Roast Pork with Milk
An easy, luxurious, and always surprising dish in which the milk becomes curds and the pork wonderfully tender. As long as you use the right cut, that is: be sure to get a roast from the shoulder end, either a rib (shoulder) roast or a piece of shoulder (Boston butt). The garlic variation is really majestic, but I begin with the milder version for those non-garlic-lovers out there. This is a very rich, very filling dish. You might serve it with nothing more than bread (or rice) and salad. Other cuts of meat you can use here: to my surprise, a friend suggested I try this with bone-in chicken thighs, and it worked beautifully. Much quicker, too.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put a heavy lidded pot or flameproof casserole that will hold the roast snugly over medium-high heat and add the oil, swirling to coat. When the oil shimmers, add the roast. Brown well on all sides, turning the meat as necessary, about 10 minutes, perhaps longer. While the meat is browning, sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Add enough milk to the pan to come most of the way up the sides of the roast. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Simmer (adjust the heat as necessary), partly covered, for at least an hour, turning the roast once or twice.
Step 3
Cook until the roast is quite tender and the milk is reduced to small nut-brown clumps. If the milk begins to dry out before the roast is cooked, add 1/2 cup milk, repeating if necessary.When the pork is done, transfer it to a warm serving platter.
Step 4
Spoon off most of the fat from the sauce and add 1/4 cup water. Turn the heat to high and reduce, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge bits of pork. Carve the meat into slices, then pour half of the sauce over the roast and pass the rest at the table. Serve immediately.
Roast Pork and Garlic with Milk
Step 5
In step 1, separate 2 heads of garlic into cloves and peel them; brown the cloves in the oil, stirring occasionally, before adding the roast; this will take about 5 minutes. Remove the garlic as you brown the roast, then add it back to the pan with the milk and a fresh rosemary sprig. You can serve the sauce as is or use a food mill, an immersion blender, or an upright blender to puree the mixture, working in batches if necessary. (In this as in every instance, use care when pureeing hot liquid; it’s best, if you have the time, to let the mixture cool to room temperature before pureeing. The meat may be covered with foil and held in a warm oven while you’re working on the sauce.)
