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Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

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Römertopf Pulled Pork

February 5, 2014 by Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Oooh, this was so good.

It was so good that Big Boy didn’t want to eat anything else.

“I’ll just have the pulled pork, thanks”…

. . . . .

Inspired by our recent Römertopf success, I thought I’d make an attempt at American-style pulled pork using the clay baker.

As you might have noticed, I’m a bit obsessed with clay cookware. Our Emile Henry Flame pots are in daily use on the hob, but for oven roasting, nothing beats the Römertopf.

For the uninitiated, these bakers are German-made from lead-free clay. They’re quite sensitive to thermal shock (so you can’t pour cold liquid into a hot pot) and they require pre-soaking before each use. The clay absorbs water, returning it to the dish as it cooks, thereby keeping the food moist and tender. I’ve written more about them here and here…

A photo of my old Romy – it’s a bit battle-scarred these days, but the inside glaze is still perfect!

Here’s our pulled pork recipe (*amended 19/2)…

  • 1.75kg free range pork neck
  • 2 tablespoons dark Muscovado sugar
  • 1 tablespoon smoked salt (or Maldon flake salt)
  • ¾ tablespoon smoked paprika
  • ¾ tablespoon sweet paprika

1. Submerge the Römertopf base and lid in a sinkful of water. Allow to soak for at least 15 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, smoked paprika and sweet paprika. Dry the pork with paper towels, then generously rub the spice mix into the meat.

3. Remove the base from the sink, and sit it on a towel. Pop the meat in, then place the wet lid on top.

4. Place the covered pot into a cold oven, then turn the temperature up to 200C with fan. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes. Then carefully remove the pot from the oven and place it on a folded towel (don’t put it straight onto a cold bench, or it will crack).

5. Remove the lid, then carefully pour two cups of hot water around the meat. Replace the cover and put the pot back into the oven. Turn the temperature down to 150C with fan and bake for a further 2½ hours. (Amended 6/3) Halfway through the cooking time, turn the meat over to stop the top from getting too dry. If you’re using a small or larger cut of meat, you might need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

6. After the cooking time, transfer the meat to a plate, cover with foil and allow to rest. De-fat the cooking liquid, and pour into a sauce boat to serve with the meat.

We pulled our pork apart with two forks, then served it on annatto-flavoured beans and rice, topped with caramelised onions and chipotle sauce…

This was a huge hit – all three of my men loved it, especially Big Boy. The pork was moist, tender and deliciously flavoured without being overly fatty. It was surprisingly good value too – we managed to get two dinners and a lunch out of our $20 piece of pork. And as always, the Römertopf pot and lid went straight into the dishwasher!

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Posted in Recipes | 107 Comments

107 Responses

  1. on February 5, 2014 at 11:11 am marilynscottwaters

    Would this work in a tangine? Maz.


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:30 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Maz, I don’t know I’m sorry. The Romertopf absorbs water as it soaks, then returns it to the dish as it cooks – not sure how that would translate to a tagine?


      • on February 6, 2014 at 9:15 am marilynscottwaters

        Hmmm, I’ll try it tomorrow and let you know. :-)


  2. on February 5, 2014 at 11:13 am sallybr

    Hand me the pulled pork, and no one gets hurt. No need for any sides, just the pulled pork. I repeat, no one gets hurt, but hand me the pulled pork. No tricks. No tricks…


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:30 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hahaha…yep, that’s what Big Boy was like too.. :)


  3. on February 5, 2014 at 11:14 am ardysez

    Oooooo. Now you’ve done it. I will have to find a place in my kitchen for one of these. We love pulled pork. I’ve used my slow cooker the last couple of times, but yours looks even better. The neck cut might be the key, though. Australian pork is leaner than American pork and that makes it a bit trickier to get tender. Thank you!


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:31 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Ardys, sounds like lots of folks use the slow cooker, but I don’t own one anymore – never liked the way it cooked, so I gave it to my mother. The Romy worked a treat! :)


  4. on February 5, 2014 at 11:22 am lambsearsandhoney

    Still too hot to have the oven on for 4 hours here, but am noting all this. I had no idea there was so much meat on a pigs neck!


