s twine. In a large roasting pan, combine the onions, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, celery root, and wine; season with salt and add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Lay the pork bone in the pan with the veggies and nestle the pork on top of the bone and in the vegetables. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until skin starts to get brown and crispy. Brush the pork skin with the pan juices and add the chicken stock. Continue roasting for another 3 ½ hours, basting the skin every 30 or 40 minutes. If the skin becomes too dark, tent the pan with aluminum foil, but remember, we want a nice, dark crispy pork skin. Remove the pork from the oven, cut off the twine (you don’t want to floss and eat at the same time), and remove the pork skin—it will probably come off in one large, lovely crispy piece like a helmet! Use kitchen shears to cut the skin into pieces and make sure everybody gets some on their plate. Slice the pork and serve it over the vegetables, drenched in lots of porky pan juices.

CIDER-BRINED PORK ROAST WITH POTATOES AND ONIONS
YIELD Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt plus more
8 bay leaves, divided
3 tablespoons coriander seeds, divided
1 teaspoon black peppercorns plus more freshly ground
1 quart unfiltered apple cider
1 8-bone pork loin roast (about 5 pounds), chine bone removed, rib bones frenched, tied with kitchen twine
6 Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 pounds), unpeeled, quartered
4 medium red and/or yellow onions, halved, stem ends intact
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

PREPARATION

Bring brown sugar, 1 cup salt, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar and salt dissolve, about 4 minutes. Transfer brine to a large bowl and add cider and 2 cups ice. Let cool.
Place pork and brine in a large (2-gallon) resealable plastic bag. Seal bag and chill at least 8 hours.
Remove pork from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.
Toss potatoes and onions with 4 tablespoons oil in a large roasting pan or on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Place rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Using the side of a chef's knife, crush remaining 2 tablespoons coriander seeds. Season pork with salt and pepper and rub all over with crushed coriander. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork until browned on all sides, 8–10 minutes.
Transfer pork to roasting pan and nestle in among vegetables. Tuck remaining 6 bay leaves under kitchen twine over top of pork. Wrap bone tips with foil to prevent burning and roast, turning vegetables halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of pork registers 140°F, 60–75 minutes.
Remove foil from bones and transfer pork to a cutting board; let rest 30 minutes before slicing between ribs into chops.

DO AHEAD: The pork can be brined 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

CRANBERRY ROAST BEEF
Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes Servings 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
4 pounds boned and rolled bottom round beef roast
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil (see Recipe Notes below)
1 cup whole cranberry sauce
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup prepared horseradish
1 stick cinnamon (broken in half)
4 whole cloves
16 whole, peeled pearl onions (can use frozen or fresh)
1 bunch carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths

INSTRUCTIONS
Dredge the roast in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven, and brown the roast on all sides over medium heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, broth, horseradish, cinnamon stick and cloves; pour over the roast in the Dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a boil- then cover tightly, reduce heat, and simmer on low for 1½ hours, or until the meat is almost tender. Sprinkle the carrots and onions around the roast, and then cover again and cook for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour- until the vegetables are cooked through and the beef is tender.

NOTES
*If you happen to have bacon drippings, use that instead of oil for browning the roast.
*Serve with noodles or potatoes.

PRIME RIB ROAST
YIELD: WILL VARY DEPENDING ON ROAST SIZE PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES COOK TIME: 3 HOURS 30 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 3 HOURS 45 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:
Standing rib roast (2-7 ribs)
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 475-degrees F. Place rack in bottom 3rd of oven.
Liberally coat roast with salt and pepper. Place roast in roasting pan and let come to room temperature; about an hour.
Place roast in oven and cook at 475-degrees F for 30 minutes in bottom 3rd of oven.
Reduce heat to 300-degrees F; cook for 30 minutes.
Reduce heat again to 275-degrees F; continue cooking until it reaches an internal temperature of 125-degrees F. Remove from oven; let rest about 15-20 minutes. Carry over cooking will continue; internal temperature should reach 135-degrees F for medium rare. Cut and remove any strings before slicing to serve.
If time permits, liberally coat roast with salt and pepper; place on a rack, situated inside of a baking sheet or roasting pan; place in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Overall cook time is approximate and will depend on size of roast.

All prime ribs are standing rib roasts, but not all rib roast are technically prime rib unless they have been given a grade of “prime” by the USDA. With that said, all rib roasts are typically referred to as prime rib regardless of their USDA grade.

Regarding servings size, depending on the roast, estimate about 1 rib/2 people.

Stuffed Cuban Pork Tenderloin
Prep 30 min Total 1 hr 5 min Servings 6

Ingredients
1 ¼ lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
6 thin slices Swiss cheese (0.5 oz each)
1/3 cup dill pickle relish
3 deli slices ham (about 1/4 lb)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Steps

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking parchment paper. Insert knife one-third of way up from bottom of tenderloin along 1 long side, and cut horizontally, stopping 1/2 inch before edge. Open up flap.
2 Keeping knife parallel to cutting board, cut through thicker portion of tenderloin about 1/2 inch from bottom of tenderloin, keeping knife level with first cut and stopping about 1/2 inch before edge. Open up this flap.
3 Press sides of tenderloin down so it lies flat. Cover with plastic wrap; pound with flat side of meat mallet to 1/2 inch thick. Spread mustard down center of tenderloin. Top with cheese slices, pickle relish and ham slices, folding to fit, if necessary.
4 Tightly roll up tenderloin lengthwise, and tie tightly with twine. Brush tenderloin with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5 Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tenderloin; cook 5 to 6 minutes or until browned on all sides. Transfer to pan; roast 28 to 32 minutes or to at least 145°F. Remove from oven; tent with foil and let stand 3 minutes.
6 Remove strings from pork; cut into 1/2-inch slices. Serve with extra mustard, if desired.

