Can one tiny tin take your holiday season to ever higher levels of satisfaction? It could be! If you like to mull cider, mull wine, or just mull over the mysteries of what makes great food so much more delicious than the mundane, pick up a tin of Holiday Mulling Spice from the folks at Épices de Cru from Montreal. The ingredient list is inspiring. And the fact that every single element of the blend is “the best in its field” makes the whole thing even more magical. Just smelling the stuff makes us want to start cooking. Cassia from Indonesia, mace from Sri Lanka, ginger, black pepper from India, licorice root, Indian green cardamom, Voatsiperifery wild pepper from Madagascar, Indian cloves and aged Mandarin orange peel come together to make the most marvelous mulling spice blend we could imagine.
Mulled wine is popular in northern and eastern Europe. It’s usually made with red wine, spices and honey. Most people associate it with the holidays, but it’s also great for a day outdoors during autumn or winter. In addition to mulled wine, Mulling Spices is excellent in hard cider or even in plain apple cider. It lends itself well to baking too: use it in apple desserts, jams and jellies, homemade granola, muffins or even gingerbread. If savory recipes are more your style, we recommend using Mulling Spices when cooking meats such as pork or duck and it would be awesome in pho bo (Vietnamese noodle soup with beef). Whether sweet or savory, it’s sure to bring you warm and comforting scents and sensations on the coldest of winter days. A one way ticket to cozy-ville!
Recipe and photo courtesy of our friends at Épices de CruIn this recipe, we marinate the pork with Mulling Spices, as we would with wild meat. Mulling Spices add a delicate perfume that makes this dish irresistibly fragrant.
Dice the vegetables and garlic into ½-inch mirepoix.
Put the vegetables into a bowl with the spices, wine and 2 Tbsp oil. Mix and add the pork to the marinade. Let rest for 24 to 72 hours, turning regularly so that it marinates evenly.
Heat the oven to 375°F.
Drain the roast. Strain the marinade and conserve the liquid and the mirepoix separately.
Heat a Dutch oven on medium with 2 Tbsp of remaining oil and brown the roast on all sides. Add the drained mirepoix and sauter for 2-3 minutes. Salt and pepper the meat.
Roast in the oven for 2 hours until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 160°F. Using a spoon, occasionally ladle the roast with its cooking fat.
Meanwhile, pour the liquid from the marinade into a small pan to boil and clarify. Once it begins to boil, foam will form on the surface of the liquid. Strain immediately and discard the foam and its residue. Reserve the liquid that should now be more clear.
Remove the Dutch oven and place the roast on a plate to rest in a warm place (such as above the stove).
Place the Dutch oven on high heat and deglaze with the marinade and honey. Let simmer for 10 minutes, adding a little water if necessary, to make enough gravy. Strain and serve with slices of the roast.