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:32 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Amanda, the neck is one of our favourite cuts – the meat is incredibly tender when cooked properly, and there’s very little fat on it!


  5. on February 5, 2014 at 11:24 am ardysez

    Is yours a medium or large? Not sure what 3L equates to… Peters of Kensington has sold out so looking elsewhere…


    • on February 5, 2014 at 5:07 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Ardys, I have two – a Rustico (4L) which is the one in the top photo, and a Classic (3L). The photo with the meat in it is actually the smaller pot, which is this one currently on sale at Peters of Kensington…

      http://www.petersofkensington.com.au/Public/Romertopf-Classic-Medium-Casserole-Dish-3L.aspx


  6. on February 5, 2014 at 11:27 am Debby

    Wow! This looks so good, Celia! I have had a craving for pulled pork and now this has popped up… Thankyou for the inspiration!


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:33 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Debby, most welcome – Sydney weather has just turned cold, so I’m thinking of making this again!


  7. on February 5, 2014 at 11:29 am Liz Posmyk (Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things)

    Sally’s comment made me laugh… I’m with her. Love the sound of this, Celia. Pulled pork is on my list of things to add to my repertoire this year. Thanks for sharing, love.


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:33 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Liz, it’s easy to make, providing you don’t mind the oven being on for four hours – which I guess could be a problem mid-Summer! :)


  8. on February 5, 2014 at 11:30 am Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas

    Pulled pork is very high on my list to try once the weather cools. Do you think you can achieve a similar result in a slow cooker?


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:34 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Tania, it sounds like lots of folks who have left comments here use the slow cooker. I don’t own one! :)


  9. on February 5, 2014 at 11:39 am Emilie@TheCleverCarrot

    I *just* made pulled pork 2 nights ago in the slow cooker!

    I did a dry rub first, and then braised the meat with a little liquid and aromatics. When it was ready, I tossed it with homemade bbq sauce made with a touch of peach preserves for flavor. We ate it on sweet dough rolls topped with crunchy coleslaw (can you tell I miss summer?). Now I’m intrigued by your clay bakers… I’m sure the flavor and texture is incredible :)


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:34 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Sounds delicious, Em! I can see from yours and Maureen’s comment below that we’re going to have to get coleslaw happening as well! xx


  10. on February 5, 2014 at 11:49 am Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

    I want Sally’s leftovers. She always takes more than she can eat. I also want cole slaw, is there any? :)


    • on February 5, 2014 at 1:00 pm sallybr

      that is a wild, wild assumption!… Celia, hand Maureen some cole slaw, I have a couple of Jack Russels growling at me, apparently no bueno for leftovers…..


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:35 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hahaha…ok, I’ll add coleslaw to the menu, give us six months to grow a cabbage first… :)


  11. on February 5, 2014 at 1:51 pm nancy@jamjnr

    Perfect timing for us lot in the grotty northern hemisphere! And I brought back both sweet and smoked paprika with me so it’s meant to be.


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:36 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Nancy, I’m smiling about the fact that you needed to take paprika back to China with you – I take it it’s not easy to buy there? :)


  12. on February 5, 2014 at 1:58 pm Tandy | Lavender and Lime

    Love the spice combination Celia :)


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:36 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Tandy – it’s a very basic one! :)


  13. on February 5, 2014 at 2:21 pm heidiannie

    This looks very moist and delicious. I usually use two forks to tear the meat apart, but my niece uses the dough hook on her KitchenAid and it works very nicely indeed!
    Your spices sound like a good mixture- you don’t use any smoke liquid?


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:37 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Heidi, the mixer is a great idea! No liquid smoke – it’s hard to buy here, and Pete has a limit on how much smoke flavour he’ll tolerate.. :)


  14. on February 5, 2014 at 3:11 pm ladyredspecs

    Wow, nothing better than moist, sweet well cooked pork. Once the weather cools down (not any time soon) I’ll try this out. Thanks for the inspiration and recipe!


