Recipe: Pork Roast with Turnips in Cane Gravy

The key to good meat is the way you roast it or braise it. It all goes back to the fact that caramelization gives a natural richness. The cane syrup enhances that process ten fold. I have a newfound love of cane syrup.

    • 2 ½ to 3 pounds bone in pork butt roast
    • 3 tablespoons McCormick's Montreal Seasoning (this is a great blend of spices, cracked pepper, and salt. It makes seasoning a roast quite easy. If you choose not to use this spice blend, just season with salt, pepper, and garlic.
    • 6 medium turnips
    • 6 small new potatoes
    • 4 carrots
    • 16 brussels sprouts
    • 1 ½ cups pure cane syrup
    • 1 cup water

Preheat Broiler to 500 degrees.

Place pork roast in roasting pan, fat side up, and season with 2 tablespoons Montreal Seasoning.

Place fat side up under broiler for 15 minutes to brown, then turn oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour one cup of cane syrup on top of the roast then add one cup of water to the bottom of the roasting pan.

Roast at 350 degrees F for one hour.

While pork roast is cooking, remove skin from turnips and carrots, cut turnips into quarters, leave carrots and new potatoes whole. If the potatoes are not small then cut them in half.

After the pork roast has been browned and then cooked for about an hour, remove from oven and arrange the vegetables around the pork roast.

Sprinkle the other tablespoon of Montreal Seasoning over the vegetables, then drizzle 1/2 cup of cane syrup over the seasoned vegetables.

Add one cup of water and put back in the 325 degree oven to roast for another 45 to 60 minutes, or until pork registers at least 155° on a thermometer and your vegetables are tender.

Cover roast pork loin with foil and let stand for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Pour the drippings into a sauce pan and reduce until it is as thick as you like. If you like a really thick gravy you may dissolve 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 3 tablespoons water. Add to boiling pork drippings and it will thicken more.

Slice meat, place on platter, and garnish with roasted vegetables. Pour gravy over meat and vegetables, or serve in a gravy boat.