Uncle Earl's Pig

So, I have to give a disclaimer right off the bat: Rachel and indulged in slightly tipsy cooking. So not all of these pictures are as good as I usually attempt to make them. My fabulous and gorgeous friend Rachel came to visit me on my day off and to teach me how to make her "Uncle Earl's Pig". Apparently her mother had to beg him for the recipe for around 6 years, and he had to be married to his wife at the time for years until she shared the recipe with him. So you see, I have connections and got this recipe to share with you right now. It is dead simple! You wouldn't believe it! Or maybe you will and you'll follow these simple instructions to a delicious pork roast.

Most importantly you will need:

...a fabulous friend who will drink sparkling wine and eat cheese and crackers with you, because it makes everything better, even cooking. Featuring the gorgeous and fashionable Rachel!

OK, enough jokes, here are the ingredients you need, and it's only 3 different ones, and a kinda freebie.

Ingredients:
Pork Roast (We used a two pack)
Garlic (we used two heads, one for each roast)
3 Bottles of Liquid Smoke
(Some water)
[That's it, crazy, no?]

Get your roast out.

Now you want to peel all your garlic cloves. I'm not sure if I shared with you my mom's technique for easily peeling garlic cloves. Rachel shared it with me again, so we got it down pat.
First cut off both ends of the garlic clove.

When you have cut off both ends place your knife flat side on the clove. Now hit the knife to slightly smash the garlic. You'll see Rachel uses the heel of her hand, I use a fist.

Now you should be able to just slip the clove out. So don't smash it too hard and turn it into puree, just a little flatter.

Look at that cutie!

The garlic smell makes Rachel happy! The sparkling wine might be a factor too. ;)

Now that you have peeled all your cloves we will move on to stuffing them into the roast. If a clove is really big or wide you can cut it in half vertically.
Take your knife and stab a hole into your roast.

Stick your garlic clove into that hole!

Repeat the procedure until you have put all the garlic cloves from one head into your roast and distributed them relatively evenly.

Look at what a good job Rachel did.

Of course I had to do the other one. There's no just sitting and watching in my kitchen.

Then place the roast(s) into a dutch oven.

Pour all three bottles of liquid smoke on top of the roast into the dutch oven.

So, Rachel was a little tipsy and forgot that it's a good idea to add a cup or two of water so the roast stays more moist and the liquid doesn't bake to the bottom of the pot. So I'd definitively recommend adding some water or a bit of broth.

Place the lid on the pot and stick it in the oven for 3.5 hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can see most of the liquid evaporated because we failed to add water. This just formed a very flavorful slightly crunchy crust on the bottom of the roasts, so it was no biggie. They were delicious!

We served the roast with plain white rice, but you can really serve it with anything you'd like.
(Side note: Your house may smell like a bbq shack for a day or two after you make it, haha. But it is a very pleasant bbq smell.)

While we waited for the roast Rachel and played with makeup and she got to test out the set of makeup brushes I gave her for her birthday. Holla.
I actually got some new colourpop eyeshadows and lipstix in the mail that day, so of course I had to try some of the makeup right away.

I love all of their stuff. I'm also wearing one of their blushes.

We then convinced our friend Ryan to come over.

More wine!

And this is how you can tell I have the best friends and we are all so very comfortable with each other. It's nap time. Rachel pretty much always has a nap when she comes over. Ryan's just getting comfy.

Sleeping beauty! Nola guards the sleeping!

Ryan snagged the partner quilt I have with my friend Brandy. Brandy mailed me a ton of fabric and I made two matching ones with that fabric, so we each have one.

Cooking is always more fun if you're doing it for your friends. I am very grateful for the friends I have!


Quickie Summary:
Ingredients:
Pork Roast (We used a two pack)
Garlic (we used two heads, one for each roast)
3 Bottles of Liquid Smoke
(Some water, or broth)

Peel your garlic cloves.
Make slices on each roast and stick the garlic cloves into each slit.
Pour all three bottles of liquid smoke over the roasts into the pot.
Add a cup or two of water or broth.
Replace the lid onto the pot.
Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for around 3.5 hours.
Serve with rice, or any other side dish f your choosing. It has a bbq type flavor.