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:37 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Most welcome, thanks for trying it! :)


  15. on February 5, 2014 at 4:50 pm My Kitchen Stories

    Oh yummmmmm. how lovely. I don’t care about hot ovens if this is what you get.


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:38 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Tania, it was hot on the day we made it, but then it gave us two more meals, so I figure it was worth the heat! :)


  16. on February 5, 2014 at 5:56 pm thecompletebook

    Scrumptious meal Celia.
    :-) Mandy xo


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:38 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Mandy! The boys fell on the meat like wolves! :)


  17. on February 5, 2014 at 7:23 pm Joanna

    That looks just so very very good, and I haven’t had breakfast yet… and have now spent a good fifteen minutes on the German romertopf site as well. Then to Amaz and reading about people baking their bread in them too and wondering about glazed vs unglazed and different brands…. oh oh dear, and I am still hungry. Better go and have porridge xx


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:41 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Jo, I’ve baked bread in the Romertopf loaf pan…

      https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2012/06/23/romertopf-white-sourdough-loaf/

      …but the one time I tried baking in my first Romertopf pot, I soaked it, heated it in the oven, then put the dough in…and the glaze cracked! It didn’t like the cold dough on the hot clay. So we can’t use it in a similar way to the cast iron pot in the no-knead recipes…


      • on February 8, 2014 at 2:11 am Joanna

        I had a few baking in pot experiments way back, but it seemed a lot of faff for me. I guess if my oven was less reliable or couldn’t get up to a good heat it would be a useful method. Several bakers tell me they put cold dough in a cold pot in cold oven and then just turn it on and it works for them. I would rush out and buy a topf, but I am not sure if I have room, something large would have to go… xx


  18. on February 5, 2014 at 7:45 pm frugalfeeding

    Oh my, Celia – that looks good. I’ve still never made pulled pork. I really must! We have a giant Romertopf garlic jar at home (well, my mum does) – it’s always sat proudly on our windowsill.


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:41 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Nick, we have a baby Romy garlic jar – I didn’t know they made a giant one! :)


  19. on February 5, 2014 at 7:49 pm Rose

    Really and truly? That easy to do? Well I’ll do it Celia, you’ve never let me down yet, I’ll find a cool day next week and put it on the menu plan.


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:42 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Rose, just be careful not to put the hot pot or its lid on a cool surface when you take it out to add the hot water. Hope you and Tony enjoy this as much as my family has.. :)


  20. on February 5, 2014 at 8:09 pm Pat Machin

    Pulled pork was on the menu here, too ~ but cooked in the slow cooker. It really is the best meat going!


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:42 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Pat, so many people use their slow cooker for this, it must be the tried and tested method! :)


  21. on February 5, 2014 at 8:14 pm GourmetGetaways (@GourmetGetaway)

    OMG!!!
    That looks so good!!!
    I think Mr GG would say exactly the same thing to me, just the pork!


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:43 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Jules! Not sure you’d want the oven on for four hours in the middle of a Qld summer though! :D


  22. on February 5, 2014 at 8:22 pm Lorelle

    Cripes Celia! Talk about a blast from the past! I bought a Romertopf back in about 1985 and used it up until I moved overseas in 2000. No idea who I gave it to now, but I’m thinking I might buy another one – what a great natural and healthy way of cooking hey??


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:45 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Lorelle, we love our Romertopf pots – I own several (a 4L Rustico, a 3L Classic and a Multi-Functional baker). The cheapest we’ve found them is at Peters of Kensington online (occasionally Victoria’s Basement has them as well, but they’re out of stock at the moment).


  23. on February 5, 2014 at 8:23 pm Stefanie

    Hi Celia, this looks so delicious I could start eating pork again! :)


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:46 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Stefanie, it really was incredibly tender! And so much meat – it just kept going and going! :)


  24. on February 5, 2014 at 9:53 pm theintolerantchef

    No wonder the boys love it Celia, what a wonderful and economical meal indeed. Pork neck is such a great cut of meat, nice and juicy and tender. What a great job your Romy does to be sure- yummo xox


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:47 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Becca, the boys were so happy! Our Romy is getting a regular airing these days – I can always tell when we’re busy, because that’s when we use it the most (AND it goes into the dishwasher). :)


  25. on February 5, 2014 at 11:18 pm Misky

    YUM!


