Low and slow

 

A rather horrible card! Happy New Year, poor piggy.

Germans love their pork...but it's traditional in many cultures on New Years Day. Eating pork supposedly brings good luck. The meat is rich in fat so it symbolizes prosperity.

Whoa. We should be very lucky in 2022. I cooked this pork shoulder using the  "low and slow" method. It was in the oven (uncovered) for a full 8 hours roasting at 275 degrees. 

The magic happens all by itself while the aroma drives you crazy. I put it on a thick layer of onions, and they melted down into a caramelized goo for the mashed potatoes. The seasoning nothing but salt, pepper and garlic powder.

It tasted as good is it looks. The leftovers get transformed into pork enchiladas. Not a scrap wasted, which is the least we can do to show respect for the animal.

This is the month when some of us make resolutions about our diets. Certainly eating less meat is a good one, for our heath and the environment. Instead of "Meatless Monday" we should eat meat only once a week. Or maybe not at all. Beef is so expensive anyway, as it should be, making it a special occasion treat instead of the main thing on the plate.

Well, the snow is finally melting after a week of below freezing temperatures. Another weather record in Seattle, exactly six months after the highest temperatures ever recorded. It is thoroughly nasty outside, with cold rain and slush.