Orange-Cumin Roast Pork

On a cold day, there's nothing better than a roast in a low oven for several hours. Not only can you rest knowing that dinner is planned, but the warmth created in your home makes coming home so refreshing for loved ones.

Deliciously savory, fragranced with cumin and orange, this roast makes your house smell wonderful. The pork just melts in your mouth, and is perfectly paired with root vegetables cooked right along with the meat.

This meal is also great in the crock pot, and a perfect use for all that dried orange zest I've been making.

Orange-Cumin Roast Pork

serves 4

Spice Blend:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
scant 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
few grinds black pepper
few scrapes nutmeg

2-1/2 pound boneless pork loin roast, rolled and tied

3 large waxy potatoes, peeled (or not) and cut up

3 carrots, peeled and chunked

1 tablespoon orange zest (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1/4 cup orange juice

Combine spice blend ingredients and rub on roast. Set aside.

Place vegetables in the bottom of roasting pan; pour orange juice over. Place prepared meat on top and cover the entire pan tightly with foil or a pan lid.

Roast in preheated 275*F oven for four hours, or until fork-tender.

When Life Hands You Oranges...

...make dried orange zest!

In the last few months I've run across a number of recipes that call for orange zest, and I'd run out and buy an orange just to zest it. And while I don't mind doing that, I've found that it's much simpler to make some dried zest to keep on-hand in the spice cabinet.

Here's how.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from orange. Try to avoid removing the white pith, because that has a bitter taste.

Lay your strips on a paper-towel covered microwave-safe plate.

Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Here's how it looks after 30 seconds.

How much longer you'll need to zap this depends on your microwave. Go in 30-second intervals. In mine, it takes only another 30 seconds, after which it doesn't FEEL completely dried, but after sitting for 5 minutes they crisp right up. Here they are all done.

I keep this stored in a zipper bag in the spice cabinet for use as needed. Just like with any herb, when a recipe calls for fresh zest, use a third of that amount for dried.