Pork meat in a serving platter

~ Slow Braised Pork Roast with Aromatic Vegetables ~

With winter seemingly unprepared to relent, a few weeks ago I made a wonderful slow braised pork roast following a recipe handed down over generations by the Aunt a family friend.  Simple, comforting and delicious, this succulent braise will make your kitchen smell heavenly for hours on end.  Special thanks to Larsino and his Aunt, Rossana.

Arista alla Rossana

2 to 2 1/2 pound boneless pork roast
5 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 Celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 medium fennel bulb, coarsely chopped
1 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1 potato, skin on, cut up
1 cup dry white wine
3 sprigs Rosemary
8 sage leaves
500ml Vegetable Stock

Chop the vegetables and set aside.

Pork roast and vegetables

~ Mis en place ~

 

Carrots, Fennel, and Celery chopped in a bowl

~ In this image you can see the size of the vegetable pieces ~

 

~ Likewise, here you can see the size of the potato and onion. Note too, that the meat hasn’t been browned yet. Get your vegetables ready first! ~

Meanwhile, in a heavy bottomed pot, add about 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  Salt and pepper the meat to taste and begin browning the meat on all sides over medium heat until a nice color develops.  This should take about 2 minutes per side.  When the meat is browned, remove to a plate and then add the vegetables to the pot.  Sauté until the vegetables soften, about 6-8 minutes.  They will begin to pick up some color from the bottom of the pot.

Pork roast browning in a pan

~ The browning roast which has been salted and peppered liberally ~

Add the vegetables to the pot and stir regularly until they are softened.

View of stove top with vegetables and meat

~ Here are the vegetables after first going into the pot. The meat is resting after being browned ~

Once the vegetables soften, add the white wine, turn the heat to high and deglaze the pot.  Scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom and allow them to flavor your dish!  Return the meat to the pot.

~ You can see the wine and softened vegetables in this image and the meat is resting on top of everything ~

After you return the meat to the pot, add the vegetable stock and lower the flame to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for approximately 2 hours.  Then uncover and continue simmering for 1 hour. By this time, although the meat may still feel somewhat firm,  it will be very tender.

~ This is the meat and the vegetables after almost 3 hours. Even with the lid on, the liquid has reduced noticeably ~

Remove the meat from the pot and leave it at room temperature.  Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool, about 15 minutes.  Using an immersion blender (hand held stick blender)  pulse the vegetables and their broth into a chunky puree.  This will form the sauce for the meat. Slice the meat into 1/4 to 1/2″ pieces. It will be falling apart tender and arrange in a serving platter.

Sliced pork falling apart on the cutting board

~ Here’s the sliced meat on a cutting board resting while the puree warms. You can see how tender it is ~

~ This is the puree of the vegetables and the liquid. It was a thick, very flavorful and complex sauce for the meat. It has taken on the color of the carrots – I may use fewer carrots next time ~

Finally,  just before serving,  warm the puree and pour over the meat slices.  Garnish with chopped fennel fronds and serve in a decorative platter, family style.

~ The finished dish in the serving platter ~

We tried several wines with this dish and weren’t disappointed in any of them.  We opened a Brunello, a Barolo, and a Cabernet based Super Tuscan and each picked up different aspects of the dish.  In short, wine friendly, so have at it!

Do you have questions about this Recipe? Leave a comment or email me at Tuscanvines@yahoo.com

Salute!

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