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:47 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Misky! :)


  26. on February 6, 2014 at 12:20 am Sally

    I’m with big boy. Pulled pork for me please


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:47 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hahaha…no problem, I’ve set a spot at the table for you.. :)


      • on February 6, 2014 at 5:10 pm Sally

        I’m there :)


  27. on February 6, 2014 at 2:22 am Chica Andaluza

    I’ve always wanted to make pulled pork but for some reason thought I’d need some weird and unobtainable spices – not so! Need to give this a go as it looks and sounds amazing :)


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:48 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Chica, you made me smile – nope, just paprika, and I reckon you’ll have no trouble getting that in Spain! :D


  28. on February 6, 2014 at 3:52 am dianeskitchentable

    We all seem to be on the same page with making pulled pork lately. I just made some last week in the slow cooker with a barbeque sauce & the caramelized onions, then Karen at Back Road Journal made a pulled pork taco with a braised beer – http://backroadjournal.wordpress.com/2014/02/03/pulled-pork-tacos/, and now you’ve got one that looks scrumptious. Did you use the Cuban bread for the leftovers or is that long gone? Unfortunately, since I’ve made a couple of pulled pork meals my husband doesn’t want any other pork recipes because he thinks they’re too dry. I have a feeling we’re going to overdo it and I’ll not be able to took a pulled pork in the face (neck?) for a long time. My husband on the other hand has eating habits quite like my dog – inhale everything until it’s gone & the ability to eat the same thing night after night after night.


    • on February 6, 2014 at 5:50 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Oooh, thanks Di, I haven’t checked out Karen’s recipe yet! Yep, we used this for the Cuban sandwiches, and I’ve just uncovered another piece of pork in the freezer (it’s like an Arctic expedition every time I rummage through the drawers), so I’m defrosting it to bake up tonight! :)


      • on February 6, 2014 at 6:58 am dianeskitchentable

        LOL, looking through my freezer is more like an expedition into outer space & getting caught up in a black hole.


  29. on February 6, 2014 at 7:38 am The Life of Clare

    I love pulled meats! We’ve been doing a lot more since the arrival of our slow cooker. I love how versatile the meat is.


    • on February 7, 2014 at 5:47 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Clare, so many people are making this in their slow cooker! It must work so well! :)


    • on February 7, 2014 at 9:30 am TIFFIN bitesizedfood (@TIFFINbitesized)

      I frequently see this casserole dishes in op shops. I’m going to start looking (probably won’t see one now). Clare – you might also find one in your neck of the woods.


      • on February 7, 2014 at 9:34 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

        Fiona, look for one with a glazed interior – it works much better, I think!


  30. on February 6, 2014 at 8:12 am andreamynard

    Big Boy definitely has good taste. Looks utterly delicious. Wish I had a romertopf – may have to try it with your flavourings, covering the pork in foil on a roasting tray and with some sort of liquid (cider?) added.


    • on February 7, 2014 at 5:48 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Andrea, the clay pot is just an easy way to make it – I don’t have to worry about it drying out, and cleaning up afterwards is a doddle! :)


  31. on February 6, 2014 at 1:19 pm Hotly Spiced

    I want a Romertopf! These sound fantastic and I like how soaking them allows the food to stay moist. That pulled pork looks fantastic and I just know it will be a huge hit here too xx


    • on February 7, 2014 at 5:50 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      The 3L Romys are on sale at PoK at the moment, Charlie! That’s the one I used for this dish, but the bigger one (the 4L one shown in the top photo) will fit a leg of lamb!


  32. on February 6, 2014 at 7:07 pm thefoodsage

    Scarred kitchen utensils are sacred – they’d have such stories to tell. I love the sound of your Romertopf, but there is no room at the inn for more cooking equipment. Your pulled pork looks great – caramelised and flakey and moist – the holy trinity.


