Italian Braised Pork Recipes

SUCCULENT BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and working in batches brown the meat on all sides until a golden crust forms. Transfer the pork to a plate. To the pan add the onion, celery, and carrot and sweat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes to cook off the raw flavor and caramelize it. Sprinkle with the flour and cook another 2 minutes to cook off its raw flavor. Whisk in the wine and reduce it by half. Return the pork to the Dutch oven, then stir in the beef stock, parsley stems, and bay leaves. Add the water if liquid does not come up to the top of the pork. Do not cover the pork with liquid. Cover the pan and place it in the oven to braise until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hours. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

BRAISED PORK RAGU

Steps:

• Season pork with the rosemary, thyme, pepper, and salt. Heat oil in a large large Dutch over over medium-high heat. Sear pork in the hot oil until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
• Stir onion and carrot into pot; cook until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour in the wine; stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the tomatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer; cook until meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes.

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.

ITALIAN BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season pork with salt and pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer pork to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, garlic, celery, and fennel seeds to pan; cook until onion is softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add wine and cook, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add to slow cooker along with tomatoes. Cover and cook on high until pork is very tender, 4 hours (or 8 hours on low).
• Transfer pork to a cutting board. With 2 forks, shred meat into bite-size pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Skim fat off sauce and discard. Return shredded pork to slow cooker and stir to combine. (To store: Cool, cover, and refrigerate up to 3 days.) Serve over couscous.

ITALIAN PORK ROAST WITH MILK AND FRESH HERBS AND LEMONY POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts. Add pork, fat side down, and sear until brown, 3-4 minutes. Brown pork on all sides, about 5 minutes more; transfer to a 4- to 6-qt. slow cooker. Add garlic to skillet; cook 30 seconds.
• Deglaze skillet with wine, scraping up any brown bits. Add milk, cream, porcini, anchovy paste, pepper flakes, and zest; simmer 3 minutes. Pour milk mixture around pork in slow cooker; submerge rosemary and sage. Cover slow cooker and cook pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part register 145 degrees F on low setting, 2 hours. Transfer pork to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Discard rosemary and sage.
• Purée sauce in the slow cooker with a handheld blender until smooth; season with salt and black pepper.
• Slice pork and serve with sauce and Lemony Polenta.

BRAISED PORK SHANK

Steps:

• For the brine: Bring the water to a simmer in a large non-reactive pot. Turn off the heat and add salt, sugar, coriander, peppercorns, rosemary, bay leaf and garlic and bring to a simmer. Whisk until the salt and sugar is dissolved, and then let it cool in the fridge or an ice bath until the brine hits a temperature of 35 degrees F.
• Add the shanks to the cooled brine and weigh down with a plate to ensure that the shanks are completely submerged. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
• After brining, remove the shanks from the brining liquid to a baking sheet lined with a clean kitchen towel to dry off a bit. Discard the brining liquid.
• For the braise: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Heat a large Dutch oven or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Pour in enough oil so that it covers the bottom of the Dutch oven or roasting pan completely. Put some flour in a shallow dish. Add a heavy pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper to the flour and whisk to combine. Dredge the shanks in the flour, shaking off the excess, and add them to the pan. In order to get a nice even golden-brown sear, you don't want to overcrowd the pan. (Do this step in two batches if necessary.) Brown the shanks on all sides, a few minutes per side, then remove to a plate while you sear the rest.
• Add the celery, onions, carrots, garlic, rosemary and thyme with a large pinch of salt. Sweat the vegetables until tender, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and reduce by three-quarters. Add the apple cider and reduce by half. Add half the chicken stock and bring the braising liquid up to a simmer. Taste it for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper if necessary. Place the shanks back into the pan; the liquid should go about halfway up the shanks. If it does not, add the rest of the liquid until it reaches the desired half. Put the pan in the oven and cook until the meat is tender, about 200 degrees F when checked with a meat thermometer, 4 to 5 hours.
• Remove the shanks from the oven and carefully transfer the shanks to another large pan. Then strain the braising liquid over the shanks. Cool them in the liquid overnight in the refrigerator.
• The next day, reheat the shanks in their liquid. Then remove them to a large serving platter. Spoon some of the braising liquid over the meat.

