Work is Hard - Get Some Comfort
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| Work is hard. |
First, we have a simple, but heart-warming soup. It has onions, peppers, kale, and potatoes (all late garden veggies) and it's got Andouille sausage (you could substitute any sausage you want or go Vegetarian and leave it out altogether). I served this soup with some warm focaccia and a big ol' glass of wine (Malbec from Cahors) and it was perfect - rustic, comforting, hearty, but not heavy. Oh, and it was easy to put together, it cooks fairly quickly so it's a good weeknight meal.
Second, we have a dish that when I told my mom about, she made a face. Not a 'Oh how delightful' face, it was a total 'Ewww' face. Husband Josh did his best to not make that same face when I told him I was going to make pork braised in milk, he had some sort of eyebrow seizure and said 'Interesting'. But let me tell you, it was so rich, so divine, and so luxurious, we both sat glued to our chairs after devouring it, unable to move.
These two recipes are incredible soul satisfying. They go perfectly with cold blustery days and crisp Autumn nights. So go for it! And don't forget the wine.
Pork Braised in Milk
Serves 6
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (4 1/2- to 5-pound) boneless pork shoulder roast (without skin), tied
2 large rosemary sprigs
2 large sage sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups whole milk
Kale and Potato Soup with Andouille
Serves 4 (with leftovers)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces Andouille sausage or kielbasa, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (any color you prefer)
2 celery stalks, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth or water work just fine too)
1 ½ pounds thin-skinned yellow or white potatoes, such as Yukon gold, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 4 cups)
1 small bunch kale, tough stems removed and leaves chopped (about 8 cups)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for finishing)
Serves 4 (with leftovers)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces Andouille sausage or kielbasa, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (any color you prefer)
2 celery stalks, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste if desired
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth or water work just fine too)
1 ½ pounds thin-skinned yellow or white potatoes, such as Yukon gold, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 4 cups)
1 small bunch kale, tough stems removed and leaves chopped (about 8 cups)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for finishing)
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Brown the sliced sausage then set aside. Add garlic and onion and cook, stirring often until the onion is starting to soften and the garlic is fragrant but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in bell pepper, celery, bay leaf, paprika, salt, and pepper, cook, stirring often until the vegetables are starting to soften and the bottom of the pot is starting to brown slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. Add wine and cook until mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, and potatoes, cover and bring to a boil. Stir the soup, then add the Andouille back in, followed by the kale, cover and return to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with a drizzle of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil on top.
1. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Brown the sliced sausage then set aside. Add garlic and onion and cook, stirring often until the onion is starting to soften and the garlic is fragrant but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in bell pepper, celery, bay leaf, paprika, salt, and pepper, cook, stirring often until the vegetables are starting to soften and the bottom of the pot is starting to brown slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. Add wine and cook until mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, and potatoes, cover and bring to a boil. Stir the soup, then add the Andouille back in, followed by the kale, cover and return to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with a drizzle of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil on top.
Pork Braised in Milk
Serves 6
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (4 1/2- to 5-pound) boneless pork shoulder roast (without skin), tied
2 large rosemary sprigs
2 large sage sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups whole milk
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
2. Heat oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart ovenproof heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then lightly brown roast on all sides with the herbs, 8 to 10 minutes total. Add garlic and sprinkle roast with sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then cook until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Pour wine over roast and briskly simmer until reduced by half. Pour milk over roast and bring to a bare simmer.
3. Cover pot and braise in oven, turning roast occasionally, until tender (milk will form curds), 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
4. Transfer roast to a carving board and loosely cover. Strain juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl (discard solids), reserving pot, and skim off fat. Return juices to pot and boil until flavorful and reduced to about 2 cups. Season with sea salt and pepper. Slice roast and serve moistened with juices.
Cooks' notes:
Simmering a pork roast with milk results in very tender meat with rich, silky juices. Many Italians will leave the milk curds that form alongside the meat where they are, but you can strain them out for a more refined sauce. Serve this with mashed potatoes or over buttered egg noodles.
1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
2. Heat oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart ovenproof heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then lightly brown roast on all sides with the herbs, 8 to 10 minutes total. Add garlic and sprinkle roast with sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then cook until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Pour wine over roast and briskly simmer until reduced by half. Pour milk over roast and bring to a bare simmer.
3. Cover pot and braise in oven, turning roast occasionally, until tender (milk will form curds), 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
4. Transfer roast to a carving board and loosely cover. Strain juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl (discard solids), reserving pot, and skim off fat. Return juices to pot and boil until flavorful and reduced to about 2 cups. Season with sea salt and pepper. Slice roast and serve moistened with juices.
Cooks' notes:
Simmering a pork roast with milk results in very tender meat with rich, silky juices. Many Italians will leave the milk curds that form alongside the meat where they are, but you can strain them out for a more refined sauce. Serve this with mashed potatoes or over buttered egg noodles.
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That pork dish sounds delicious! Can't wait to try it. What wine would you pair with it?
ReplyDeleteHi Cathy! I paired a really ripe and rich Spanish red. It was the Club Thirst wine for October. But anything with medium-heavy body, ripe fruit and some tannin would work. It's a rich dish so don't plan to do much after.
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