    • on February 7, 2014 at 5:50 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      If there’s no room for a Romertopf, I’m not sure where you’ll fit a tandoor.. ;-)


  33. on February 6, 2014 at 7:20 pm Joanne T Ferguson (@mickeydownunder)

    G’day and yum…can almost smell it from here Celia, true!
    Yum, yum, yum…wish I could taste some right now too!
    Cheers! Joanne


    • on February 7, 2014 at 5:51 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Joanne, it went down so well with the boys that we’ll definitely be making it more often in the future! :)


  34. on February 6, 2014 at 8:05 pm ramblingtart

    I lived in the States for 20 years and fell madly in love with pulled pork. :-) Your recipe sounds and looks fantastic. :-)


    • on February 7, 2014 at 5:51 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thank you! We were so happy with how it turned out! :)


  35. on February 7, 2014 at 8:51 am Vita

    This would work in the Le crussett? Im sure. Am making it. Stat! Thanks for the tip


    • on February 9, 2014 at 6:35 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Vita, I gave away all my cast iron pots, so I don’t know, but I imagine it would! You might want to drop the heat a bit more for the final few hours.. :)


  36. on February 7, 2014 at 9:28 am DAKOTA

    D-licious as usual, and I missed reading your blog xo


    • on February 9, 2014 at 6:35 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Dakota! Nice to hear from you! :)


  37. on February 7, 2014 at 11:17 am Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

    If I thought that it would deliver me a taste, I’d lick my computer screen :P


    • on February 9, 2014 at 6:36 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hahaha…maybe one day someone will invent that. Hmm. Maybe not, it could be too gross.. ;-)


  38. on February 7, 2014 at 2:29 pm Jan

    Really delicious looking Celia and how economical too – I’d probably have to break the pot over my Peter’s head to stop him eating the lot – he does get excited by meat!


    • on February 9, 2014 at 6:36 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Jan, my boys ate this until they were stuffed, but I refused to cut the whole thing up at once, or they could have demolished it! :)


  39. on February 7, 2014 at 3:48 pm Chris Palmer

    Celia I’ve been wanting to have a go at pulled pork for ages but wasn’t really sure about any recipes I came across so thank you for yours I plan on making this on my days off this week coming it looks delicious, many thanks.
    chris


    • on February 9, 2014 at 6:37 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Chris, hope you like it. I think it will adapt well to other cooking methods if you don’t have a clay pot!


  40. on February 7, 2014 at 10:35 pm Lara Dunston

    That looks so mouthwatering! Discovered you while searching for pulled pork :) We have pulled pork here in Southeast Asia but of course with a very different set of spices. Never thought of doing it with paprika before – is that what makes it American? Looks delish!


    • on February 9, 2014 at 6:38 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Lara, I think I came across the basic spice blend on an American website, although they add liquid smoke as well, which I don’t have. I don’t think it needs it, and the leftover meat went really well into sandwiches and burritos, all things American and Tex-Mex! :)


  41. on February 8, 2014 at 11:26 pm Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide

    I like how simple this is. Spice rubs here have about 300 ingredients, not that I mind! This looks wonderful.


    • on February 9, 2014 at 6:38 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Greg, I’ve just bought a Paul Prudhomme book, and some of his recipes are fantastic! :)


  42. on February 9, 2014 at 5:02 am saucygander

    I’ve wanted a Romertopf forever, this is definitely going on the Valentine’s/birthday/anything list. Your pulled pork sounds like the perfect feed-so-called meal for winter!


    • on February 9, 2014 at 6:39 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Saucy, the 3L ones are currently on sale at PoK. Perfect size for two people! :)


  43. on February 11, 2014 at 2:51 pm Roz

    Cooked this last night (with minor changes- couldn’t get pork neck), huge success. My daughter doesn’t usually like pork, came back for 2nds, would have gone for 3rds but there was none left. Thank you Celia


    • on February 11, 2014 at 3:02 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      That’s fabulous, thanks so much for letting me know! :) My neighbours tried it as well with pork shoulder, and were really pleased with how it turned out!


