Entertaining on the cheap!

If the current economic situation has hit your wallet like it has ours, you will appreciate this spectacular recipe. I LOVED this!! Honey LOVED this!! And I think our guests loved this!
So friends -- be warned. Pork shoulder roast with Bacon may be on Miss Effie's menus for quite some time!!

In the interest of honesty, I stole the recipe from Ming Tsai from Simply Ming. Oh -- the theft was sooooo worth it!!!!

Start out with a 5-7 lb bone-in pork shoulder roast. If I had chosen a standing rib roast -- I would have been in the $40-$60 range. If I had chosen a loin pork roast -- I would have been in the $20-$30. Bone-in pork shoulder roast --- 5.75 lbs --- $8.81!!!!!!! Love it!! (ok -- my banker probably appreciated more than I did. But .... I will carry on!)

First -- cut deep slashes (stabs) into the fatty side of the roast. About 1-1/2" to 2" deep. Rub the roast with salt and pepper. And then weave pieces of bacon like a basket on the top. You are now done with the prep!!

Place in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 4-1/2 to 6 hours. The longer the better. You can't ruin this! If it is in longer -- you get pulled pork.

We served it with a dipping sauce. It was good but definitely not necessary.

2 cups. of loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup Greek yogurt (I just drained reg yogurt through a coffee filter.... Hey!! I live in Donahue!!!)
2 TBSP cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
salt and pepper to taste.

You want to mix the dipping sauce when you put the roast in the oven so the flavors have time to develop. Cover and refrigerate.

When the roast is done, tent it with foil and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving it.

This was definitely a hit!
One last pic --- the kitchen table. We rarely entertain in the winter because ....... this is Iowa! And the fact that every snow drift lands in our lane! So we invite people out and have to un-invite them because unless you are Nanuck of the North, its not fun to get here! But our friends Dave and Marcia made it here without the assistance of a tow truck! That was worth a celebration itself!!!!

Note to Carol in Hungary ........ Marcia and I were going to wave hi! to you............. but we forgot. So pretend you see us, sending you our love and hugs to you!!!