Christmas Cottage Roll

This recipe is for my husband  John, because he loves baked ham. Christmas Cottage Roll uses a real pork an uncooked piece of pork shoulder. For us, it is the only way to make a ham.  I don’t like those pre-cooked, pre-sliced ones. There is nothing like the taste of pork shoulder and we make sandwiches out of the leftovers. I also like to use the leftovers in a hash skillet with eggs.  YUM!!

The pork shoulder is an inexpensive cut of meat from the just above the front leg of a pig.  It is flavourful and has less fat.  If you don’t cook it correctly, it can be tough.  It needs slow cooking at low heat which tenderizes the fat. There is also a difference between a pork butt and pork shoulder: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/1214-the-difference-between-pork-butt-and-pork-shoulder

My grandparents in Calabria raised a pig every year.  When slaughtered they make everything cured and that meat would last for the whole year. My nonna would flavour the sauce with the various cured meats.  Don’t forget that this was at a time when, meat was not readily available and very expensive.  Growing up we made sausages in the month of January and I loved the smell of the sausage links in our cantina.  Once they dried, we preserved them in oil and oh were they ever good sliced.

Another slowly cooked pork roast on my blog https://recipesatmytable.com/dried-fruit-pork-roast/

Ingredients

• 1 pork cottage roll
• couple of bay leafs
• 1 whole onion
• couple of cloves of garlic
• 1 medium carrot

Glaze

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• freshly grated nutmeg

Process

Remove the cottage roll from the plastic, but not from the net. Ensure that you rinse it  well because there is a lot of salt on these.  Place in a pot and cover with water.  Add a bay leaf, an onion, carrot and a couple of whole garlic cloves. Bring it to a boil and simmer on medium for about 1/12 to 2 hours.  I usually cook it for 30 minutes per 500 gr.

While it is simmering, I make my glaze. Mix the sugar, nutmeg, mustard, and marmalade together.  Then pour in the orange juice.  

After the cottage roll has simmered, I remove it and place it in a baking dish.  Pour the glaze over the cottage roll and place it in a 400 F oven for 20 minutes. 

Continue basting it in 5 minute intervals.

When it comes out of the oven, baste it and let it sit for 10 minutes. At this point you might want to use some freshly ground pepper. 

Slice and put on a platter.

We served it simply with mashed potatoes and sweet squash. 

5 from 3 votes

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Christmas Cottage Roll

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

• * 1 pork cottage roll
• * couple of bay leafs
• * 1 whole onion
• * couple of cloves of garlic
• * 1 medium carrot
• GLAZE
• * 1/2 cup brown sugar
• * 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• * 1/2 cup orange juice
• * 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• * freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

1. Remove the cottage roll from the plastic, but not from the net. Ensure that you rinse it  well because there is a lot of salt on these.  Place in a pot and cover with water.  Add a bay leaf, an onion, carrot and a couple of whole garlic cloves. Bring it to a boil and simmer on medium for about 1/12 to 2 hours.  I usually cook it for 30 minutes per 500 gr.
2. While it is simmering, I make my glaze. Mix the sugar, nutmeg, mustard, and marmalade together.  Then pour in the orange juice.
3. After the cottage roll has simmered, I remove it and place it in a baking dish.  Pour the glaze over the cottage roll and place it in a 400 F oven for 20 minutes.
4. Continue basting it in 5 minute intervals.
5. When it comes out of the oven, baste it and let it sit for 10 minutes. At this point you might want to use some freshly ground pepper.
6. Slice and put on a platter