First gourmet meal in a long time

I recently got the urge to do some cooking. I've been stressed from worrying about my future and frustrated that I'm 26 and still living at home with the parents. So, I went to Buehler's and did some shopping and here's what happened.

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I first bought a slice of pork shoulder roast, and when I got home, brined it. The brine included salt (of course), brown sugar, regular sugar, peppercorns and smashed garlic cloves. This sat over night, and the next day the magic happened. To go with the pork I made roasted potatoes with Dijon, garlic, rosemary and carrots with brown sugar and molasses.

Roast Pork:

After the brine, here's how I did it.

Rub:

3 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp each fresh minced rosemary and thyme

1 tsp kosher salt and pepper

1/4 cup of olive oil

Mix this together, then spread it on the pork then brown the meat in a cast iron pan for 5 minutes per side on medium-high. Next, add one small onion, quartered, to the pan then cover and roast at 300 degrees until the center reaches 160. Then remove from the pan, wrap in aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes

For a quick pan sauce, once the pork is out of the pan, place it on the stove on medium-low and reduce for 30 minutes, then strain, add 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk together then serve over the pork. Delicious!

Dijon Roasted Potatoes:

A great side dish for most dishes, but especially with this meal!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of minced, fresh rosemary

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons

1/4 cup smooth Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

In a bowl mix the ingredients with 1 1/2 pounds of russet potatoes diced into 3/4 inch cubes. Spread on a greased cooking sheet and bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees.

Carrots with Brown Sugar and Molasses

A salty and sweet side dish!

2 tablespoons olive oil (non-virgin)

2 tablespoons in salted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

In a sauté pan, add the oil and butter 1 pound of carrots, cut into long quarters and the salt. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the brown sugar and molasses and cook for another 15 minutes.

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In all, this was a great meal, it reminds me of a great winter dish.