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Roasted Smoked Pork Loin
(Kasseler Rippenspeer)
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| What You Need: |
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4 whole juniper berries, coarsely crushed with a mortar and pestle or wrapped in a towel and crushed with a rolling pin
4 cups cold water
2 teaspoons corn starch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water
2 tablespoons lard
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
3˝ to 4 pound smoked pork loin in one piece, with the backbone (chine) sawed through at ˝-inch intervals, but left attached and tied to the left attached and tied to the loin in 2 or 3 places
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet, melt the lard over moderate heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and light brown. With a rubber spatula, scrape the entire contents of the skillet into a heavy casserole or roasting pan just large enough to hold the pork comfortably.
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2. Place the pork loin, fat side up, on top of the vegetables and strew the crushed juniper berries around the pork. Pour in the 4 cups of water and roast uncovered in the middle of the oven, basting occasionally with the cooking juices, for 1˝ hours, or until the pork is golden brown.
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3. If you prefer to use a meat thermometer, insert it into the pork loin before placing the loin in the casserole. Be sure the tip of the thermometer does not touch any bone. Roast the pork until the thermometer reaches a temperature of 175°F.
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4. Cut away the strings and carve the pork into ˝-inch-thick chops. Arrange the slices attractively in slightly overlapping layers on a large heated platter. Cover and set aside.
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5. Strain the pan juices through a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing down hard on the vegetables with the back of the spoon before discarding them. Skim as much fat as possible from the surface, then measure the juices.
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6. If there is more than 1˝ cups, boil briskly over high heat until the juices are reduced to that amount; if there is less, add water. Bring the pan juices to a boil over moderate heat in a small saucepan. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir to recombine it and add it to the pan.
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7. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce clears and thickens slightly. Moisten the meat slices with a few spoonfuls of the sauce and serve the rest in a heated sauceboat. Kasseler Rippenspeer is often served on a mound of either plain or pineapple sauerkraut.
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