Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Garlic, Citrus, and Cilantro by Alison Roman

You know when you’ve recently had something so good that afterwards you can’t help but compare anything else you have that’s like it? Well I recently made a Melissa Clark Instant Pot carnitas recipe (yes, I know, Instant Pot, a shortcut, I get it, also, get over it) with chipotle peppers and fresh-squeezed orange juice and limes. I let the pork cook in the pot, but fried it in the leftover fat to give it a crispiness at the end. Wow, it was spectacular. 

Alison’s pork shoulder recipe doesn’t purport to be carnitas. She doesn’t even want you to shred the pork, just slice it! But the flavor profile is so close to that of carnitas, and frankly, the meat was way too soft after 3+ hours in the oven to hold together in slice form, leaving me no choice but to shred it. So how could I not compare it to Melissa Clark’s carnitas? It was simply out of my hands. I couldn’t compare texture, because, different recipes. But in terms of flavor, Melissa’s was more particular in flavor, and Alison’s surprisingly more mild. I found myself craving Melissa’s leftovers, but let Jordan take care of Alison’s. Jordan loved Alison’s pork, but then again, he loves any shredded pork. At the end of the day, I’d choose Melissa’s carnitas. Just putting this out there. 

Given the subtle flavor profile and moist, juicy form of the pork, this recipe would work really well if you’re serving picky eaters, or children, or bringing food to a potluck where you’re not sure how everyone feels about spice. The main flavors here are the citrus (lots of orange and lime), some coriander, and plenty of garlic.

Here’s a quick rundown. Brown some seasoned pork shoulder in a large pot (preferably a dutch oven) on all sides to render fat at the bottom of the pot. Pour most of the fat out but keep enough to cook two halves of a large orange and two heads of garlic cut in half, plus spices like thyme, coriander seeds, and chile flakes. Pour in a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice and some water and stir. Put the pork back in the pot and cover it before placing the pot in the oven for three or more hours at a low temp. 

At this point, I left my apartment to go to a workout class. By the time I returned an hour and some change later, the smells of garlic and orange practically hit me in the face as I walked through the door - in a great way! After another two hours of smelling the pork, I pulled the pork out of the pot to rest and added lime juice to the juices in the pot. I quickly noticed that the pork had softened past the point of slicing (which I had suspected and wasn’t mad about), and decided to shred it. After pouring the leftover juices mostly over the shredded meat, along with the softened garlic cloves, the meat was ready for serving. We ate it with warmed corn tortillas and Alison’s Iceberg Salad. And don’t get me wrong - it was good pork! Just more mild in flavor than I prefer. 

152 recipes cooked, 73 to go.

Salted Citrus with Fennel, Radishes, and Olive by Alison Roman

I’ve mentioned before that at the beginning of this project, I hated olives. So when I first perused Alison’s two cookbooks to evaluate all that would lie ahead of me, I made no less than an “ew, gross” face when I flipped the page to this recipe. 

But eight months and one much expanded palette later, I couldn’t wait to make this. And the last summer-weather days of October seemed the perfect opportunity to do so. This recipe is simple: thinly sliced tangerines, covered in salt, honey, and lemon juice. Layered with thinly sliced fennel and radishes, also mixed with lemon juice and salt. Sprinkled with crushed olives of the Frescatrano variety. 

Crunchy, juicy, briny, acidic, salty, and sweet. A salad that encompasses all six of those traits can only be described as excellent. 

144 recipes cooked, 81 to go.

Fancy Citrusy Olives by Alison Roman

This is the third or fourth time I’ve faced the task of writing about olives, but this time, it’s different. This time, I’m different. For 28.2 years of my life, I thought olives were nothing short of repulsive. Then, I made Alison’s Skillet Chicken with Sumac and Olives, and something started to change. I not only liked the briny pop of flavor in that dish, I actually found myself thinking about it afterward. Those reflections led me to make the dish a second time, which led me to order an olive plate at a restaurant a few weeks ago, which led me to ask my mother-in-law, Queen Olive Lover herself, if we could have an olive happy hour on a Sunday afternoon! I have converted, folks. I’m a believer. I like olives. 

Needless to say, my excitement levels for this appetizer were far higher than when I first saw the recipe at the start of the project. The adventure began with halving and thinly slicing both a lemon and a navel orange. The other halves should be saved for juicing. In a small pot, I let the citrus slices, red chile flakes, and grapefruit peel sizzle in some olive oil. This helps the elements release their flavors a bit before the olives join. Once the olives got in there, I turned the heat to the lowest setting and let them hang out for a little under an hour. 

