Cut from the leg, pork butt has a lot of flavor but not a lot of fat. That makes it ideal for braising, since the liquid (in this case chicken stock) keeps the meat moist during cooking.The texture of the braised pork butt reminds me of roast fresh ham, which is also cut from the leg. The butt is a delicious, lean chunk of meat that can take either a lot of seasoning or just a little. Here, I keep it pretty simple. After braising it with Jerusalem artichokes and raisins, Icover the meat with a crust of hazelnuts and bread crumbs that gets browned and crunchy when run under the broiler just before the butt is served with its savory sauce. It doesnt really need an accompaniment, but a little crisp salad wouldnt be out of place.
Directions for: Pork butt with Hazelnuts, Golden Raisins and Jerusalem Artichokes
Ingredients
1 cup golden raisins
cup cognac or brandy
cup toasted, peeled, and crushed hazelnuts
cup fresh bread crumbs
7 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus 4 whole sprigs of thyme
tsp finely grated lemon zest
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 5 lb(s) boneless pork butt
cup extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
1 heads garlic, split in half crosswise
4 shallots, peeled and quartered
1 cup dry white wine
3 cup chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
2 lb(s) Jerusalem artichokes, peeled
1 lb(s) cipollini onions, peeled
Directions
1. In a medium pot, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add the raisins, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain. Transfer the raisins to a small bowl and cover with the cognac. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight, or for up to 5 days.
2. Mix together the hazelnuts, bread crumbs, 3 tablespoons of the butter, chopped thyme, and lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide the mixture in half and roll each half out between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
3. Put a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325F.
4. Drain the raisins and reserve the cognac. If there is any excess fat on the pork butt, trim it off and discard. Cut the pork butt in half and season with salt and pepper. In a medium cast-iron pot or Dutch oven overmedium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the pork, garlic,shallots, and 2 of the sprigs of thyme and sear the pork until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
5. Deglaze the pot by adding the reserved cognac and scraping up any browned bits clinging to the bottom ofthe pot. Bring the cognac to a boil, and let reduce until almost all the liquid in the pot has evaporated. Add thewhite wine and chicken stock and return to a boil. Transfer the pork to a plate. Strain the contents of the pot through a colander set over a bowl, reserving the liquid and discarding the garlic, shallots, and thyme.
6. Put the pot back on the stove over medium-high heat and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter with theremaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the Jerusalem artichokes and onions and cook, stirring, until lightgolden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the pork back to the pot along with the reserved liquid and remaining 2 sprigs of thyme and bring to a simmer. Add the raisins, cover, and transfer the pot to the oven.
7. Braise for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. (At this point, the pork can be cooled and refrigerated overnight, if you wish. This cooling will allow any fat in the braising liquid to come to the top for easy removal. The pork can then be reheated in a 325F oven for about 30 minutes.)
8. Preheat the broiler. Remove the hazelnut crust from the refrigerator. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet andtop each pork half with a piece of crust. Broil until the crust is golden brown, about 3 minutes. If the sauce is too thin or is not flavored intensely enough, ladle most of it off into another pot and simmer it until it thickens and intensifies. Then add it back to the original pot. Slice the pork, serving equal pieces of the crust. Spoon the braising liquid over the pork and serve.
See more: Pork, Main, Fruit, Vegetables, Nuts, Braise, North American, Broil, Dinner, Fall, Winter