Herb Rubbed Pork Roast

So, my mother in law introduced me to this amazing recipe.  We have had it at her home several times and we've made it at our house many, many, many times.  The original recipe came from Mary over at BarefeetIntheKitchen.  She uses the rub on a pork sirloin tip roast, which is amazing!  I have round that it is also wonderful on chicken, steak, beef roasts, shrimp, potatoes, and pretty much anything you would grill, or cook in your oven.  It's definitely a keeper! Hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Herb Rubbed Pork Roast

1.5 - 2 lb sirloin tip pork roast
1 1/4 tablespoons smoked paprika1/2  teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt  (Less if you want it less Salty)
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

I like to brown my roasts before applying the rub.  Heat a large skillet with a small amount of olive oil on high heat, when pan is hot add roast and rotate roast until you get a nice browned crust evenly over entire roast.  Then remove from pan and allow to rest/cool slightly. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the spices in a small bowl. Add the olive oil and whisk or stir well to combine. Allow this mixture to rest for 15 minutes. It will become a bit thicker and turn into a paste-like consistency. (you can also do a dry rub and without adding the oil)

Line a small baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack over it.  Rub the spice mixture all over the roast, completely covering all sides with spices.

Roast 1 - 1.5 hours in the preheated oven in a roasting pan, or a large baking pan covered with tin foil. Remove from the oven when the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Let the roast rest 15 minutes before slicing. 

Be careful not to overcook the meat as it will become dry and less juicy. 

Grilled Potatoes & Onions

This recipe comes from Our Best Bites, which is a blog I have come to love. I recently got their cook book and can I just say Yummy! If you don't have it yet, you should get it!! I have made tons of their grilling recipes and have loved everyone of them that I have tried. This one is my favorite as a side dish though. It is so simple and yet so yummy. I like to cook mine over a little bit warmer heat so that they get a little crispy, I love crispy potatoes!

Ingredients:
1 potato per person
1/2 small onion per person
1 Tbsp. butter per person, cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp. salt per person
Freshly-ground black pepper
Smoked paprika

(You can either make small individual packets, i.e. one potato and some onion, or you can make one big packet with all the potatoes and all the onions)
Tear aluminum foil into desired length pieces depending on your preference of size. Preheat your grill. Slice Potatoes into 1/8"-1/4" thick slices, if you like thicker potatoes you will just have to adjust cooking times so that your taters get done. Next slice the onions into 1/8" thick slices. Place Potatoes on foil, top with salt & pepper then paprika, don't skimp on the paprika, it's not a strong spice so you will need a generous amount. Then place butter on top of potatoes and top with onions. Then roll the aluminum foil up so that you create a sealed packet/envelope to keep the steam inside while the potatoes cook. Then cook over low heat on a grill for 15 minutes on each side.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Now that corn is in season this is an awesome alternative to boiling your corn, and it's oh so yummy, just make sure you don't leave out the soaking step or you will end up with dried up hard corn that isn't very good. I love summertime grilling!

4 large ears sweet corn in husks
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Carefully peel back husks from corn to within 1 in. of bottom; remove silk. Combine the butter and parsley; spread over corn. Rewrap corn in husks and secure with string. Soak in cold water for 20 minutes; drain.
Grill corn, covered, over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until tender, turning often. Serve with Parmesan cheese or plain salt & pepper.