Porkzilla, Loafzilla and a Harsh Weight Loss Reality

I was in the local grocery store and spotted a 16 lb. pork shoulder for $21.00. How could I resist? I had seen a recipe on tgipaleo for Pernil Al Horno, and it looked so good I decided to pretty much follow it exactly. Except I decided to wrap it in bacon. I also decided to smoke it and cook it slowly @ 200˚F for 8 hours.

The Gathering of the Ingredients

We used
a 16 lb. Pork Shoulder

8 Garlic Cloves

2 tbsp Sea Salt

1 tbsp Black Pepper

1 tbsp Chinese Five Spice

1 tbsp Cumin

1 tbsp Red Chili Powder

1 bottle Apple Cider 

1 Spanish onion

2 lbs. Bacon

Mesquite Wood Chips (for smoking)

Cider and Onion in the bottom of the roasting pan

Cut slits in the fat and push in the garlic cloves. Fat side is always up.

Sprinkle all the spices on the top of the roast

Wood chips wrapped in tinfoil. Perforate the foil and place it on rack under the roast.

Wrap that rascal in bacon.

Bake at 200˚F for 6 hours. Then realize it's not cooking fast enough and cook for 2 more hours at 275˚F.

 The wood chips were a waste of time, the oven never got hot enough to make them smoke. Oh well, live and learn. This thing was huge, and we have enough pork to last us for the rest of the year. The taste? Amazing. Also, the meat was very tender. And the Wonder-hound has been having a great time gnawing on the monster sized bone that was inside the roast.

My dinner plate. Pork, smashed cauliflower with chives, and some olives(stuffed with raw garlic cloves).

 The next day, Meatloafzilla was created at work. The recipe is located here ... and it's primal.

  So my training has been going well, no real long runs yet, but I've been on the bike a lot and working on losing weight. Some planks for my core, dead-lifts and squats.

Don't forget. the camera adds 0.2lbs.

Back on track. NEVER use the day after cheat day for a weigh-in !

 So I learned that even though I am eating right during the week, a night of punching down meatball sliders, quesadillas, and chugging beer is still going to cost you. I can't drink unlimited amounts of beer even if I eat Paleo, and still lose weight. Who'd have thought? So that was the last beer I had, and I managed to lose all that weight and get back on track. So no cheat day this week, but next Sunday, February 12th, we are having friends over and I am making my famous burgers, fries and having lotsa beer! Then back on the wagon for 2 more weeks.
   I better drop 5 lbs. this week.