Milk Braised Pork Shoulder

Описание: Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Serves: 4–6

Ingredients

For the Braise

3 lb boneless pork shoulder, trussed
1 tbsp olive oil
4 leeks, green tops removed, halved and washed
1 large white onion, halved and peeled
1 whole bulb garlic, halved crosswise
1 L chicken stock (or ½ bottle dry white wine + 500 mL stock)
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 knob butter
Peel of 1 lemon (use a peeler to remove wide strips, no pith)
1 bundle fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme), tied
3 star anise
4 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
Freshly cracked black pepper

For the Finish

3 cans cannellini beans
1 can broad beans (or butter beans)
Steamed greens of your choice (I used gai lan / Chinese broccoli)
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Extra black pepper, to taste

Equipment

Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
Roasting pan
Tongs
Hand blender (immersion blender)
Strainer or slotted spoon

0:00
Method

1:29
Step 1: Sear the Pork

Pat the pork shoulder dry and truss it with kitchen twine. Season with salt on all sides.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sear the pork on all sides until deep golden brown. Remove and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 275ºF.

1:42
Step 2: Build the Base

Add the leeks, cut-side down, to the same pot. Sear until lightly caramelized.
Add the onion halves and the halved bulb of garlic (cut-side down) and let everything take on a bit of colour.

2:05
Step 3: Add Liquid and Aromatics

Return the pork to the pot. Pour in the stock (and wine, if using), then add the milk, cream, butter, lemon peel, herb bundle, star anise, cloves, bay leaves, and generous cracks of black pepper.
Bring just to a boil, then immediately remove from heat.
Cover and transfer the oven for 2½–3 hours.

3:21
Step 4: Finish the Sauce

Lift the pork from the braising liquid and transfer it to a roasting pan. Keep warm in a low oven or briefly broil the top to deepen the colour on the fat cap.
Using a slotted spoon and some tongs, remove and discard all aromatics and herbs from the braising liquid. Leave as many of the curds as you can in the pot.
Rinse one can of cannellini beans and add them to the pot. Use a hand blender to puree the beans and curds directly into the liquid until smooth and creamy.
Rinse the other two cans of cannellini beans and the broad beans. Add them to the pot and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, letting the braising liquid reduce and thicken to a soup-like consistency.

4:35
Step 5: Finish and Serve

Steam your greens (gai lan works beautifully).
Slice the pork into thick slabs.
To serve, layer the bottom of a shallow bowl with your greens, cover with a ladle of the beans, and place a thick slice of the pork over top. Finish with some parsley and fresh-cracked pepper.