Our last big meat order from Polyface was the pork larder, so we’ve been eating lots of delicious pork chops, ribs, and sausage lately. The cut that had me a bit stymied though was the “fresh ham.” Google searches on recipes were coming up mostly empty except to explain how to cure and smoke a fresh ham yourself. On a lark, I turned to the kitchen bible How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman and while he did not have a specific recipe for this cut, it got a mention as an potential alternative for his roast pork with garlic and rosemary. To make the dish comply with AIP restrictions, I omitted the optional cayenne and butter. I also used coconut palm sugar for the rub and used some of my homemade bone broth for the roasting liquid in order to make it a little more healing.
That gave me an idea of the technique, now I just needed the flavor. I was flipping through my other current kitchen and health bible, Practical Paleo, and was drawn in by the recipe for roast duck with cherry sauce. Duck is a bit on the adventurous side for us (maybe some day!) but I loved the idea of a fruit sauce and roasted meat. Our freezer is stocked with frozen cherries from our pick-your-own adventures earlier this summer as well as rhubarb and I decided to experiment with combining the two flavors. And because I just can’t resist using fresh herbs whenever possible, I also threw in a sprig of rosemary for good measure.
Roast Pork Recipe
- One 2-3 pound fresh ham (or substitute similar sized loin roast or shoulder)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (for SCD, omit or use honey)
- 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
- 1½ cups bone broth
- For the sauce:
- ½ cup of frozen or fresh pitted sweet cherries
- ½ cup of chopped rhubarb
- 1-2 tablespoons of honey, to personal taste
- 1 sprig rosemary
- Heat oven to 450 F.
- Mix salt and pepper with rosemary, sugar, and garlic. Rub all over the roast, working it into any crevices in the meat.
- Put meat in an oven safe skillet or roasting pan and put in oven.
- Roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and pour about ½ cup of broth over roast.
- Lower heat to 325 F and return meat to oven.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Combine all ingredients and allow to simmer on the stovetop until reduced and thick.
- Continue to roast for another 45-60 minutes. Every 15 minutes or so, pour another ¼ cup of broth over roast.
- Check temperature and ensure that it is 145-150, transfer to a platter and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice roast and serve with cherry rhubarb sauce.
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Shared on Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable.
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