Simplicity of Oven Roasted Pork and Chop Suey

I think one of the real benefits of pork (and chicken) is that they have very little flavor and can pull off just about any combination of seasonings and marinades that you throw on them. It's a major benefit if you cook the pork one day and use in leftovers later that week. That's precisely what I did with a pork roast earlier in the week and it worked out great.

Our barbecue was not hooked up for the holiday weekend so I made the pork roast in the oven on Monday. It was marinating for a couple days which is always helpful but not necessary if you don't have the time. I was a bit nervous when cooking the roast because I found a lot of contradictory information when searching for a guide on how long to cook that 4 pound roast.

One thing that is consistent that I'll share right off the bat. You need to cook pork to an internal temp of 170 but you take it out of the oven when it's about 165 because it continues to cook after you remove it from the oven. Pork is so lean these days that it has a real tendency to dry out if you aren't careful.

I ended up going the slow and easy route and just started early enough so I could cook as long as it needed. Not quite as slow as a crock pot but I allocated 3 hours on 325. It only needed 2 1/2 hours to reach 165 and then we let it set for another 15 minutes before carving.

You can really use any combination of ingredients that you like but I usually use at least one oil (or butter). Here's the scoop:

OVEN ROASTED 4 LB. PORK ROAST
Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours (then let stand 15 minutes)
Prep Time: 5 minutes

Marinade Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 T. lime juice

Rub Ingredients:
2 T.Italian Seasoning
1 T. Coarse Ground Salt
1 T. Coars Ground Pepper

Instructions: Cover the roast with the marinade and then rub with the rub ingredients. Let set for 1/2 hour to 2 days. Bake at 325 for about 2 1/2 hours (oven temps vary so just keep checking with a meat thermometer).

We ate leftovers the next day and then had an entirely different meal yesterday when we chopped up the remaining pork and added some La Choy chop suey vegetables. The pork chop suey was yummy and kept it interesting.

Here's that recipe in a nutshell:
- leftover pork chopped (I had about 1 lb. left)
- 2 cans Chop Suey Vegetables
- 1 can chicken broth
- 2 T. soy sauce

Heat them up in a pan and serve over rice. You can also add those crunchy things (from La choy on top)