Holiday Pork Roast

Try this roast along with boiled potatoes for a classic meat-and-potatoes meal. And the leftovers make great sandwiches. Two tips: The recipe calls for a pork loin, but a Boston butt, which has more fat and therefore is moister. Secondly, use a roasting pan with a lid that fits tightly but doesn't sit on top of the meat. For a barbecue-style sauce rather than the thin vinegar liquid, add 2 cups ketchup along with the vinegar and other ingredients. And, cook this slow and low. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Wash the pork loin. Pat dry with paper towels. Salt generously and season with black pepper if desired. Place meat in covered enamel roaster and then into the oven. In a medium mixing bowl, combine salt, red pepper, vinegar, and ketchup, if using. Allow to come to room temperature. After the meat has cooked 1 hour, pour off and discard the fatty liquid in the bottom of the roaster. Pour the vinegar mixture on top of the meat. Cover and return to the oven. Check the meat for tenderness every half hour or so. It will be done when the internal temperature reaches at least 160 degrees and it is pull-apart tender. Remove the top of the roaster the last 30 minutes or so, so the pork loin can brown some. When it is done, allow it to cool before removing to a platter and slicing. Leftovers may be sliced or chopped and made into barbecue using the sauce in the roaster. Per serving: 361 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 48 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, less than 1 gram fiber, 16 grams fat, 136 milligrams cholesterol, 418 milligrams sodium.