Expert Tips

Lining pan with cooking parchment paper will cut down on mess and make cleanup easier.
Pork tenderloins are sometimes sold in packages of two. If so, freeze the second for another time.

Instant Pot Italian Beef
Total: 1 hour 50 minutes Servings: 6

Ingredients
1 - 3 pounds (1176g) USDA choice grade chuck roast/Canada AAA grade blade roast, 2 inches (5cm) thick
1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock or high-quality unsalted beef stock
1 (190g) onion, sliced
1 tablespoon (15ml) regular soy sauce
1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce
1 tablespoon (15ml) Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
1 teaspoon (3.5g) onion powder
2 teaspoons (9g) garlic powder
1 teaspoon (1g) dried oregano
1 teaspoon (1.2g) dried basil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (Optional)

For Garnish

120 grams giardiniera

Instructions

Brown Chuck Roast Steak: Heat up Instant Pot using Sauté More function. Wait until it says HOT (~8 mins) -you really want the Instant Pot to be as hot as it can be for the Maillard reaction.
Pat dry the chuck roast steak and lightly season one side with salt + black pepper. Drizzle the inner pot with 1 tbsp olive oil. Then, place the seasoned side of the chuck roast steak in Instant Pot. Lightly season the other side with more salt + black pepper.
*Pro Tip: brown each side for 10 minutes to develop some awesome deep flavors.
*Note: If you prefer a "Dump-it-all-in" Recipe, you can skip the browning and sauté steps.
Sauté Onion and Herbs: Set browned chuck roast steak aside. If you want to serve the Italian Beef Sandwich with sautéed green bell pepper, sauté then set them aside.
Add in sliced onions, sauté until softened (~3 - 4 mins). Add in 1 tsp (1g) dried oregano, 1 tsp (1.2g) dried basil. If you prefer slightly spicy Italian Beef, add 1 tsp red pepper flakes. Sauté for another minute.
Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour 1 cup unsalted stock in Instant Pot, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Pressure Cook Chuck Roast: Add in 1 tsp (3.5g) onion powder, 2 tsp (9g) garlic powder, 1 tbsp (15ml) soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce, and 1 tbsp (15ml) Worcestershire sauce. Give it a quick mix.
Place browned chuck roast steak back in Instant Pot and partially submerge it into the liquid as best as you can. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 45 minutes + 25 minutes Natural Release.
Simmer Gravy & Shred Beef: Set aside chuck roast steak in a mixing bowl, then shred the meat with 2 forks. While you are shredding the meat, bring gravy back to a boil with the "Sauté" function.
*Pro Tip: Reducing the gravy will naturally thicken it. If you find the gravy to be too oily, you can use a Fat Separator to filter out the fat.
Adjust Seasoning & Serve Instant Pot Italian Beef: Place the beef back in the yummy beefy gravy. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Serve Italian Beef on Italian rolls.
Optional: Garnish with giardiniera and sautéed green bell pepper.

Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 1 hr Total Time 1 hr 35 mins Servings: 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients

3-6 lbs. Chuck Roast, cut into 1 pound chunks of even thickness
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 small Onion, chopped (optional, if you don't use the onion, omit the veg oil, too)
9 Pepperoncini’s, whole or chopped
1/2 cup Pepperoncini Juice from the jar
3/4 cup Low Sodium Beef Broth, (or water)
1 (1 oz) packet Dry Ranch Dressing Mix
1 (1 oz) packet Au Jus (or packet of brown gravy mix)
1/2 - 1 Stick of Butter, unsalted

For Gravy

3 Tbsp Flour
3 Tbsp Softened Butter, unsalted

Instructions

Turn pot on Sauté mode (normal). When the display reads "Hot" add the oil.

When oil heats up, place meat in one layer into the pot and don't move it for 5 full minutes (Don't brown for less than that).

Turn meat over and cook for another 5 full minutes.
Remove the meat to foil or a dish you can cover. Wrap it to keep it warm.

Deglaze the pot: Add onion to pot and stir, add a bit of the beef broth or a small amount of water if there is not enough moisture to loosen the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pot until the bottom is free of the stuck on brown bits.

Add the pepperoncini’s and their juice, beef broth, au jus and ranch packets, and butter. Stir to combine.

Turn off the sauté mode.

Add the meat back into the pot.

The above step is optional. You can just add everything to the pot (except oil), and start pressure cooking it. Browning the meat first gives an added depth of flavor.

Close lid and set the steam release knob knob to the Sealing position.

Press the Pressure Cook or Manual button (or use dial) then the +/- button to select 60 minutes. High Pressure. It will take several minutes to build pressure.

When the cooking cycle ends, let the pot sit undisturbed and count up to 15 min (15 minute natural pressure release, or NPR).

After the 15 minute NPR, turn off the pot and manually release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release knob to the Venting position.

When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid.

Make the Gravy

Remove the pot roast to a plate and cover.

Turn the Sauté function back on.

Mix the flour and butter together until well combined.

When the liquid is starting to simmer, add the mixture to the pot, stirring well until thickened. Then turn off the pot and add the roast back in.

Enjoy with mashed or baked potatoes, or over rice.

Recipe Notes

Alternate "Dump and Start" Method:

Add the roast to the pot (still cut it into 1 lb chunks), then the rest of the ingredients in order (minus the flour and softened butter for gravy), and cook on High Pressure for 80 minutes. 15 minute natural release (If you have a roast that is over 4 lbs, and can't cut it, then increase the cook time to 90 minutes).