Accounting for Taste

Oh baby, are you in for a treat! Clear your calendar for one day some weekend soon because this sumptuous Pork Shoulder Braciola with Ragù could be luxuriating in a gentle simmer all afternoon filling your home with tantalizing aromas. And it wouldn’t be right to cook an herby parmesan-stuffed pork shoulder roast recipe without making a Sunday gravy in the same pot to soak up every stray bit of flavor. Don’t fret, this embarrases that jarred “Ragù” that many of us grew up on.

We originally started with a recipe from Bon Appétit but then merged it with some aspects from a Giada De Laurentis ragù. We thought her sauce would add more depth of flavor with additional ingredients. Our recipe below incorporates all of those changes.

Off to a dubious beginning, our supermarket didn’t have any boneless shoulder. Not to be deterred, we got the butcher to remove the bone (at no extra cost), and he packaged it with the now boneless meat. Which turned the bad start into a positive because we added it to the Dutch oven so all of that yummy goodness got cooked into the red gravy.

I mentioned the heady aromas which were making my stomach growl in anticipation for hours, but poor Russ had a head cold and couldn’t smell anything. He kept asking me if it smelled good—luckily he was able to taste because the meal was DELICIOUS!

Although not necessary, you may want to serve with crusty bread to mop up the fabulous sauce. We served ours with a small side salad for an uptick in our daily intake of greens and veggies. Go ahead, you can totally nail this recipe some lazy, stay-at-home afternoon…

Pork Shoulder Braciola with Ragu

Servings: 8
Time: 1 hr prep + 3-3 1/2 hrs cooking + 30 min resting
Difficulty: intermediate
Print

Ingredients

1 4-lb. piece skinless, boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
Kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 head of garlic, cloves separated, half finely chopped, half thinly sliced
½ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
⅓ cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped rosemary
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, plus extra for the ragù
3 oz. Parmesan, coarsely grated, plus finely grated for serving
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 bay leaves
1 cup white wine
3″ Parmesan rind
2 28-oz. cans whole peeled tomatoes, gently mashed with the juices
1 lb. pasta (any shape)

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°. Place pork shoulder, fat side down, on a cutting board with a short end facing you. Holding a long, sharp knife about 1″ above cutting board, make a shallow cut along the entire length of a long side of roast. Continue cutting deeper into the roast, lifting and unfurling meat with your free hand, until it lies flat (be careful not to cut all the way through). Season generously on both sides with salt.
Mix eggs, chopped garlic, panko, parsley, rosemary, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and 3 ounces Parmesan in a medium bowl. Keeping fattier side of pork shoulder facing downward, smear filling all over top side. Roll up roast and tie closed in 3–4 places with kitchen twine.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Sear pork roast until browned all over, 10–12 minutes total.
Once all of the pork has been browned, reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits.
Add the garlic and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and cook until reduced to nearly dry, about 6 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes, Parmesan rind, chile flakes and the herb bundle and bring to a simmer. Return the pork to the pot.
Make sure roast is turned fat side up (if there is one), cover pot, and transfer to oven. Roast until a skewer easily passes through meat (a thermometer inserted into the center should register 200–205°), 3-3 1/2 hours.
Remove meat from pot onto platter, cover with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes.
Transfer pork roast to a cutting board and remove kitchen twine. Slice pork 1″ thick.
Simmer sauce gently to thicken, if desired. Taste ragù and season with salt if needed.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain.
Spoon pasta into a serving dish and top with some ragù; toss to coat. Sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan. Transfer pork to a platter; spoon remaining ragù over.

NOTE: Pork can be stuffed and rolled 2 days before roasting; cover and chill. Pork can also be roasted 3 days ahead; let cool, then cover and chill. Reheat gently in sauce before serving.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Step-By-Step Pictorial

Finely chop half of the garlic and thinly slice the other half.

Mix eggs, chopped garlic, panko, parsley, rosemary, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and 3 ounces Parmesan in a medium bowl.

Cut deep into the roast, lifting and unfurling meat with your free hand, until it lies flat (be careful not to cut all the way through).

Smear filling all over inside. Roll up roast.

Tie closed in 3–4 places with kitchen twine.

Sear on all sides to brown for about 12 minutes total.

Hand crush the canned tomatoes, leaving some good sized chunks.

Cook the onions for about 8 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits.

Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and cook until reduced to nearly dry.

Add the crushed tomatoes, Parmesan rind, chile flakes and the herb bundle and bring to a simmer.

Return the pork (and bone) to the pot.

Roast until a skewer easily passes through meat, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

Remove meat from pot, cover with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaves, parmesan rinds and herb bouquet. Gently reduce the sauce for about 15 minutes to thicken slightly.

After resting, transfer pork roast to a cutting board and remove kitchen twine. Slice pork 1″ thick.

Transfer sliced pork to a platter; spoon some ragù over meat.

Spoon pasta into a serving dish and top with some ragù; toss to coat. Sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan. Plate individual servings with some pasta, sliced meat, additional ragù and more grated parm if desired.

Need dinner in a pinch? Colorful and comforting, this stew-like Speedy Sausage and White Bean Soup satisfies, and in quick fashion. There’s a lot of rosemary in the dish, but it doesn’t overwhelm—the sausage and hearty vegetables can more than handle it. Combined with our homemade chicken stock, this soup was definitely something to write home about!

To bump up the health factor, increase the amount of kale and beans and reduce the sausage to a 1/2 pound; and/or substitute turkey sausage. Our changes included using cannellini beans (as oppposed to the Great Northern) and a double-dose of curly kale. BTW, all beans are considered low GI, but with a GI score of 31, cannellini beans are clearly one of the least glycemic beans, and this low GI rating is responsible for many of the health benefits of said bean. What’s more, foods with a low glycemic score can help you shed off pounds, especially around the waist… I’m listening…

White Bean 101: Cannellini, Great Northern and Navy are three popular types of white beans. What’s the difference between them you ask?

Cannellini beans are large and have that traditional kidney shape. With a slightly nutty taste and mild earthiness, they have a relatively thin skin and tender, creamy flesh. They hold their shape well and are one of the best white beans for salads and ragouts.

Great Northern beans are smaller than cannellinis and and suitable for any number of uses: salads, soups, stews, ragouts, purees. Their texture is slightly grainy, with a nutty, dense flavor. Popular in North America, Great Northerns look like white baby lima beans.

Navy beans are small and oval and cook relatively quickly. Known as Boston beans, the white coco, pea beans or alubias chicas, Navy beans are perfect for dishes that don’t need the full bean shape to shine: purees, soups, stews and baked beans.

Now that you are a white bean connoisseur, go ahead and use them interchangeably in future recipes—or this one for starters…

NOTE: If your grocery store does not carry bulk sausage, buy the fat sweet links and remove the casings.

Speedy Sausage, Tomato and White Bean Soup

Servings: 6
Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: very easy
Print

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
1 medium russet potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary
1 15.5-oz. can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5-oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 oz. (or more) curly kale, tough stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped (about 2-4 packed cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano, for serving
Crusty bread (optional)

Directions

In a 5- to 6-quart dutch oven or similar heavy-duty pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up, until just cooked through, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Add the onion, carrot, and potato to the pot, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and rosemary, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans, tomatoes, and stock, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, skimming as needed.
Add the kale and reserved sausage, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with the cheese and with crusty bread, if you like.