The Minnesota Farm Woman

My dad was born in Hibbing, Minnesota in 1921 and raised in Chisholm, when he wasn’t spending time on his grandmother’s farm in Forbes.  He was what is known as a true Ranger…..meaning the Minnesota Iron Range, that is. There are a few ethnic foods that are distinctly Iron Range foods, and one of them is the beloved Porketta. I learned while doing my research today that it is thought  that Porketta came from the traditional Italian pork roast called Porchetta.  The Italians (whom my Finnish grandmother always mispronounced as “Eyetalians”) immigrated to the area to work in the iron ore mines, and over the years the spelling and spices must have evolved a little to become gastronomic history.  I like to keep my recipes simple and easy, and this is no exception.  Many Porketta recipes call for a combination of fennel seed and fresh fennel, which I dearly love to eat raw, but the nearest bulb of fennel is a 60 mile round trip from my Little House Way Out in the Sticks, so it is not included in this recipe. Other recipes call for a deboned and butterflied pork roast (too much trouble) or a pork loin roast (too dry).  To my daughter-of-an-Iron-Ranger taste buds, the best cut is a Boston butt roast, and the next best is a bone-in pork sirloin roast, but whatever is on sale this week will be fine!

Minnesota Farm Woman Porketta

1 pork roast (approx. 4 to 5 pounds)         1 tbsp.  fennel seed, crushed           2 tsp. salt         2 tsp. black pepper                         

1 tbsp. dried parsley         4 cloves garlic, chopped

4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut in half          4 large carrots, peeled and cut into pieces

1 medium rutabega, peeled and cut into chunks

One or two days, or several hours before roasting, mix fennel, salt, pepper, parsley and chopped garlic together and rub into all sides of the meat, pushing the garlic into the nooks and crannies of the meat. Place in a zip-top bag or cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. This allows the spices to permeate the meat. Do not prep the vegetables yet. Remove from bag and place in a covered roasting pan at 325 degrees for 3 to 4 hours until meat is very tender and juices run clear. Add the vegetables to the juices in the roaster the last hour, and remove the cover the last 30 minutes. The meat  is very tender and hard to slice unless it is cold.  Skim the fat off the juices and drizzle a little over the meat and roasted vegetables.  Save the rest of the juices for the leftovers….

Alternative cooking method:  Cook the meat in the crock pot on low for approximately 9 hours.  Cut the vegetables a little smaller, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Shred the leftover porketta and warm up the next day, mixed with the juices. Serve in crusty rolls and top with  pepperoncini (mildly spicy pickled Italian peppers) for some great sandwiches!