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HERZLICH WILKOMMEN!

Traditional Christmas Day Meals Today we continue on our series on traditional German dishes for Christmas Day. We've spent the past two days focusing on poultry. Today we shift our focus to festive roasts. Traditional Christmas Day Meal #3: Pork Roast The pork roast is a favorite dish on Christmas day, especially in Bavaria (Bayern). The roast is made from a large (2 to 3 lb) cut of pork, seasoned with salt, pepper, caraway seeds, and sometimes garlic. It is then roasted whole in a roasting pan in the oven. It may also be roasted with vegetables, such as carrots, celery, and onions. The drippings from the roast are made into a gravy, which is served with the meat.  Pork roast is traditionally served with red cabbage or green cabbage, as well as with dumplings (potato dumplings or bread dumplings) or boiled potatoes. When selecting a pork roast, two cuts of pork work best.  A Shoulder Roast is one of the most flavorful cuts of pork.  It has a higher level of fat than other cuts, which improves its flavor and tenderness. Shoulder cuts that you might see in the market include pork butt, Boston Roast, Picnic Roast, or simply port shoulder.  A Loin Roast  is the leanest cut. Because of this, these roasts must not be overcooked as they can dry out very easily.  The loin is considered the best cut so it will be more expensive.  Look for tenderloin, center loin roast, top loin roast, or simply pork loin in your local markets. Another thing to watch for when selecting a piece of meat is that the roast should not be sitting in its own juices. If a piece of meat loses its juices already before it is cooked, this shows that the meat cannot hold its juices during cooking, resulting in a very dry roast.  Instead, choose a piece of meat that looks moist and does not lose any juice.      Photo: © manulito - Fotolia.com   Bavarian Pork Roast (Bayerischer Schweinebraten) A nice cut of pork - roast size (about 3 -4 lbs) 1/2 lb Pork Bones 1 tablespoon Caraway Seeds 2 Onions 1 Carrot 1 Turnip (about 1/4 lb) 1 Leek Salt & Fresh Pepper Dark Beer Chicken Broth 2 tablespoons Flour Butter Preheat oven to 400° F. Season the pork and the bones with salt, pepper, and caraway seeds. Cut each onion into wedges. Wash the carrot, turnip, and leek and cut these into cubes. In a frying pan, melt the butter. Sear the roast and bones on all sides. Remove the roast and bones, then add 1 cup broth to the frying pan, and with a wooden spoon, scrape off any bits that are stick to the bottom of the pan. Put roast and bones in a large roasting pan and pour the pan juices over them. Add the vegetables to the roasting pan as well. Bake the meat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Occassionally, pour some of the dark beer over the meat to baste it and to get some liquid in the pan. Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the roast to a plate, cover to keep warm. Pour the pan drippings and juices through a sieve into a sauce pot.   Combine the flour and 3 tablespoons broth.  Slowly drizzle this into the gravy, whisking so that no lumps form.  Bring the gravy to a boil.  Season with salt and pepper. Cut the roast into 1/2 inch slices. Arrange the slices on a serving plate, and drizzle with a little gravy.