[Sca-cooks] Re: Sca-cooks Digest, Vol 32, Issue 49

[Terri Morgan]

The respected Honour wrote:
> I always used powdered Grains of Paradise with roast
> pork- even mundanely. It retains the juices in pork
> and reduces shrinking and drying as nothing else can,
> has a great peppery taste that's not too obtrusive,
> and is a classic meat spice in our period. 

Yum. I had read and was heeding the advice about the salt/pepper/garlic rub
but I think I should modify it a bit. That sounds so lovely. 

Question - if I brine it for two days (can one brine in a rubbermaid bin? No
metal pot I can find is big enough for the shank. At 26.5 pounds, it's huge)
then I should only rub in the non-salt stuff? Or will it 'take' after
brining?

> Please consider roasting it whole. . . <snip bit
> about ambiance>

And now I am saddened... because this was donated for a tavern event where
there will be no feast, just individual plates being brought to the diners
as they become hungry and call for service. If the thing hadn't been thawing
since yesterday, I'd set it aside and offer it to the cook for one of our
events that featured a High Table. You are -so- right. It would make for a
wonderful show piece. 
   Then again, we were planning on setting up a surveyor's board for the
wenches to load the plates. Wouldn't that just look incredible, having that
big piece of meat sitting there on a carving block and getting sliced as
needed while the lunch rush ensues.


But I'm going to mention to the donator (he works for Smithfield foods) what
a lovely image you evoked and see if he can keep an eye out for another
lucky find. Since he's sure to be sitting at High Table and he's a sucker
for theatre, I know it will stay on his mind.

Thank you, Honour, for such a thought-provoking letter along with your good
advice.


Hrothny