Pork Roast with Sweet Potatoes
Proper cooking is vital to a successful pork roast, but don't let that scare you. Even a beginning cook can do it. The key things to remember are that pork has to be cooked to a minimum temperature of 160 F to kill any bacteria in the meat, and that it shouldn't be cooked over 180 F or it will become dry.
Preparing the Pork Roast
When you take your roast out of the store packaging, you will need to trim off excess fat. You want to leave some fat to keep the pork moist, but too much fat isn't healthy. Once you finish trimming the fat, you will place the roast in a shallow roasting pan. Once you have the meat ready for seasoning, start preheating your oven. A hot oven is essential if you want your roast to have a crisp top layer.
Spices
You will want to add some spices to your pork roast to give it more flavor. First, wipe a layer of oil or vinegar on the surface and sides of the pork roast. Then begin adding a teaspoon each of the following spices: garlic powder, pepper, thyme and rosemary. Add a half-teaspoon of salt and chile powder if you would like. Once the spices are set on the roast, you can put it in the oven. There is no need to marinate.
Cooking Temperatures
The standard 350 F is a good temperature for roasting, but some ovens cook faster than others. If your oven tends to cook on the fast side, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees. Note that roasts with bones in them tend to cook faster than pork roasts that don't have a bone. No matter which temperature you choose, the important thing is to use a meat thermometer to tell when the pork is cooked. When the temperature reaches 165 F to 170 F, the pork roast is done. Anything more than 170 F could result in a dry roast. Let the roast stand for 15 minutes before carving it. This gives the juices some time to settle.
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