Berber-spiced Pork with Roasted Citrus

I first heard about The Occasional Gourmet via KQED's Bay Area Bites. So, when I ran into Kathy Fitzhenry at the Grand-Lake Farmer's Market last week, I knew I had to pick up a few of her spices. I ended up bringing home packets of Pimente d'Espelette and Berber Spice.

I'll write about the pepper another day, but suffice it to say that it is an incredibly aromatic, rich, sweet pepper that packs a fair bit of smoky & complex heat. I really wanted to do something with the Berber blend, but all I had in the house was a pork roast. I got creative, and came up with an absolutely delicious meal with some really unusual and complex Moroccan-inspired flavors. Next time, I'm making this with lamb, and giving the rub a little longer to work.

My selection of fruits/veggies to roast was driven by (a) what I had in the fridge, (b) a craving for Moroccan preserved lemons and (c) an abundance of Meyer lemons on the counter. You have to love really strong flavors to like this, and the dish was a bit on the strong side for C's tastes. But I really enjoyed it, and I hope you will, too.

Berber-spiced Pork with Roasted Citrus

• 1 pork or lamb roast, approximately 1.5-2 lbs
• 1 package Occasional Gourmet Berber Spice
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Meyer Lemon, cut into eighths, peel on
• 1/2 lb. Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut in half
• 2 medium size carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 1 large shallot (a small onion would be OK here)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1. Rinse and pat dry the roast. Make a few shallow cuts all around the meat, and rub it well with the spice mixture, being sure you get the rub well into the cuts. Allow the meat to rest at room temperature for an hour for best results.
2. Preheat the oven to 500º.
3. Meanwhile, mix the brown sugar with 1 tbsp of Berber spice. Dip the cut sides of each lemon wedge into the mixture, and set in a roasting pan. Add the sunchokes, carrots & shallot. Drizzle all with a bit of olive oil, and season with salt & pepper.
4. Set the roast in the center of the same roasting pan, and cook at 500º for 15 minutes. Turn the roast over, and continue to roast for 10 more minutes. Turn a final time, and turn the oven temperature down to 375º.
   
5. When a thermometer inserted into the roast reads 130º (for pork) or 110º (for lamb), brush with the meat with the pomegranate molasses. Repeat once 5 minutes after initial glaze. (Brushing the molasses on earlier will result in a burned crust).
6. Remove the roast when the roast hits 160º (for pork) or 130º (for lamb). Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes while the vegetables continue to caramelize.
7. Serve with a "spicy" salad of peppercress, arugula or watercress dressed simply with olive oil, balsamico, salt & pepper.