Epicurean Pork Platter Recipes

PORK RAGù OVER CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Pork:
• Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Cook pork, turning often, until evenly browned, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a platter and pour off pan drippings.
• Wipe out any burned bits from pot, but leave the golden-brown pieces (doing this will keep the finished sauce from tasting bitter). Add onion and garlic to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to brown and caramelize, 12-15 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly darkened in color, 5-8 minutes.
• Add wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced by about half, 5-8 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you go, then add thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves; stir in 2 cups water. Add pork with any juices accumulated on the platter; season with salt and pepper.
• Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until pork is falling-apart tender, sauce is thickened (it will be thicker than a typical pasta sauce), and flavors have melded, 2 1/2-3 hours.
• Using 2 forks, break up pork into pieces or shred it (your choice!); taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Do ahead: Pork can be cooked 5 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill in sauce.
• Polenta and assembly:
• Bring 6 cups salted water to a boil in a large pot. Whisking constantly, gradually add polenta; reduce heat to medium-low.
• Cook, whisking often, until polenta is tender and creamy, 20-25 minutes (if polenta becomes too thick too soon, loosen mixture by adding more water and continue cooking). Add butter and 1/2 cup Parmesan to polenta and whisk until melted; season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon polenta into bowls or onto a platter and top with pork. Scatter parsley and more Parmesan over top and drizzle with oil.

CAUCASUS-STYLE BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Mince garlic, then mash to a paste with 2 teaspoons kosher salt using a heavy knife. Grind coriander and fenugreek seeds and red-pepper flakes to a powder in grinder, then stir together with garlic and 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl. Make 2-inch-deep slits all over meat with a small sharp knife and push some of paste into slits. Rub remaining paste all over meat. Put pork in a bowl and marinate, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours.
• Bring meat to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork on all sides, turning with tongs and a large kitchen fork, about 8 minutes total. Transfer pork to a large plate and cook onion in fat remaining in pot, stirring occasionally and scraping up brown bits, until beginning to brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Return pork to pot and add water and remaining teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then cover tightly with lid and transfer to oven. Braise, turning meat once, until very tender, about 3 hours. Cool pork in pan juices completely, uncovered, about 1 1/2 hours, then chill, covered, at least 8 hours.
• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Remove fat from surface of pan juices and reheat pork (with pan juices), covered, in oven 1 hour. Transfer pork to a platter using cleaned tongs and large fork. Stir cilantro, vinegar, and table salt and pepper to taste into pan juices and serve with pork.

ROAST PORK LOIN WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 13 x 9 x 2-inch roasting pan with foil. Mix first 4 ingredients in bowl. Rub garlic mixture all over pork. Place pork, fat side down, in prepared roasting pan. Roast pork 30 minutes. Turn roast fat side up. Roast until thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 155°F., about 25 minutes longer. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.
• Pour any juices from roasting pan into small saucepan; set over low heat to keep warm. Cut pork crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange pork slices on platter. Pour pan juices over. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.

ALSATIAN PORK AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Place the bacon in a large, deep pot, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring to turn pieces occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon pieces on a paper towel-lined plate. With a paper towel, wipe the bacon grease out of the pot but keep as much of the brown bits as possible. Stir in the onion, sauerkraut, brown sugar, and chicken broth, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the potatoes and apple slices.
• Place the juniper berries, peppercorns, cloves, parsley, and bay leaf into a small cheesecloth square, and tie the ends together to make a spice bag (or place the spices into a stainless steel tea ball). Place the spice bag into the pot, and add the pork chops and kielbasa sausage pieces. Add more chicken broth, if needed, to just cover the ingredients. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 1 hour.
• To serve, use a slotted spoon to remove the sauerkraut, potatoes, and apple slices to the center of a serving platter. Arrange bacon, pork chops, and kielbasa pieces around the outside of the platter.

NIPPY PORK CHOP PLATTER

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine flour, salt and pepper in sturdy plastic bag.
• Spread each chop with mustard, coating well on both sides (using your fingers is easiest).
• Add mustarded chops, a couple at a time, to bag of flour and shake to coat well.
• Brown chops in skillet in hot oil.
• Remove lightly browned chops to non-stick or lightly greased baking dish or pan.
• Pour undiluted soup evenly over tops of chops.
• Bake for 40 minutes.