Roast Pork and Summer Vegetables

This is one of those recipes that is deceptively long, but you shouldn't be intimidated. It's really  straightforward: make a dry rub - make a little sauce - roast some veggies - cook the pork. That's it. It makes a mountain of food that tastes just as good at room temperature, and certainly the next day. In other words, the perfect summer recipe. Make it on Saturday and feed a crowd, or nibble on it in various ways for days and days. 

The roasted vegetable combination is amazing and would taste great in a burrito or just all mixed together as a salad, maybe with a grain thrown in for a complete meal. I skipped the broccoli rabe just because and you could throw in any other veggies you happen to have. And I'm not sure why the shallots are unpeeled, but I did this and they look so pretty, I would do it again. Make extra because you'll find yourself reaching into the fridge for them just on their own. AND… you can make a mean Cuban sandwich with the leftover pork!!

Roast Pork with Summer Vegetables
via Saveur
Serves 6 to 8.

FOR THE PORK:
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
1 1⁄2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tbsp. turbinado or light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3–4-lb. piece trimmed, boneless pork shoulder
Kosher salt, to taste
4 shallots, unpeeled and halved lengthwise
2 tbsp. canola oil

FOR THE HERB SAUCE:
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1⁄2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 green cardamom pod
1⁄2 cup minced cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1/4-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste

FOR THE VEGETABLES:
2 large sweet potatoes
4 tomatillos, peeled
2 poblano peppers
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic
1⁄2 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and blanched until crisp-tender

1. Prepare the pork: Put coriander, fennel, and cumin in an 8" skillet over medium heat and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until seeds are toasted, about 5 minutes. Coarsely grind seeds in a spice grinder and transfer to a small bowl. Add paprika, sugar, and garlic and stir to combine. Put pork on a plate and season generously with salt. Rub pork with coriander mixture and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour or refrigerate overnight.

2. Make the herb sauce: Put coriander, cumin, and cardamom in an 8" skillet over medium heat and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until seeds are toasted, about 5 minutes. Finely grind seeds in a spice grinder and transfer to a medium bowl along with cilantro, garlic, and jalapeños. Using a fork, whisk in olive oil and season sauce with salt; cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

3. Roast the vegetables: Heat oven to 475°. Put sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake, turning once, until tender, 40–50 minutes. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Increase heat to broil and arrange a rack 4" from heating element. Put tomatillos and poblanos on baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp. olive oil. Broil, turning once, until charred and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer tomatillos to plate with sweet potatoes and transfer poblanos to a bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes. Peel poblanos, discarding seeds and stems, and tear poblanos into 1⁄2"-wide strips; set aside.

4. Cook the broccoli rabe: Heat remaining olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add broccoli rabe; cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and remove pan from heat; set aside.

5. Cook the pork: Reduce oven to 350°. Heat canola oil in a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Place shallots cut side down under pork. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork reads 125°, 30–50 minutes. Transfer pork and shallots to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. To serve, slice pork thinly and transfer to a platter along with shallots.

6. Serve: Cut sweet potatoes into small pieces and halve tomatillos. Transfer potatoes, tomatillos, poblanos, and broccoli rabe to platter. Spoon sauce over pork.

The bonus! A Cuban sandwich: dijon mustard, swiss cheese, thinly sliced leftover pork, ham, dill pickles, more swiss cheese. Cook in a large cast iron skillet with smaller heavy cast iron skillet (lean into it!) on top of the sandwich to press it.