Tags
Beer, frozen orange juice concentrate, Garlic, guava paste, Onions, orange zest, pork butt, soy sauce, Spices
Allspice, guava, orange, beer and a pork butt…it’s a marriage made in the heavens. Truly it is. This was the perfect meal to cook in the pressure cooker. Yes, The Goddess has a new toy. She still maintains The Latin Lover as her boy-toy, but this toy is of the cooking variety. As I mentioned, this is a pressure cooker. Ah, but it is so much more. 
This beauty is an all-in-one pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, soup maker and God know what else. And, you can sauté right in it. Isn’t that a great idea? Before we go any further, I bought this with my own pennies, so I’m not hawking for a manufacturer. Frankly, that really doesn’t matter, because I would still tell you the God’s honest truth about what I think, no matter who paid for said appliance, ingredient, or whatever is recommended. Anyway, I bought this because it was a deal and I wanted to give my stove-top pressure cooker to The Unbound Reader. I also wanted one of the electric cookers with a quick-release valve. This one fit the bill and had all these other perks. 
What really peaked my interest is the “sauté” option. No browning in a separate pan…it’s all-in-one. Clever. So far, so good. I made the Cuban Black Beans à la Pressure Cooker last night. They are resting and melding, as we speak. Worked like a charm in about 30 minutes.
I was debating whether to slow cook or pressure cook this roast. I had a spirited, sometimes heated debate with myself, but the pressure cooker won out. I’m not absolutely certain why….
I rubbed the spices into the meat, along with the orange zest tossed the meat into a freezer bag and left it to chill overnight. Then, I brought the meat back to room temp and began my adventure. I turned on the “sauté” feature and browned the meat on all sides. I pulled the browned meat out of the pan, tossed in a sliced onion, placed the meat on top of the onions and carefully poured a beer around the meat, not over it. The lid was put in place, locked and I turned the pressure feature of the cooker on for 60 minutes. 
At the end of the hour, I let the pressure reduce by itself, which takes about 20 minutes. It continues to cook slightly for part of the cool down time. It was perfectly done. 
The meat was moist, but totally tender. I let it cool until I could handle it, then tore it into large pieces.
I found that the sauce needed some extra seasoning, so I added some more spice and then, just to add a hint of sweetness, guava paste. The guava worked well with the spices, adding a little sweetness. The balance was much better with the touch of sweetness, but wasn’t over-powering. 
I’m sharing this recipe, because the meat was good, but the sauce was magnificent. I will try this with chicken soon. I’ll let you know how that works, but you can eat this sauce with a spoon.
Island Spiced Pork Roast with Orange-Guava Sauce
- 4-4.5 bone-in pork should or butt, trimmed
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander (toasted, if possible)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- Grated zest of 1/2 large orange
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- For the Sauce:
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 bottle lager or 1 1/2 cups white wine or water
- 1/3-1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (toasted, if possible)
- 1/2 cup guava paste cubed (about a 1″X1″X3″ piece)
- 3-4 teaspoons cornstarch (or arrowroot) mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- Avocado slices
- Finely minced red onion
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Fresh lime wedges
Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over the meat; sprinkle the spices and orange zest over the meat. Rub the mixture into the meat; season with salt and pepper. Place in a freezer bag; refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours. Return the meat to room temperature. Brown the meat. Add the onion to the bottom of the pressure cooker; place the meat on top of the onions. Pour the beer around, not over the meat. Cover tightly, according the directions of your pressure cooker and bring to full pressure. Cook for 65 minutes. Remove from the heat source; let the pressure reduce on it own. It will take about 20-30 minutes. Do not remove the lid before the pressure is completely reduced.
Remove the meat from the liquid. Set aside until cool enough to handle. You may shred the meat, break it into large chunks or leave it whole to slice. It depends on how you wish to serve the meat.
Skim the fat from the liquid. Add the frozen orange juice concentrate, soy sauce, additional spices and the guava paste. Bring to the boil; reduce the heat slightly and continue to boil gently until the mixture reduces slightly. If you wish to thicken the sauce, add the cornstarch slurry and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning.
Serve the meat with rice. Spoon the sauce over the meat. Serve with sliced avocados, red onion, cilantro and lime wedges. Excellent wrapped in either flour or corn tortillas, as well.
NOTE: You may cook the meat ahead, tear it into pieces and put it in the fridge. When you want to serve the meat, simply pan-fry it in a bit of oil, until crispy. Serve as is, drizzled with some sauce or place some shreds in warm tortillas, topped with diced red onion, cilantro leaves and some avocado slices.
Island Spiced Pork Roast with Orange-Guava-Beer and Onion Sauce Recipe©Marcia Lahens 2016. All rights reserved.
The Latin Lover likes the meat served with black beans and rice with some avocado. I sautéed some of the pork in a bit of olive oil until it crisped up nicely on the outside. 
I wrapped the slices in corn tortillas with avocado slices, red onion, cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. I thought about adding sour cream, but I think it would have detracted from the flavor. It just wasn’t necessary. It would have detracted from the flavor, but the Orange-Guava-Beer and Onion sauce is a whole different thing. I used it as a dip…like a French dip, only with tortillas. I do think a good soft roll might be nice, too. Yes, there are options, and dare I say, all of them good ones. Enjoy!
Goddess Cooks 