Puerto Rican pork roast

This past Sunday I decided to try a pork roast. Along with trying this for the first time I wanted to try out a new toy I received from Rory's brother for Christmas: a wireless meat thermometer.

This was an interesting entree to make and didn't go smoothly. I decided to basically use Bittman's recipe. I didn't feel like taking the food processor out though so I used my immersion blender. I added a bit too much oil and the paste came out a little thinner than I would have liked. I let it marinate for an hour before popping it in the oven.

And this is where it got interesting. Not having used the wireless meat thermometer before I didn't insert it deep enough into the roast on my first try. I quickly remedied that and things seemed to be going smoothly.

I had the oven at 350 (I was using one of Bittman's other recipes too) and about an hour in the thermometer said the internal temp was 130 degrees (I was cooking it to an internal temp of 150). It was a three-pound roast and I figured it would take at least two hours, if not more, so I was wondering if this thing was accurate. I decided to kick the oven down to 300 degrees and let it slow cook it.

Well about a half hour later it starts beeping saying it's at 150 degrees. I didn't believe it, so I took it out of the oven and stuck my good old insta-read thermometer in and it said it was only at 90 degrees. I popped it back in the oven and let it cook for about another half hour. When I check it again with the insta-read it said it was at 80 degrees. And that's when I said "Oh shit my thermometer is broken."

And for a few seconds I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to cut into it because all the juice would run out and it would be dry, but I had no other idea of how to check if it was done. My other fears was that if it was done it was a dried out piece of leather.

I said screw it and let it rest for a little more than five minutes and cut into it. It was done. I then sliced a little off the end and I was surprised, it turned out and it was good. I would have liked the paste/marinade to crust up a bit more, but it had a great flavor and it wasn't really dried out.

As for my thermometer issues, I need to roast a chicken soon to check the accuracy of the wireless device. I know other methods of making sure a chicken is done, and the fact is it may have been right all along, I just didn't believe it.

And I forgot to take a picture of the roast. My little vacation from the blog got me out of the habit and I need to remember again.