JANET TRACY (Franklin, Tennessee) was born in Germantown, Tennessee. She comes from a long line of University of Tennessee (UT) fans, including one of their biggest—Janet’s Mammy, RUTHANNA MONGER (Sweetwater, Tennessee). “Go VOLS” was one of Mammy’s favorite things to say. Janet remembers her as the most traditional grandmother one could possibly have. When visiting Mammy, she says, “there were two things we could always count on: the can of M&M’s would be full, and she would have cookies for the kids. I always talk about Mammy as the ‘baking cookies grandmother,’ and I love that she called chocolate chip cookies ‘chip chocolates,’” Janet adds.
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder, divided
1 boneless pork roast (4 to 5 pounds)
1 cup apple jelly
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons vinegar
½ cup crushed corn chips
1 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2 In a small bowl combine the garlic salt, salt, and ½ teaspoon of the chili powder. Rub the mixture on all sides of the roast. Place the roast, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast, making sure the thermometer doesn’t touch fat. Bake for 2 hours or until the thermometer reaches 165 degrees.
3 In a small saucepan combine the jelly, ketchup, vinegar, and remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Brush the roast with the jelly mixture. Sprinkle the crushed corn chips on top.
4 Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the thermometer reaches 170 degrees. Serve sliced, warm, with sauce collected from the bottom of the pan.
MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS.