Thai Roast Pork With Pineapple

This recipe has all the tastes of great Thai food - sweet, sour, spicy or hot and salty flavours. Serve with savoury rice and a simple sauteed green vegetable. Recipe taken from a Homemaker Favourites booklet produced by Homemakers Magazine in Canada

• Ready In: 3 hrs
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1  pineapple
• 8  garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1  cup fresh coriander, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup rice vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2  tablespoons soy sauce
• 2  tablespoons fish sauce
• 1  tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
• 1 (4 lb)  bone-in  pork rib roast (about 2 kg)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
•  coriander sprig

Directions

1. Cut rind from pineapple in wide strips; core and cut pineapple into bite-size pieces. Set aside rind and fruit.
2. In food processor, process garlic and fresh coriander, adding enough of the vinegar to make smooth paste. Mix in sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, ground coriander, pepper, cumin, cloves, nutmeg and HALF of the cayenne and remaining vinegar.
3. Place pork in roasting pan; cover with spice mixture. Lay pineapple rind (rind side up) over top. Pour 1 cup (250 mL) water into pan; roast in 325°F (160°C) oven for 1-½ hours, adding 1/4 cup (60 mL) water at a time to pan, if necessary, as liquid evaporates.
4. Remove rind; continue to roast pork, basting every 10 minutes with pan juices, until meat thermometer inserted in centre registers 170°F (75°C), 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Transfer to serving platter; surround with pineapple pieces; sprinkle remaining cayenne and salt over pineapple; spoon pan juices over pork. Garnish with coriander stems and leaves, if desired.