Rainy Saturday Pork Roast

1 picnic pork roast (sometimes called a fresh ham) - mine was about nine pounds.

applesauce - 1 quart

3 granny smith apples, chopped

apple cider vinegar

salt

pepper

sage

thyme

garlic powder

onion powder

The radar map looked a bit like this ALL DAY today as Tropical Storm Hanna passed over the Philadelphia region:

When better than during pouring rain to make a classic comfort food like a roast?

Preheat oven to 350.

First, use a knife or kitchen scissors (the type that can go in the dishwasher for sanitizing) to remove the skin:

Heat a large pot on high, and then quickly sear top and bottom of the roast (this is to start the maillard effect, by which browning makes everything taste better:

Remove the pot from the heat. Add around the roast a jar of applesauce (if you don't have homemade just make sure to use one that is just apples -not sweetened or spiced). I happened to have three granny smith apples I had peeled this morning for something else, so I added them as well. I normally add carrots and/or parsnips, but I didn't have any parsnips, and my carrots were too slimy for consumption.

On top of the roast add a GENEROUS amount of black pepper, salt (if you've never done this before add WAY too much, and it might turn out right), rubbed sage, thyme, garlic powder and onion. Sometimes I throw in whole garlic cloves and a chopped onion, but today I did not. Pour some apple cider vinegar over the roast and around the edges.

Roast in the oven until at least 144 degrees. If you want to follow the stricter US government rules, go all the way to 165, but I take no blame for your dried-out roast. From my research I'm comfortable with 145. If you live in a developing country, however, with less stringent rules about animal feed, you might want to err on the side of caution and use the higher temperature.

Slice long, thin slices with a bit of the salty crust on each plate. Incredible! I wish this were smell-o-vision for your sake.