Authentic Roast Pork and Tasso Gumbo Recipe

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 1 (4-pound) boneless Boston butt, untrimmed
• 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, divided
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper, divided
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 10 ounces tasso ham, chopped
• 1 cup brown Stovetop Roux (recipe follows)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped green onion
• 1 cup chopped poblano pepper
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped jalapeño
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup prepared mole sauce
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 dried chile peppers
• Hot cooked rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub pork butt with 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper. Place in a roasting pan, fat side up; cover tightly with foil, and bake for 45 minutes.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F, and bake for 5 hours more. Let cool completely. Shred pork with two forks; reserve meat.
3. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tasso; cook, stirring often, until browned. Drain tasso on paper towels; reserve.
4. In same pot, add roux, and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once simmering, add onions, peppers, celery, jalapeño, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Add mole sauce, broth, bay leaves, dried peppers, remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, remaining 1 tablespoon salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 30 minutes. Return tasso and shredded pork to pot, and cook until heated through. Discard bay leaves and chile peppers. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Stovetop Roux

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

• 7 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter
• 11 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven or large cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add flour, and whisk vigorously until combined and mixture is smooth.
2. Reduce heat to low, and cook, whisking constantly, until flour has lost its raw smell, 4 to 5 minutes. For blond roux, continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until roux reaches light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. For brown roux, continue until the color of peanut butter, 30 to 35 minutes. For dark brown roux, continue about 45 minutes. Stir more frequently as roux darkens.
3. Remove from heat, and use immediately, or let cool completely, and freeze up to 6 months.