ITALIAN PORK LOIN BRAISED IN MILK

Steps:

• In a large, deep, heavy pan, melt the olive oil and butter on low (do not burn).
• Add the garlic,onion, and pancetta and saute' for a minute or two (still on a low temperature setting).
• Do not trim the fat off of the pork loin.
• Generously (very generously) sprinkle sea salt all over the pork loin.
• Sprinkle black pepper all over the pork loin.
• Place the pork loin in the pan, fat side down and brown it thoroughly on all four sides on a low-temperature setting.
• Do not burn the olive oil and garlic!
• When browned nicely, add the hot milk, hot cream, capers, sage and lemon zest.
• Taste the sauce . . . add more salt to taste preferences.
• Partially cover the pan.
• Simmer on the a low-medium setting on the stove for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, turning the pork loin over occasionally.
• The milk sauce will bubble up, so stir it occasionally.
• Continually pour some of the sauce (baste) over the pork as it simmers.
• The color of the sauce should turn to a golden brown color; if not turn up the heat a little for a few minutes at the end.
• Taste the sauce and add more salt if necessary.
• After cooking time is finished, remove the pork.
• Thickly slice the pork and place it on individual plates.
• Pour the creamy, curdled sauce over the pork.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

TUSCAN BRAISED PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Wipe the chops with a damp paper towel and dry them.
• Brown the chops in 1/4 cup of the oil at medium/high heat in a large skillet.
• Remove the chops and set aside.
• Add the vegetables and the remaining 1/4 cup of oil to the pan.
• Caramelize the vegetables at medium heat (this is the sofrito).
• Return the chops to the pan and spoon some of the sofrito over them.
• Add the seasonings and wine.
• Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
• Add a little water from time to time to prevent the pan from boiling dry.
• Add the tomato sauce.
• Cook covered 10 more minutes.
• Remove the chops and strain the sauce.
• Drizzle some sauce over the chops.
• Dress pasta of your choice with the remaining sauce.

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.

ITALIAN BRAISED PORK RIBS WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Trim some fat off the ribs and cut them in half. Most of mine didn't have a hard bone. You can ask your butcher to do this or look for boneless ribs. Rub the ribs with some sea salt.
• Peel and finely chop the onion. Wash and finely chop the celery and carrots. Wash the cherry tomatoes. If using, chop the chili pepper into small pieces. Remove most the seeds so it's less spicy!
• Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a deep pan and brown the ribs. Remove and set aside. You may need to do this in batches.
• Add the finely chopped onion, carrot and celery to the pan and cook for a few minutes. Don't let them burn. Add more olive oil if necessary.
• Add the bay leaf, chili pepper and cherry tomatoes mix together and cook for a minute. Then add the browned pork ribs. Pour in the wine and turn up the heat so the alcohol evaporates.
• Now pour in the tomato passata/chopped peeled tomatoes and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together and reduce the heat.
• Cook the sauce covered over a lowish heat for about 2 hours or until the meat is very tender and easy to remove from the bone. Exact cooking time depends on the size of your ribs. Check them after 90 minutes. Add some water or stock if the sauce reduces too much. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes is the sauce is too liquidy.
• Put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet.
• When the braised ribs are ready remove them from the sauce. Strip the meat from 3-4 and put back into the sauce. Keep the rest of the ribs with some sauce for another meal or course. You can serve them with potatoes or polenta.
• Alternatively you can strip the meat from all the ribs and eat with the pasta or serve the pasta and sauce with whole ribs!
• When the pasta is ready drain and add to the sauce. Mix together well and serve immediately. If you like, you can add chopped parsley or grated Parmigiano before serving!