Dreadie's Calypso Pork Roast

Here's what I made yesterday. An old favorite. Pork loin stuffed with a paste of cilantro, several types of peppers and a spice mix. It's basted with lime juice , brown sugar , and rum. Along with I made sweet rice and peas , spinach , a few poppers , and a salad.

My rice and peas are really rice and small red beans. I call it "sweet" because I use coconut creme in the water , along with green onions, thyme, garlic and peppers as the beans are cooked. After the beans are cooked I drain off the liquid and use it to cook the rice. When the rice is cooked I add the beans mixture back.

Here's what the stuffing mixture looks like. Bad photo .... but it's kind of fugly anyway.

The paste spread on the split lion. edit ... duh loin .....

Tied up and ready to cook. I let this set over night to "season up " the pork.

This is the cooked loin.

 

[P. Dreadie]

Here's the meal at the table.

A close up of my plate.

It was a great meal enjoyed by all !!

Peace,
P. Dreadie

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Did you leave bay leaves inside?

It looks awesome.

 

[P. Dreadie]

Here's a few shots of my Rice and Peas in the works.

This is the start. Little red beans and everything else. A scotch bonnet floater for taste.

Beans cooked.

Beans drained.

Finished Sweet Rice and Peas

Peace,
P. Dreadie

 

[P. Dreadie]

Myself I take the Bay leaves off the top and out of the middle. They're not good to chew on in my view ! LOL

Peace,
P. Dreadie

 

[The Hot Pepper]

I figured that!

Those scallions cooked up like collards, never seen them do that... cool!

I can't believe you did the floating pepper! There's a story behind that here.

 

[P. Dreadie]

The idea with the floater was something I learned in Jamaica. When you want the flavor and no heat , and most yardie's don't want "hot" rice and peas , you just float the Scotch Bonnet. The pepper can be ate at the table by anyone who wants it. They do this with some soups too.

I also used Trinidad Perfume peppers in there to boost the flavor and keep the heat down. Just my way....

Peace,
P. Dreadie

 

[The Hot Pepper]

It all looks delicious.

 

[P. Dreadie]

Thanks , it was worth all the work.

Peace,
P. Dreadie

 

[MrArboc]

I can't believe you did the floating pepper! There's a story behind that here.

My belly is hurting from laughing

Roast looks great!

 

[P. Dreadie]

Thanks MrArboc ,

It seems because I'm rather new ...... I don't know the story behind the "floating pepper". Can anyone help on that ? I only have my story / reason .

Peace,
P. Dreadie

 

[MrArboc]

It seems because I'm rather new ...... I don't know the story behind the "floating pepper". Can anyone help on that ? I only have my story / reason .

You must have hear of PMD - PhatManDerek? 'nuff said

 

[SeeYouJimmy]

I figured that!

Those scallions cooked up like collards, never seen them do that... cool!

I can't believe you did the floating pepper! There's a story behind that here.

At least Dreadie cooked with it unlike PMD.

It all looks fantastic Dreadie, that'd be a damn fine meal.

 

[Noshownate]

Looks like a real nice dinner dreadie.

 

[scarpetti]

Damn, that looks good!

 

[chilehunter]

the meal looks really tasty!!!! & a nice all around meal.

as soon as I saw the floater I started laughing & said PMD alert

PMD put a uncut orange hab (?) in some dr.pepper BBQ sauce for some heat, but not too much heat for the people that was gonna eat it

IMO not cutting the pod open doesnt do anything! unless you have some proof that it still does. thats like saying you're gonna get burn by just touching the uncut pod.
also with the theory that flavor will still soak into the meal while cooking w/o cutting it open.....well then so would the casipin (sp?) soak into the meal...since the flavor & heat are on the inside of the pod & I'd think the heat would be able to transfer to the meal alot easier than the flavor.

 

[P. Dreadie]

chilehunter ,

I can see how you'd think just floating a Scotch Bonnet would do nothing. First it's done in Ja all the time and I've seen it. And if you read books about Jamaican cooking like , Helen Willinsky's "Jerk Barbecue from Jamaica " or one of Dunstan A. Harris's books like "Island Cooking " you'd see it's a common practice.

I cook my beans for the Rice & Peas around 2 to 2 1/2 hours hours. The pepper becomes very mushy and you have to be careful to not break it open. IMHO it does add that little something wonderful from the bonnet. You get the aroma and flavor without adding the full heat blast. When you smell that S.B. after it's boiled for that long you can really smell it. And you still have the pepper to eat at the table. You can chop your S.B. up for your rice & peas and I'll float mine ..... We'll both be happy

Peace,
P. Dreadie

 

[chilehunter]

ok maybe I'm wrong to think cooking an unopened pod will not add flavor, but I still think it'd still add heat just about the same as flavor. I guess maybe I can see how cooking the pod might add some of its flavor to the meal.

PMD didnt cook that hab pod, he just set it in the container for a couple hours for a mellow spice - so he said. & we all just laughed when we saw the pic

 

[P. Dreadie]

chilehunter ,

If this practice adds heat it's very little. All I notice is a difference in the flavor and aroma between when I use a floater and when I don't. It's a little nicer with the floater . And if you break the floater while cooking it will become much hotter. If you ever make Jerk or another Caribbean dish that calls for rice and peas , and you cook your own peas and not use canned peas , give it a try. You'll still have the pepper to eat so it won't get wasted.

I'd have to agree with you that putting an unopened pepper in a BBQ sauce and the sauce not being cooked from that point for hours would do nothing.

Peace,
P. Dreadie

 

[Pepperfreak]

Looks like a wonderful meal. However, the floating pepper did bring back memories. But, at least you explained it well and I might give it a try next time I make something for the whole family.