Alison calls for Castelvetrano olives, which are my favorite. Their strong buttery flavor is perhaps their most distinct quality, next to their firmness. I much prefer these to brown or black olives – both of which I’m still working on liking more. I buy these olives at the Whole Foods olive bar because I just pay for what I need. I could get a large jar of them at Costco for a cheaper ounce to dollar ratio, but I know they’d go bad before I could eat them all. 

The olives need to cool to room temperature, which takes about an hour. Then the reserved citrus halves get squeezed over the pot of olives to impart more flavor before plating – citrus peels and all. 

I served this as an appetizer, but also brought it to the dinner table where my guests continued to snack on them throughout the meal and even afterward. To my tastebuds, the orange juice was a bit too strong and sweet, and I missed the olive’s buttery dominance. But my guests seemed to really enjoy this take on olives, and there were hardly any leftovers. Next, I’d like to try a simpler olive recipe that involves rosemary or thyme, or some combination of herbs as the added flavor. If you have a beloved recipe like this, would you send it my way? 

105 recipes cooked, 120 to go.

An All-OutAlison Meal featuring Clam Pasta, Spring Peas, and Citrusy Olives.

Scallops with Spicy Beans, Tomatillo, and Citrus by Alison Roman

Drumroll please…. I have SCALLOP INTEL! 

Remember when I made Alison’s Scallops and Corn recipe a few weeks back? No? That’s okay. Well that recipe was my first scallop-cooking experience, and I was disappointed and truly befuddled with how differently they turned out from what Alison described. They produced a ton of liquid, and shrunk down to an unexpectedly small size, and were far fishier than my tastebuds preferred. Upon reading that post, my pal Margaret reached out and astutely asked if I had used bay scallops or sea scallops, and which one Alison specified. 

Lo and behold, Alison HAD specified sea scallops, but I had purchased bay scallops. Not only did I miss Alison’s instructions, but I had no idea there were different types of scallops. Second time around, I purposely sought out sea scallops, which were noticeably bigger, cooked exactly as Alison said they would, and were far less fishy (not in smell, but in taste at least). Though they were noticeably pricier, I must admit they made me far more likely to cook them again. 

And now for the recipe. First step is to combine sliced tomatillos, sliced tangerines, diced jalapeno, shallot, lime juice and olive oil. (Confession: I forgot to buy a shallot. End of confession.) 

The scallops take 3 minutes per side to sear in a lightly oiled cast iron skillet. I needed to cook them in two rounds so as not to crowd the pan. Before turning off the skillet, a can of cannelini beans need sauteeing in the tasty juices. The elements get plated with tomatillos and citrus on the bottom, then beans, and then scallops, with more lime juice sprinkled over. 

This meal redeemed my scallop experiences. It was also enjoyed as part of yet another tasty All-Out-Alison Meal. 

The menu: 

• Side Dish: Raw and Roasted Kale with Pistachios and Creamy Pecorino

• Side Dish: Smashed Cucumbers with Sizzled Turmeric and Garlic

• Main Dish: Scallops with Spicy Beans, Tomatillo, and Citrus

97 recipes cooked, 128 to go.

Citrusy Cucumbers with Red Onion and Toasted Sesame by Alison Roman

The first time I ate this salad was actually at my dear pal Kailey’s apartment. In fact, Kailey is one of the reasons I began this project. Since moving to Minneapolis, we’ve become really close -- the ease of our friendship matching that of other decades-old friends of mine. Kailey is a talented cook and owns both of Alison’s cookbooks. When we started hanging out at her apartment, I would steal one to peruse while she made me dinner. Eventually she let me take Dining In home for a few weeks, and that’s what inspired me to ask for it for Christmas! The rest, as they say, is history… 

Jordan and I both really liked this salad, which in my opinion is a win, because he hasn’t loved too many of Alison’s salads thus far. This salad is supposed to serve 4, but we ate all of it for dinner. Except the red onion. There was too much red onion in my opinion… 

The salad is simple. Red onion soaked in ice water to remove its bite. Thinly sliced cucumbers marinated in lemon juice, zest, and sumac. A creamy tahini spread at the base of the bowl. Drizzled with olive oil and toasted sesame seeds. Perfect for pairing with lamb, falafel, steak, chicken, the list goes on. I made this with Melissa Clark’s jalapeno honey steak and jasmine rice. It’s subtlety will complement a variety of bold flavors. I’ll definitely make this again!

74 recipes cooked, 151 to go.