Welcome back, Geeky Gluttons, to another episode of Munchies & Minis!
For those just joining us, Munchies & Minis is my tabletop RPG-inspired live cooking show. Once a week, I make a snack or meal to pair with a side of dice rolls. You can catch me on Twitch (unless indicated otherwise on social media) Wednesday nights at 7 pm EST.
Last time I posted the video for lamb ribs and creamy polenta inspired by Pathfinder RPG‘s famous chef, Vido Caldoveri. This week’s video, we serve up some leek and raisin-stuffed pork loin with red wine gravy inspired by D&D’s Dragon Magazine.
Roast and Reserve
The source behind today’s recipe, Port City Pork Roast, comes from the “Inns in an Instant” article from Dragon Magazine, issue 418, from December 2012. This article provides DMs with tables to create last-minute taverns and inns, from names and descriptions to innkeepers and menus within a few simple dice-rolls. You can find the article on Scribd (free with a 30-day trial). I recommend downloading it as it is an invaluable resource for a DM whose players are hungry for details.
I’ve made quite a few recipes based on this article, you can imagine. Whether it’s the Braised Beef with Ginger and Pears from the city table or Buffaloaf with Honeyed Corn from the plains table, I’ve had a lot of creative exercise in interpretation, which brings me to today’s recipe based on the port city table from this article.
When I have a table filled with seafood options, I know that “baked loin of pork with gravy” can seem a bit pedestrian. Of course, I can add some texture and flavor by stuffing it with fruit and veggies. But what else can I do to show its sophistication in a port city that’s tasted a bit of everything?
That’s when I also noticed its paired drink is “Royal Reserve.” The term “reserve” often applies to wines that are of high quality and have been aged longer. In Spain, “Reserva” wines must age for at least three years, 6 months of which in an oak barrel. Tempranillo reds, for example, boast a high tannin content that works beautifully with meat.
So I decided to make a wine-based gravy to showcase this stuffed roast and boost its richness with thyme, sage, beef broth, and molasses. Of course, you can also go for the offered pun and use port wine, just cut back the molasses some to balance the sweetness.
Want to learn how to make Port City Pork Roast for your adventuring party? Watch the video or find out how to get the recipe card below
Port City Pork Roast
Get the Recipe!
This video will always be around to cook along with. But I also have the printable PDF recipe card available for my Ko-Fi and Patreon supporters.
This week both my blog post and Munchies & Minis recipe cards are available in exchange for a $2 donation on my Ko-fi page.
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If you join my Patreon community at the “Kitchen Twitch” ($5/month) level or higher, you will not only get access to ALL of my Munchies & Minis recipe cards. You’ll also get blog-post Spotify-playlists, community-polls, random digital and physical-swag surprises, AND a welcome gift of my Lord of the Rings recipe cards and playlists.
I hope that this episode inspired you to start a culinary campaign of your own. Next week, I’ll continue the second season of Munchies & Minis with a recipe chosen by my Patreon subscribers!
Make sure to join me live Wednesday on Twitch from 7 pm – 9 pm EST. OR you can catch the archived episode on YouTube.
