Grumble, gripe, bitch, moan.
That’s me going through the meat department at most grocery stores. That’s because it’s always the same-old, same old, especially when it comes to pork. They no longer have real butchers in the back room. They are basically meat sorters. Shipments of pre-wrapped pork and beef now come from the big butcher in the sky, who also determines which cuts of meat and chicken to display. With pork, you get whole tenderloins, pork chops, maybe some smoked hams, ribs and Boston butts. That’s it. No fresh picnic hams and few choice tenderloins unless they are pre-seasoned – and awful. Who in the world likes that nasty seasoning they put on meats?
I really love fresh picnics, but I have to go to Food Lion (sometimes) or Wal-Mart (usually) for such a cut.
While at Wal-Mart last week, I saw a small roast that caught my eye. It was a boneless Pork Ribeye Roast. I bought it – something like $7.50 for 2 pounds. It was yummy.
Imagine a Beef Ribeye Roast. Well, if you like that, you’ll like a Pork Ribeye Roast as well. It was one of the juiciest, most tender pork roasts I’ve ever prepared.
A pork rib roast, sometimes called a rack of pork or center-cut pork loin, is a cut from the rib area of the loin, so it contains more fat, and everyone knows that fat adds flavor. It cooks fairly quickly at 25 minutes per pound at 350 °F. but be careful not to overcook or you’ll lose the juices that give it flavor. Some cooks use this cut for pulled pork barbeque, but I just roasted mine with salt, pepper and a dash or two of pork rub. The leftovers, for sandwiches, were terrific.
If you are a fan of fresh pork, and you see a Pork Ribeye Roast – buy it.