Frozen Pork Roast Surprise

Josh Applestone swears you can cook any meat from frozen -- do not defrost it! -- and it will taste great. This concept takes a little getting used to. So our staff is busily trying out his theory. You know what? So far, he's right. Still, it's kind of a surprise every time it works. Like with frozen pork roast. Who has time to make a roast in the middle of the week let alone remember to defrost it? But, if you have a small but solidly frozen pork roast and a pressure cooker, you're good to go. That's why we're calling this recipe a frozen pork roast surprise. Making a frozen pork loin roast couldn't be easier.

Step One: Take a frozen pork loin (we experimented with one that was 2.2 pounds) and put it in your pressure cooker.

Step Two: Add some liquid (we used about a cup and a half of water plus a splash of long-lost sherry we found in the liquor cabinet), some aromatics (try bay leaf, peppercorns, juniper berries), a few garlic cloves, and salt. It's a bit inexact, but that's ok. More liquid just equals more sauce to spoon over rice. If you prefer an exact liquid ratio, look it up online or in a pressure cooker cookbook.

Step Three: On high heat, bring the pressure cooker up to highest pressure, then lower heat,  and cook for about 1.5 hours, depending on how large your roast is. It smells fantastic the entire time it cooks. And that's it. 

Prep time is maybe five minutes. So if you want dinner on the table at seven, stick the frozen meat in the pot an hour and 35 minutes prior. Compare that to defrosting a roast and then cooking it in the oven for four hours. Not too shabby! Slice as thin as you like it and serve with some greens and a grain (we used bulgar). And spoon the delicious juice all over everything. It's remarkably tasty and you would never know it wasn't defrosted.