Gingered Pork Roast **

Cajuns love roast pork. A favorite way to cook it is in a "Cajun Microwave", a large wooden box with a metal pan as a cover. The recipe calls for a 100-pound pig, 20 pounds of charcoal and a case of beer. The pig goes in the box, the charcoal is heaped on top in the pan, and the beer goes into the cook.

An easier and quite delicious version is this pork roast, infused with ginger, garlic, sage, and Tabasco sauce, often the centerpiece of holiday meals in our home. The pureed vegetables make a light and flavorful gravy.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Mix the ginger, sage, and salt in a small dish and rub the mixture over the pork. Place the meat in a shallow roasting pan and roast for 1-½ hours. Remove from the oven, then score the meat in a diamond pattern.

In a small bowl, mix the jelly and Tabasco sauce, and spread it generously over the roast. Arrange the carrots and onions around the meat, then add 1 cup of water. Roast up to 1 hour longer, or until a meat thermometer registers 170 degrees F. Remove the roast to a serving platter and keep warm.

Skim the fat from the pan drippings, then puree the cooked vegetables and pan liquids in a food processor or blender. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup water. Reheat the gravy and serve with the roast.

From: The Tabasco Cookbook.

Your Gingered Pork Roast ** is ready. Happy cooking!