Italian Braised Pork With Carrot Sweet Potato Puree Recipes

ITALIAN BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Rinse and dry pork roast. Season all sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add roast to the hot skillet; turn and sear until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer roast to a large lidded baking dish, leaving pan drippings in the skillet.
• Add carrots, onion, shallot, and garlic to the hot skillet and reduce heat to medium. Saute in the pan drippings until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes; do not overcook.
• Pour red wine, beef broth, and tomato puree over the roast in the baking dish. Add sauteed vegetables, parsley, and thyme.
• Cover and bake in the preheated oven until meat pulls apart easily, 2 to 3 hours.

CANNELLONI WITH BRAISED PORK CHEEKS AND SWEET CICELY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• To make the filling, season the pork liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Using 2 sauté pans to avoid crowding, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in each pan over high heat. Sear the pork cheeks for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until nicely caramelized.
• Transfer the meat to a braising dish. Divide the carrots, garlic, and onion between the pans and sauté just until they get a hint of color, 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze the pans with the wine, scraping up any crusty bits. Put the vegetables and wine into the braising dish with the pork cheeks, then pour in the broth and add the bay leaves. Cover the dish with foil or a heavy, tight-fitting lid and braise for 3 hours, or until the meat shreds easily with a fork.
• Remove the meat from the braising dish and shred with two forks. Add the sweet cicely and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a couple of spoonfuls of braising liquid and drizzle with olive oil to moisten. Stir to combine and set aside. Strain the braising liquid into a clean pan and reduce by half; the timing will vary depending on your stove and pan, but will be about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• To make the cannelloni, roll out the pasta dough to #2 thickness. Using a pastry wheel and a ruler, trim the rolled-out sheets to measure 5 inches across. Then cut the sheets horizontally to create 5-inch squares. You should end up with 8 pasta squares in all.
• Using a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spoon enough reduced braising liquid to cover the bottom. Place about 3 tablespoons of the pork filling along one edge of a pasta square. Roll up to encase the filling and form a cylinder, then place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining pasta squares and filling. Sprinkle the diced butter over the top of the dish and then sprinkle with the cheese.
• Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Increase the heat to 400°F and remove the foil. Bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the cheese browns and bubbles. Remove the dish from the oven and drizzle with the olive oil. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN BRAISED PORK LOIN

Steps:

• Season the pork generously with salt and pepper.
• In a large, heavy pot, warm the oil over medium heat.
• Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until crisp, 2-3 minutes.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Raise the heat to med-high.
• Add the pork to the fat in the pot and cook, turning occasionally, until evenly browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the pork to a plate.
• Pour off the fat from the pot and return to med-high heat.
• Add 3 cups of the milk and stir to scrape up any browned bits on the pan bottom.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add the garlic, reserved bacon, and the pork to the pot.
• Partially cover and cook over very low heat until the pork is tender and the milk has reduced and thickened, about 2 hours.
• During the final 30 minutes of cooking, check the milk level and, if necessary, warm some of the remaining milk and add to the pork.
• Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cut crosswise into slices about ½ inch thick,.
• Arrange the slices on a platter, top with the sauce and serve.