Mistakes happen. Every day, people do their best to avoid
unpleasant circumstances and outcomes. It can be as simple as
misdialing your own telephone number or embarrassing like tripping
in front of a crowd of people. One of my worst mistakes happened
just the other week on the grill.
Mistakes happen. Every day, people do their best to avoid unpleasant circumstances and outcomes. It can be as simple as misdialing your own telephone number or embarrassing like tripping in front of a crowd of people. One of my worst mistakes happened just the other week on the grill.
It is a simple act of humanity. None of us could ever attain the image or act of perfection. It would be too difficult to accomplish this huge feat. Just discussing it can become a philosophical mistake, too.
It can be amusing when those of us with expertise on a subject make a mistake demonstrating, discussing or completing a task.
Live television is notorious for revealing what mistakes can be made. While on a late-night television show, a well-known individual with domestic and home expertise misquoted the size of a cord of wood. I caught the mistake and the individual realized she had made a mistake, too. The show’s host used the opportunity to make a joke. After seeing this error, I realized that I am in good company.
When demonstrating a food segment on live television, I twisted and flubbed my words. At the time, I hated the fact that I made a mistake, but now I am amused that it happened and I can laugh at it.
Just the other week, I made a mistake that I know I will never live down. My family was celebrating my aunt’s birthday. She wanted something simple and didn’t want to go out to dinner. We decided upon a simple celebratory Italian menu of ravioli, fresh vegetables and a roast. My aunt wanted a pork roast for her special day, but since she does not care for the loin portion, we settled on a boneless shoulder roast, also known as “Boston Butt” roast.
This cut of pork is so delicious and tender when slowly roasted on the grill. This time, I decided to prepare the roast on the rotisserie. While rotating over a very low fire on the gas grill, it would self baste. I thought I would not have to keep an eye on it very often, but I was completely wrong. In order to sear the meat and seal the juices, I set the gas on high. My mistake is when I walked away to check something in the kitchen. I was surprised to see smoke billowing out of the grill a few minutes later and it was much more than it should have been. After lifting the lid of the grill, the smoke cleared to reveal a charred pork roast turning on the spit. My only defense is that I am still becoming accustomed to the heat output of my new burner.
The outside was badly burned, but the loss was negligible since the inside of the roast was still raw. I was frustrated that the nice roast for my aunt’s birthday dinner was completely ruined. I was very angry over the huge mistake I had made. After a few minutes of thinking about it, my anger was replaced by laughter. Although this was an embarrassing experience, I had to share the story with my readers.
As the pork roast continued cooking over a low heat, the fat and juices started to penetrate the burned outer section of the roast. This portion became softer and it was easy to trim it away when the roast was served. As predicted, the roast was tender, juicy and delicious. My experience with this roast became something more than a portion of a meal. To me, it became a reminder that we make mistakes. We learn from them, we move on from them and we can share our experience and laugh at them.
Of course, it is no surprise that this weeks recipe is for slow cooked boneless pork shoulder roast. It was suggested that I call the recipe “Burnt Boston Butt Roast,” but I didn’t want to give the impression that I was teaching how to blacken items on the grill. To accompany this roast, serve steamed string beans and garlic mashed potatoes.
Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder Roast
(From Mitch Mariani; Serves 6)
1 boneless pork shoulder roast, about 4 pounds
1 tablespoon salt & pepper
Step 1: Remove the roast from the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour prior to cooking to remove its chill. While the roast sits, truss it so that it maintains its shape. Place the roast onto the rotisserie spit and secure it in place.
Refer to your rotisserie instruction book for specific instructions. Add the salt and pepper making sure the outside of the roast is evenly coated.
Step 2: Adjust the heat of the grill to a low setting. Load the spit onto the grill and into the rotisserie motor. Turn on the motor and close the lid.
Step 3: Maintain a constant temperature between 275 and 300 degrees for about four to five hours.
Step 4: Remove the spit and roast with heat resistant gloves. Remove the roast from the spit and allow it to sit for ten minutes before slicing.