  44. on February 15, 2014 at 4:33 am michaelawah

    Dear Celia,
    I pop by your blog but have never left a comment, although I’ve wanted to on many occasions. Just to say how amazing you are! Is there anything you can’t make??? You’re one of those souls who are equally good at baking and cooking, and all sorts of cuisine too. Also you seem to juggle a very full schedule with family and cooking, not to mention blogging. And you don’t do things in half measures, do you? :)) You make things in big batches, and buy lots of stuff. I’m sure your family and friends are very happy to be at the receiving end! And your garden and vegetables!! Each time I see a sunshine-filled photo of those beautiful bountiful herbs and vegetables, I wish I could reach out and smell them :)

    i’m finally writing in because of this post on the rompertopf pots. I’ve tinkered with the idea of buying one, so you might be pushing me close to the dangerous edge… Just wanted to ask if you think it’s better to get a glazed or unglazed one. I should think glazed for easier cleaning? So gravy doesn’t stick to the bottom at all??? Cool! I have a cast iron Staub but food tends to stick, and one has to be careful with the cleaning. It doesn’t go into the dishwasher for example. How heavy is the Romertopf and how easy or difficult is it to handle a hot lid. I would like to use it for bread baking, and I wonder if it’s easy to lift a very hot lid (since there are no handles) without dropping it…

    Speaking of baking bread in it, I saw in your previous post that you baked bread directly in it (I read it quickly, hope i got it right). Do you think i could soak the cold romertopf, add a cold dough to it, then place it in a very hot, preheated oven? Or must the romertopf be placed in a cold, or at least, not too hot, oven? What if I were to not soak the romertopf at all??

    And correct me if i’m wrong, to avoid cracking, one should not place a hot lid in liquid? What other pitfalls to avoid?

    And finally, have you ever used one of those Asian or Japanese clay pots, and how do those compare?

    so many questions, sorry! thanks in advance if you answer even half of them, and again, fantastic pantry, fantastic kitchen, fantastic cook :)


  45. on February 15, 2014 at 7:04 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

    Thank you so much! I’m glad you finally left a comment, it’s nice to meet you. :)

    So..about Romertopf pots…

    – I think Romertopf pots made in Germany are all glazed, but the ones sold in the US (which are made elsewhere) aren’t. I’ve never used an unglazed pot, but the glazed ones are fantastic – the food just comes straight off them (mostly) in the dishwasher. The downside is that the glazing is even more thermal shock sensitive than the clay itself – on my first pot I cracked the glaze but not the pot itself (so it ended up as a flowerpot :)).

    – I own Romertopf loaf tins which I use for breadbaking, but I wouldn’t recommend the pot. Baking in the Romertopf always necessitates putting the pot into a COLD oven. So you can’t preheat the pot, then take it out and put in cold dough – that’s how I cracked the glaze on my first one. With the loaf tins, I now put the dough into the tin, then sit it in a sink of water, then put it into a cold oven and turn it on. It works well, but you end up with a different sort of loaf – tender, but with a closed crumb. I wrote a bit about it here…

    https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2012/06/17/romertopf-loaf/

    https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2012/06/23/romertopf-white-sourdough-loaf/

    – I’ve always soaked the pots before use – I’m not sure what would happen if you put an unsoaked pot in the oven (though I suspect it would be ok)

    – Weight wise, the pots are MUCH lighter than cast iron (weight was a problem for us, so we got rid of all our iron pots and replaced them all with clay). You DO have to be more careful though when handling the pots – they don’t have side handles, so you need good oven gloves to take them in and out, and you also have to make sure not to sit a hot pot on a cold bench etc, or it will crack. I use a pair of leather welding gloves, and find it’s not too difficult to take the hot pot out of the oven, or remove the lid.

    – the way the Romertopf and similar clay pots work is quite different to cast iron and brands like Emile Henry (which we also love). The R is unglazed on the outside, so it absorbs quite a lot of water during the presoaking, which it then releases to the food as it cooks. So it effectively cooks by both roasting and steaming.

