The Meat Harvest recipe for this week will feature pork shoulder and sausage seasoned with tarragon and fennel, plus a generous helping of fluffy mashed sweet potatoes.
Pork and Apricots with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
2 ½ pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks
1 3.5-4 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
1 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed
1 ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon cooking oil
12 – 16 ounce kielbasa or other smoked sausage links, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch-long pieces
1 14-ounce can of chicken broth
¾ cup apricot nectar
½ cup dried apricots
4 teaspoon cornstarch
Directions
Place sweet potatoes in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Trim fat from pork roast. Combine the tarragon, fennel seed, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; rub onto the pork roast.
In a very large skillet, brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat. Place meat on top of sweet potatoes in the cooker. Add sausage. Pour broth and 1/2 cup of the apricot nectar over all.
Cover and cook on a low-heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on a high-heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours, adding dried apricots for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
With a slotted spoon, transfer pork, sausage, and apricots to the serving platter. Transfer sweet potato chunks to a large bowl; mash with a potato masher.
Strain cooking liquid into a glass measuring cup. Skim fat from cooking liquid; discard fat. Reserve 2 cups liquid (if necessary, add chicken broth to measure 2 cups). In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup apricot nectar and the cornstarch. In a medium saucepan, combine the cooking liquid and the cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; cook for 2 minutes more. Serve with pork and mashed sweet potatoes. Makes 8 servings.
Source BHG
Ravenhawks' Magazine Magick for Mind Body and Soul 