Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder

Ingredients

1 bone-in, skin-on fresh pork picnic shoulder (6 to 7 lb.)
1 head garlic (2 1/2 oz.)
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
1 onion (10 oz.), peeled and sliced
1 carrot (4 oz.), rinsed and sliced
1/2 cup oloroso or cream sherry
4 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon dried hot chile flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar

Preparation

1. Rinse pork and pat dry. Score skin in a crisscross diamond pattern, making 1/8-inch-deep cuts about 1 inch apart. Separate and peel garlic cloves. In a mortar and pestle, crush garlic, salt, oregano, thyme, and pepper into a coarse paste (or mince garlic, then mix with salt, herbs, and pepper). Rub garlic paste all over roast. Set roast, skin side up, on a rack in an oiled 9- by 13-inch roasting pan.

2. Roast in a 450 oven (see notes) until deep golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

3. Remove pan from oven and scatter onion and carrot slices around pork. Pour 1/4 cup sherry and 2 cups broth into pan. Add chili flakes. Baste pork with some of the pan juices. Reduce oven temperature to 225 and bake until a thermometer inserted through the center of thickest part at bone reads 170 to 175, 8 to 9 hours (do not insert thermometer before the last hour of roasting). If pork is done before you're ready to serve, reduce oven temperature to 160 and hold in oven up to 4 hours.

4. About 30 minutes before serving, transfer pork to a carving board. (For extra-crisp pork skin cracklings, see notes.) Cover pork loosely and set in a warm place. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup sherry and 2 cups broth into the roasting pan (drippings will be dark) and set on a burner over high heat. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by about half, 7 to 10 minutes. Pour through a wire strainer set over a bowl, pressing on vegetables (discard vegetables); you should have 1 to 1 1/3 cups drippings. Skim off and discard fat. Stir in vinegar.

5. Lift skin off pork and cut it into bite-size chunks or strips; pile on a platter. Slice meat across the grain and arrange on platter. Drizzle about a fourth of the pan juices over meat; serve remaining to add to taste.

NOTES: You may need to order the pork from your meat market in advance. Monitor oven temperature with a thermometer before starting, and adjust temperature as needed. If you hold the roast in the oven after it is done, check to see if oven is still on after 12 hours of continuous use; some ovens turn off automatically. A convection oven is not recommended. For extra-crisp cracklings, pull skin off cooked pork, separate into bite-size pieces, and place in a shallow pan. Bake in a 400 oven until crisp and puffy, about 10 minutes.

Sue

Chicken Cacciatore (Diabetic Living)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, skinned (8 pieces)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 small carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into thirds
3 stalks celery, cut crosswise into quarters
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry red wine or cranberry juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
6 medium plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Spread flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken pieces with the salt and pepper. Dip chicken in the flour, turning to coat evenly and gently shaking off excess.

2. In a 5-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces; cook about 6 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally.

3. Remove chicken from Dutch oven; set aside. Drain off fat, reserving 2 tablespoons in the Dutch oven. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes or just until onion is tender, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in tomato paste. Add broth, wine, and vinegar; bring to boiling. Add tomatoes and thyme. Return chicken to Dutch oven. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 60 to 70 minutes or until chicken and vegetables are tender.

5. To serve, place chicken, vegetables, and cooking juices on a serving platter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Ina Garten prepared this, yesterday, and I can't wait to try it. This isn't her recipe.

Sausage and grapes

1 1/2 pounds spicy Italian sausage
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups red seedless grapes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Procedures
1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer. Pierce the sausages all over with a knife, then gently lower into the pot. Cook for 10 minutes.

2
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450�F. Set a large iron skillet or roasting pan on top of a burner over medium-low heat. Add the butter and oil. When the butter has melted, add the grapes and toss until coated. Turn off the burner.

3
Nestle the sausage in amongst the grapes. Set skillet or roasting pan in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, flipping the sausage halfway through. The sausages should be browned. If not then cook for an additional 5 minutes.

4
Transfer the sausages and grapes to a plate, leaving the liquid behind. Set the pan on a burner set over medium heat. Add the vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Let the vinegar reduce by half.

5
Serve the sausages on top of the grapes, and pour the sauce over everything.