Actually, I'd be more comfortable with the pork being put directly into the oven than sitting on the counter to come to room temperature, which is what many recipes call for. The "danger zone" according to the USDA is a window of time the meat is between 40F and 140F. That window of time should be no more than 2 hours. They also suggest a minimum roasting temperature of 325F. It doesn't appear that your mother is going to do this. (shrug) I often "slow roast" at 225F, but usually it's something like the brisket we had on Easter which was brought to 165F in the smoker then finished in the oven at 225F for a few more hours. The fact that the pork has a sell by/use by/best by date of tomorrow doesn't affect the safety, it's still safe to sell and consume. Even the 140F temperature SHOULD be safe, as the health issue with pork has traditionally been trichinosis, which is both rare and eliminated at 137F and if it is cooked to 140F there should be no problem with the meat coming to 145F while resting. There are just too many factors going on here to absolutely say something is safe or unsafe. The oven temperature could be off, and the final temperature will be unknown? If it comes out at 140F I'm assuming there is a thermometer involved. If there is, why not just take the temp again after the meat has rested? So, safety issues aside, the first problem I have with this is that much of the flavor of roasted meat comes from browning, which isn't going to happen at that temperature without searing it first or cranking the heat up at some point. The second problem I have is that the collagen in the pork doesn't break down until 160F, so if it's something like shoulder/butt, it's not going to melt and pull into that tender texture because it won't be cooked long enough. So, if it's a shoulder/butt/etc., I'd cook it low and slow but for a longer period of time to allow the collagen to dissolve and the meat to fall apart. If it's a leaner cut, like loin, I'd sear it first, then cook to temperature. Sous vide is something else entirely. There are still ongoing arguments and testing about why it is safe or not safe. However, it's a method so vastly different from oven roasting that comparison is useless, it's too dissimilar. The question is moot, of course. You've already indicated that your Mother will do it her way. I'm assuming that family members have eaten her food and lived to tell the tale, so they'll eat this too. So, is it optimum? No, it's not. Neither safety nor quality of the final product is what I'd choose to prepare or consume. However, the odds are overwhelmingly in your Mother's favor that it'll all be fine. Annie

I often use a slow cooker to cook a pork roast while I'm at work. More 'simmering' than boiling. The brand I use is a West Bend in which the pot can be removed from the heating element and used on the stove. Here's what I do: put a quart of cheap chicken stock in the pot, add a healthy amount of garlic and a good squirt of sriracha. Bring that to a boil on the stovetop, add the pork roast, return to a boil and then put the pot on the slow cooker's heating element and allow it to simmer for hours. After a few hours you have some juicy tasty fall-off-the-bone pork, with much of the fat simmered off and the rest of the fat easily separatable from the meat. Is it as good as Marcella Hazan's Pork Loin braised in Milk? No. Is it as good as oven roasted pork roast? No. But for the effort expended, it's pretty darn good. I'll often come home for lunch, start this dish, and let it simmer away until I come home after work. The leftovers make great sandwiches.

I agree with Peppi, today's pork is leaner than ever, and it dries out quickly. It's very easy to overcook and then it will be dry. I like this recipe from Cooking Light, the apple cider brine gives a nice flavor, as do the herbs, and keeps the pork a bit moister. I never remember to brine it overnight, a couple of hours will do if that's what you have. I seldom have pork and fresh herbs available at the same time, so I use dried and I have subbed mustard seed for the coriander when I didn't have that. Lots of times I didn't make the cider reduction either, but it's very good. It's all good. Cider Brined Pork Loin 3 cups water 3 cups apple cider 1/4 cup kosher salt 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1 bay leaf 1 (2-pound) boneless pork loin, trimmed 2 cups apple cider Cooking spray 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Combine the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat; cool. Pour brine into a 2-gallon zip-top plastic bag. Add pork; seal. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally. Preheat oven to 350�. Bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cider has thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). Set aside. Remove pork from bag; discard brine. Place pork on rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat pork with cooking spray. Combine rosemary, sage, and black pepper; sprinkle evenly over pork. Bake at 350� for 1 hour or until thermometer registers 155�, basting twice with cider reduction during final 20 minutes of cooking. Remove from oven; baste with remaining cider reduction. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Note: Overnight brining tenderizes the roast. If the cider reduction becomes too thick to brush on the pork, warm it in a saucepan over low heat. Annie Kathryn Conrad, Cooking Light OCTOBER 2004

Elery agrees with Ricky, and says that the pork must be 195F to 200F before it actually "pulls" easily and is tender. We usually do ours in the Nesco, starting at 325F and going lower if time allows. Long slow cooking melts fat and collagen and gives it that pull-apart tender texture without drying it out. A bit of liquid is used in the bottom of the roaster, usually water but sometimes apple or pineapple juice if I'm going to add a sweeter BBQ sauce, or chicken stock if I'm going strictly savory, Elery used to use beer, it depends on the flavor you're going for. Sometimes we just shred the meat into the liquid if we're trying to keep the meat moist for serving as-is. A 9 pounder would take me most of the day, 6-8 hours, but it can easily be kept warm if it cooks more quickly than you expect. Annie