Tag Archives: caraway seeds

Slow Roasted Pork with Caraway Seeds, Prunes & Chili

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My favorite meat this summer is this simple slow cooked pork shoulder. Its perfect as there is almost no work to it. In the oven the meat takes care of itself while I work in the garden, draw or just enjoy the sunshine (in the shade).

Rub about 1 kilo (enough to feed 4-6 people) with caraway seeds, salt & pepper. Mix together prunes, dark sugar, a little water and chili in a food processor (I use dried chilies such as ancho or pasilla, pre-soak in hot water until soft). Spread the paste all over the meat. Bake the meat at 125°C (just above 250°F). After 1 hour you can place onion wedges and whole cloves of garlic to the side of the meat. Add some water to the bottom of the pan so it doesn’t get stuck. Baste the meat now and again. After about 5-6 hours the meat is probably ready, it should feel soft and almost fall apart if you poke a fork in it. The onions by this time are gorgeously caramelized.

Slice or just pull the meat apart with a fork. Serve together with the caramelized onions, a tomato sauce*, salad and bread (such as homemade tunnbröd, soft Swedish flatbread).

* I make a simple sauce by roasting fresh tomatoes, garlic, onion and chili. Mix in a blender together with herbs, such as oregano or sage. Season with salt & pepper and a little sugar. See also  Kinna Jonsson’s article about tomato sauce (in Swedish).

You may also like this post, Akvavit Cured Pork Belly

Rye Bread with Linseed

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baking 3

I have been so good this summer making my own bread and jams. Unfortunately this great habit only lasted for 3 months!

100 ml (½ cup) linseed
some water
3 tablespoons olive oil
500 ml (just over 2 cups) kefir or yogurt
50 gram (1 ¾ oz) fresh yeast (or other)
2-3 tablespoons roasted and crushed caraway seeds
200 ml (7/8 cup) roasted sunflower seeds
1-2 teaspoons salt
1-2 tablespoons dark syrup
400 ml (1 ¾ cups) rye flour
300 ml (1 1/4 cup) wholegrain rye flour
about 700 ml (3 cup) wheat flour

Soak the linseeds in some water. Heat up kefir and the olive oil to 37° C (almost 100° F). Dissolve the fresh yeast (or follow the description on the package) with some of the warm kefir mixture. Add the rest together with salt, syrup, caraway seeds, sunflower seeds  and the soaked linseeds.

Start to work in the rye flour and the wholegrain flour. Finally you add as much of the wheat flour as you can until the dough is smooth and doesn’t stick to the edge of the bowl. Cover the dough with a towel and let rise for one hour in a warm and draft-free place.
After about an hour or two, when the dough has doubled in size, place it on your counter top and knead in more regular flour until flexible and firm. Form two loaves and place them on a baking tin. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes at 175-200° C (350-400° F) depending on what kind of oven you are using. When the bread is done place the baked breads on a rack and cover. I know it can be hard to resist new baked bread, but they should rest for at least a half day so the taste can develop to its best.