Chef Johns Paper Pork Shoulder Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S PORK AL LATTE

Steps:

• Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into a skillet, place over medium heat, and cook bacon, stirring often, until crisp and bacon fat has rendered into the skillet, about 5 minutes.
• Season pork cubes generously with salt and black pepper. Remove bacon from pan and set aside, reserving fat in pan. Turn heat to medium-high and brown pork pieces in bacon drippings until well browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer meat to a bowl, leaving pan drippings in skillet.
• Turn heat to medium and stir in chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir onion until translucent and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir garlic into onion and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour chicken broth and creme fraiche into onion mixture; whisk until smooth. Scrape up and dissolve any browned bits of food on the bottom of the skillet. Bring mixture to a simmer.
• Return bacon to sauce and stir in 2 tablespoons chopped sage. Place pork pieces into simmering sauce along with any accumulated juices from the meat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until meat is almost tender, about 1 hour.
• Raise heat to medium and cook uncovered until pan sauce reduces and thickens and meat is very tender, about 20 more minutes. Stir red pepper flakes into sauce; adjust seasonings to taste.
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat; drop whole sage leaves into the hot oil and cook, lightly tossing leaves in the oil, until crisp, 10 to 15 seconds. Drain sage leaves on paper towels and crumble over pork.

CIDER-BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Generously salt all sides of the pork shoulder chunks. Heat oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Brown pork shoulder pieces until surface is seared and crusty, about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Transfer browned pork to a plate. Add onions to oil and reduce heat to medium and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook and stir about 2 minutes. Add torn sage leaves; cook until onions soften and begin to brown, stirring frequently. Pour cider into pot; stir to deglaze bottom. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in cider vinegar. Reduce heat to low.
• Transfer pork shoulder pieces to cider mixture. Cover; simmer gently on low 1 hour. Remove lid and turn pieces over. Cover; simmer on low until meat is fork tender, 1 to 2 more hours. Transfer pork to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Raise heat to high and bring sauce to a simmer. Whisk in creme fraiche. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half and is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in a pinch of cayenne. Transfer pork back to pot; reduce heat to low. Baste pork with sauce while it heats through and becomes perfectly tender, and the sauce is as thick as you want it, about 15 more minutes.