Cream and Butter Braised Pork

This recipe sounds a little odd at first but once you have tried it you will add it to your stable of safe recipes that will never fail to impress - good hearty farmhouse cooking which originates in the Veneto region of Italy.

You will need

A joint of shoulder pork boned and rolled (it helps if the skin and outer layer of fat are removed). Slow grown rare breed pork with a dark colour is best suited. Loin boned and rolled can also be used but shoulder lends itself better to this recipe and is also cheaper.

• Olive oil
• Butter
• Carrots (8 or 9 cut into 2” strips)
• Onion (large and chopped fine)
• Stock cube or paste (vegetable or chicken will do)
• Black peppercorns (1 tbsp should do)
• 1 litre full fat organic milk (scalded)
• 125ml organic double cream

Here’s what you do

Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg cel. (gas mark 4)

In a large casserole pan heat a good glug of olive oil and soften the onion and carrot (eight minutes approx) then move the vegetables to one side and seal the pork joint on all sides in the hot pan (two minutes a side should be enough) season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper as the pork goes in. Add the peppercorns and stock at this stage.

After a couple of minutes remove from the heat and pour in the scalded milk and add a good dollop of butter. Cover and place in a mid oven for about two and a half hours. Remove the meat and rest.

The milk will probably have separated at this stage so whilst gently stirring add the cream and bring up to heat but do not boil.

Slice the meat (it will fall apart) and serve, spoon over the sauce with the carrots. Here is the best bit, this dish can be served with potatoes, polenta, rice or gnocchi but mashed spud is just as good.

More recipes in the Main Course category