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Simply Delicious Solar Roasted Pork
Sometimes the simplest things are the best.
The shredded meat from a solar roasted pork shoulder roast, seasoned with only salt, can be used in many ways, including tacos, sandwiches, and pasta sauce.
Just pat dry, put it in a roasting pan, sprinkle with salt, then cover and cook in the Sun Oven until the meat is easily shredded with a fork.
Mine was about 3 1/2 pounds and was ready in just over 3 hours.
Slow Cooked Solar BBQ Pork
Pulled pork sandwiches are an easy crowd pleaser. Set out all the fixings and let everyone prepare their own.
Southern Style Sun Oven Pulled Pork
(Adapted for the Sun Oven from The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes by J. Finlayson)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
1 cup chili sauce (such as Heinz)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
Solar Braised Roast
Sun Oven Milk Braised Pork Roast
(adapted for the Sun Oven from “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking” by Marcella Hazan)
This simple roast is a Sunday favorite in many Italian homes. Traditionally slowly braised in a Dutch oven, on the stove, under the watchful eye of a “Mamma”, for three hours. My Mamma is the Sun Oven – she never burns it.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Solar Stew
This stew can be served over cooked noodles or with a nice crusty bread. Like most stews, it’s even better the next day.
Sun Oven Mediterranean Pork Stew
Ingredients
1 1/2 pound boneless pork loin roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
2 cans (15-ounce) diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup orange marmelade
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
Hot Tacos, Cool Kitchen
Your kitchen will stay cool when you let this pork simmer in the Sun Oven, but be careful, it’s very spicy.
Try making it with fewer chipotle peppers the first time, then if you like it hotter you can gradually increase the amount until you reach your preferred level of spiciness.
It can also be served as a stew but I like to use it as a filling for tacos and tostadas with bit of sour cream or some shredded cheese to offset the heat of the peppers.
Super Spicy Sun Oven Stewed Pork
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 onions, chopped
1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer
3 t0 5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce plus 2 to 3 tablespoons sauce
Sun Oven Sunday Roast
This is a great Sunday roast with plenty of leftover meat for sandwiches during the week. Store it in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to three days or can be frozen for up to three months.
Solar Braised Pork Roast with Apples
Ingredients
1 3-pound pork top loin roast, trimmed of fat
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
4 shallots, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 cup chicken broth
Southern Italian Flavors for the Sun Oven
In southern Italy sausage is often paired with rapini, a slightly bitter green that is similar to broccoli. If you can’t find it at your local market you can use broccoli florets, Swiss chard, or kale.
Sausage and Rapini Sun Oven Gratin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fresh Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 pound rapini, large stems removed and roughly chopped
2 cups olive oil béchamel sauce
Sun Oven Weekend Fun
The past few days have been so warm that I almost thought it was summer and nothing says summer more than BBQ. Luckily with the Sun Oven you don’t need a pit to get that slow cooked flavor. Any cut of pork, or even turkey breast, can be used in this recipe.
Easy Sun Oven BBQ Pulled Pork
Ingredients
Solar Braised Pork Roast
This traditional slow cooked Italian roast is an ideal candidate for solar cooking. Don’t be surprised when you lift the lid to find that the milk has curdled, it’s supposed to do that.
Italian Pork Solar Braised in Milk
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Zest of 1 lemon
1 boneless pork loin roast, trimmed (2 1/2 – 3 lb.)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
If At First You Don’t Succeed…
As good as last Sunday’s pasta was, I still prefer that particular dish when it’s prepared the traditional way, so I spent the next few days searching for recipes that used similar ingredients but were more adaptable to solar cooking. I found one on epicurious.com, Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Torta, that consisted of layers of crespelle (an Italian version of crepes), bechamel sauce, rapini, and sausage.
The crespelle were way too much work and I didn’t like the idea of a butter based sauce (bechamel) combined with the other ingredients. I decided to make up something of my own. I used no-boil, whole-wheat lasagna noodles and made an olive oil based bechamel.
I think I’m on the right track, but as you can see in the picture I was a little short on sauce. The top noodles were too dry and I had to throw them away.
Once I get the quantities right this will probably be put on our dinner rotation. It makes a satisfying one dish meal and the leftovers are good for an easy to reheat lunch. And, of course, when I have those quantities I’ll post the recipe here.