    – lastly, R can’t be used on the hob, only in the oven. On the hob, we use Emile Henry clay pots, which are absolutely fabulous as well. I haven’t used any Japanese pots, but I haven’t had the best of luck with Chinese sandpots – I always seem to crack them!

    Sorry, got very longwinded, I do love my clay pots! :) Is there anything I missed?


    • on February 15, 2014 at 6:33 pm michaelawah

      Dear Celia, thank you so much for your detailed and speedy reply. I love clay pots as well, although i don’t own any…YET :) There’s just something I like very much about them. You might be interested in Paula Wolfort’s Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking, which I bought as soon as I saw it. Wolfort + Mediterranean + clay pot= how to resist :)

      So you soak the R in hot water for as long as 30 mins! I’m supposing the dough inside remains dry though! Might the closed crumb of the bread you mentioned be due too to low hydration? I guess one needs to experiment.

      In any case, the R sounds like a winning formula for cooking—the dual function of roasting and steaming as you say. And your description of meat on rice sounds very tempting.

      I will start looking out for R pots. Here they even sell chicken-shaped ones, for nestling your roast chicken inside. Thank you!


  46. on February 19, 2014 at 2:39 pm justalittlepiece

    I need one of these!


  47. on March 1, 2014 at 2:54 am Katri

    At first, sorry for my bad english. I’m at the first time making this pulled pork (in Finland this pulled pork is now “in”) and I thought i’d made this in my late fathers romertopf. My work associate told that she let the meat be at least 11 hours in owen, at about 70 celsius. She has used normal casserole made of glass. How does this making with romertopf change the time, I wonder? I’ve read these comments above and there are non who had made it this long. I’d appreciate of any answers. Greetings from Finland!


    • on March 1, 2014 at 4:14 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hi Katri, thank you for visiting! I’ve only ever tried cooking the pork in the Romertopf for 3 – 4 hours, never 11 hours, but I know that in the USA, it’s common to cook the pork at low temperatures for much longer than that. I do know that in the Romertopf, the shorter (3 hour) cooking time I wrote about in my post worked better than the 4 hour one I tried first, but my oven was at a much higher temperature than 70C. Good luck with your pulled pork! :)


      • on March 1, 2014 at 4:36 am Katri

        Hi Celia, thank you so very much for comments! Our pork is just going to owen. Let’s see what we will get to eat. :)


  48. on March 6, 2014 at 10:03 am In My Kitchen, March 2014 | jamjnr.com

    […] Eastern food. It’s impossible to walk out without buying something. The paprikas went into Celia’s pulled pork recipe last week which was a huge success and the first time I’ve attempted the recipe. We had […]


  49. on March 18, 2014 at 6:52 pm joe-ann Warton

    Hi just new to the romertopf I pick up on at a op shop for next to nothing and has been sitting in my kitchen for a while! Going to try the pulled pork tomorrow let you know how i go!


    • on April 11, 2014 at 8:36 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hope it went well for you! :)


  50. on April 8, 2014 at 4:02 pm Tracie

    Hi Celia,
    thank you for sharing your recipe. I have cooked it three times now and it is fantastic. Currently have a pork neck in the oven cooking away nicely in my Romertopf

    Tracie


    • on April 11, 2014 at 8:36 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Tracie, I’m SO happy to hear you’ve loved it! We adore ours, and the surplus pulled pork keeps really well in the freezer too! :)


  51. on May 4, 2014 at 12:49 pm In My Kitchen – May | ardysez

    […] finally, I’ve brought out the Romertopf clay baking dish. I learned about it on Celia’s Pulled Pork post at figjamandlimecordial.com and have begun to learn how to use it. This is my second attempt […]


  52. on May 24, 2014 at 10:02 pm First time with my Romertopf | usinguptheveggiebox

    […] Just goes to show that he was listening to all my chatter about Celia’s pulled pork at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial Thanks sweetie […]



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