As you would imagine, my kitchen remodel has sort of consumed me ever since we closed on the house. Before, really. It started when we first saw it. I would day dream the day away thinking of cabinets, appliances, tile and faucets. My co-workers over the last several months, Amber and Fern, had to put up with this, my running off in the middle of the day to meet my cabinet maker or electrician. Having deliveries sent to the office (I wouldn't want my new hanging fixtures for over the sink and in the breakfast room to be just sitting on the front porch all day, would I?) Spending lunch breaks looking at granite for the counters and debating drawer pulls. The whole time this was going on, it was common that they would ask (well threaten, really) to be invited over for dinner once it was done. I assured them that they would be, I just had a few more things to do to make it presentable for guests. First the subway tile for the backsplash needed to be installed. The hanging fixtures needed to be hung. I wanted to get six matching dining room chairs and I needed to finish painting the cabinets.
These last two seemed to be taking much longer than I anticipated. Then, a few weeks ago, my job came to an end and so I thought I better just bite the bullet and have them over, even though the kitchen wasn't to the level of finish I'd hoped. It was sort of good timing, actually. Without work to get in the way, I could focus on coming up with the menu and making something that took time and care. Of course I wanted to impress, sort of show off a bit, so where else to turn than Sunday Suppers at Lucques. I wanted to make something sort of fallish and cozy while at the same time avoiding the sort of flavors that we'd all be seeing on Thanksgiving. I chose this recipe, a slowly braised pork stew that Suzanne explains in the book is influenced by some of the Mexican spices so commonly found in Southern California. Perfect.
INGREDIENTS
(for the braise)
(for the pork seasoning)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
3 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch chunks
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano plus 3 whole sprigs
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
(for the braise)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Spoon the pork onto a large platter and pour over the reduced sauce. Scatter the gremolata coated pan-roasted root vegetables over the top of the pork and then sprinkle with the remaining gremolata. Serve with a hot bowl of creamy polenta.
Okay so observation number one: It turns out that turnips are kind of really good. More that beets, but not as much as rutabagas, turnips have such a geriatric reputation. So not sexy. And yet they are surprisingly great. Especially when they are pan-roasted like this along with carrots and parsnips. The edges get crisp and charred and the insides stay tender. Glazed with butter and then tossed with the bright, fresh, garlicky gremolata, this trio of root vegetables prove themselves to be a worthy companion to the braised pork.
1 cup diced onion (about half a large onion)
1/4 cup diced carrot (1/3 a medium carrot)
1/4 cup diced fennel (1/4 a medium fennel bulb)
2 bay leaves
1 chile de arbol, crumbled
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups veal stock
1 lemon
4 to 6 sprigs fresh cilantro
(for the pan-roasted root vegetables)
3 medium carrots, peeled
3 medium parsnips, peeled
3 medium turnips
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup shallots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
(for the gremolata)
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 cloves (about 1 teaspoon) minced garlic
METHOD
Toast the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds in a skillet over medium heat until they release their aroma and are slightly browned.
Place the seeds in a spice mill or a mortar and pulse or pound until coarsely ground. The texture is better from using a mortar and pestle.
Place the pork in a large bowl and sprinkle with the crushed cumin, coriander, and fennel as well as the cayenne, the crushed garlic and oregano leaves and sprigs and the thyme leaves. Using your hands, toss well to make sure everything is coated well.
Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate overnight.
Take the meat out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. After 15 minutes, season it on all sides with 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt and some black pepper. Reserve the crushed garlic and the oregano sprigs.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Now the meat needs to be browned. You will likely need to brown the meat in batches. I did mine in 3 batches. Heat a large Dutch oven over very high heat for 3 minutes. Pour in the olive oil and wait a minute or 2, until the pan is almost smoking. Place the meat in the pan, being careful not to over crowd it. Sear the meat until well browned and caramelized on all sides. Adjust the heat if it seems like the pork is getting too dark. After the meat is browned remove from the pan and reserve on a plate while you continue with the rest of the pork.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion, carrot, and fennel. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the brown crusty bits left in the bottom of the pan. Stir in the bay leaves, crumbled chile de arbol, and the reserved garlic and oregano sprigs. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables start to caramelize.
Pour in the white wine and reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Next, add the stocks and bring to a boil.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel off long strips of zest from the lemon.
Turn off the heat and add the browned pork to the pot. Tuck in the lemon zest strips and cilantro sprigs.
Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil and place on the lid. Put in the oven and braise for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
While the meat is braising, you can prep the root vegetables. Cut off the stem and tip of the carrots and then slice in half lengthwise. Place the carrot halves cut-side down and slice on an angle into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Do the same thing to the parsnips. To prep the turnips, cut of the stem and root ends. Cut the turnips into quarters and then slice each quarter into small wedges approximately the same thickness as the carrot and parsnip pieces.
Next make the gremolata. Place the lemon zest on a cutting board and top with the parsley and garlic. Chop the whole mixture together until very fine. Set aside.
Back to the pork. To test the meat for doneness, remove the lid foil being careful of the steam and spoon out a piece of meat. It should yield easily with the tip of a knife and almost fall apart.
Turn up the oven to 400 degrees F.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the pan and place on a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Return the pork to the oven to caramelize, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the Dutch oven over high heat and reduce the braising liquid to a thick sauce. Taste for seasoning.
While this sauce is thickening and the meat is caramelizing, you should pan roast the vegetables. Heat two large skillets over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in the olive oil and wait 1 minutes. Divide the carrots, parsnips and turnips between the 2 pans and season with 1 teaspoon of pepper 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and the thyme. Stir the vegetables to coat with the oil then cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables have just started to brown.
Add the butter and saute another 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt and continue to cook until the shallots are soft and the vegetables are tender, about 5 more minutes. Combine the vegetables into 1 of the pans and toss with half the gremolata, reserving the rest for garnish.
Spoon the pork onto a large platter and pour over the reduced sauce. Scatter the gremolata coated pan-roasted root vegetables over the top of the pork and then sprinkle with the remaining gremolata. Serve with a hot bowl of creamy polenta.
Okay so observation number one: It turns out that turnips are kind of really good. More that beets, but not as much as rutabagas, turnips have such a geriatric reputation. So not sexy. And yet they are surprisingly great. Especially when they are pan-roasted like this along with carrots and parsnips. The edges get crisp and charred and the insides stay tender. Glazed with butter and then tossed with the bright, fresh, garlicky gremolata, this trio of root vegetables prove themselves to be a worthy companion to the braised pork.
I will tell you that the platter was passed around the table several times for more and more helpings of that pork. Not surprisingly, the combination of the fennel, cumin and corriander spice the pork in a really earthy way, but what I particularly liked about it was the texture of the spices. Not grinding them in a spice mill gives them a really great rustic feel. They almost crust the pork, sort of like a steak au poivre and how the rugged bits of pepper coat the meat. It's a great contrast to how fall-apart tender it is. It seriously will melt in your mouth. To be honest, I probably could have cooked the meat slightly less, because it was so tender, not that I minded. And although it seems fussy to fish the meat out and put it back in the oven while you reduce the sauce, it really does elevate what would be a very typical stew into something more unique. The meat dries out a bit in the oven and sort of gets re-caramelized on the edges, a great contrast to the moist interior. Then you have the freedom to thicken the sauce however much you want. I may have gotten mine a bit thick, but I think it still worked. My guests could not get enough. And I already want to make it again.
Serves 6