Coffee and Five Spice Roast Pork
Every year, holiday dinner tables are filled with glossy turkeys, honey baked hams and juicy prime rib roasts. But if you’re looking for a unique but just as impressive main dish to share with your family during the holidays, this Coffee and Five Spice Roast Pork is the perfect alternative! This recipe is relatively hands-off, which means you have more time to prepare delicious side dishes or spend time with your family.
Chinese five spice is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise and Sichuan peppercorns. The spices are warming and aromatic, which balances beautifully with the earthy and bitter flavors of the ground coffee. A bit of brown sugar and white pepper is also included in the spice rub for hints of spice and sweetness.
The best part is, as the pork slowly cooks in the oven, the pan drippings will make for an incredibly rich and savory gravy to be served alongside the pork.
Pork Shoulder/Pork Butt is naturally on the fattier side, which means it’s full of flavor but needs to be cooked low and slow to allow the fat to render. Trim off any excess fat for a less chewy texture once cooked. Pork tenderloin is an alternative cut that’s typically more expensive and much leaner.
Cook your pork for about 40 minutes per pound of meat or until the internal temperature is 145 degrees. Allow the meat to rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting, and then serve with gravy and your favorite vegetable side dishes!
Coffee and Five Spice Roast Pork
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
- 2-3 lb pork shoulder
- ½ cup finely ground coffee
- 1 tbsp Chinese Five Spice
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2-3 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Trim any excess fat off pork shoulder and set aside.
- Combine ground coffee, Chinese five spice, brown sugar, salt and white pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture over the pork shoulder, until it is evenly coated.
- Place the pork shoulder on wire roasting rack over a baking tray or dish. Pour chicken stock into the baking tray, enough so that there is about ½” of chicken stock.
- Place in the oven and cook for 80min-100mins (40 mins per pound of meat) or until the internal meat temperature is 145 degrees.
- Remove pork from the oven and allow the meat to rest for 30-40 minutes.
- Drain off the remaining pork drippings into a saucepan. Heat over medium heat and add butter and flour. Whisk continuously and cook for 5-8 minutes until the sauce is thick and creamy. Adjust seasoning with salt and/or sugar per taste.
- After the pork has rested, cut and serve with gravy.
Simple Roasted Carrots
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound carrots
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp fresh black pepper
Instructions:
- While the roast pork is resting, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.
- Clean and trim the carrots. Toss the carrots in olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Place the carrots on a baking tray lined with parchment powder or aluminum foil to easy clean up.
- Roast for 30-35 minutes, until the carrots are crisp but tender throughout. Allow to carrots to slightly cool before serving with the Coffee and Chinese Five Spice Roast Pork.