Slow Cook Sunday
There is nothing more enticing than the aroma of slow cooked meat on a cold winter day.
. The principles of braising are the same for any kind of meat and mastering this form of cookery is attainable for every cook. Seasoning the meat the day before deepens the flavor and helps insure a more succulent result. After several hours in the oven, this hearty pork shoulder is fork tender and virtually makes its own sauce.
Serves 6
1 -3-4 pound pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and membrane
1/2-tablespoon kosher or 1-tablespoon sea salt
1- 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons oil
2 medium onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
1-quart rich chicken stock
2 cups Surround
The day before:
Rub salt evenly on meat and season with the pepper. Cover and store covered in the refrigerator. The next day take out of the refrigerator a few hours before cooking.
To cook the pork :
Pre-heat oven to 350º F
Place a heavy roasting pan or enameled braising pot over medium high heat. Add oil and brown meat evenly on all sides. Transfer pork to a plate. Reduce heat to medium-low and add vegetables. Cook slowly until vegetables are nicely brown, stirring often. Add wine, stock and herbs and bring back to medium high heat. Scrape bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits. Boil until liquid is reduced by 1/3. Return pork to the pan and cover with foil and place in oven. After 15 minutes reduce temperature to 250º F. Let meat braise undisturbed for at least 3hours. Begin checking doneness by inserting a fork in the meat and gently twisting. There should be only slight resistance. Continue cooking meat until it is fork tender. Carefully remove meat to a plate and cover with foil, Strain the cooking liquid and discard the vegetables. Bring to a boil and skim fat off the top with a ladle. Slice pork and serve with the sauce and white bean puree.
White bean puree:
1 pound white beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 bay leaves
6 cups chicken, vegetable stock, or water
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Combine all the ingredients except the pepper in a large pot over a high heat. Bring to boil and then turn down to simmer partly cover for 1 1/2 – 2 hours or until beans are soft. Drain bean in colander, remove bay leaves, onion and garlic. Place beans in food processor and puree. Add any reserved cooking liquid to thin puree to desired consistency. Season with pepper and more salt if needed.
Chef’s notes:
If time is an issue, pre-seasoning the day before can be omitted, just season the meat and leave at room temperature for a few hours before cooking. Slow cooking is essential to the end result of this dish, however it is possible to shorten the cooking time by leaving the oven at 350º . The meat will be somewhat less succulent , but still delicious. Lamb shoulder or shanks would make a good substitution for the pork.
