Despite ‘s pulled pork’s image of being rich and heavy, this is a surprisingly light soup filled with pork, leek, and sweet corn flavor.  Because the leek and corn are just barely cooked at the very end, they maintain a lot of their texture and flavor.  Their sweetness and tiny crunch reaches past the pork to grab your attention, a surprise delight.

Drink Pairings: Bruner Veltliner from Austria or Savagnin for Jura

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
~ 1lb of any pork braising cut (we used pork osso bucco, but you could use kurobuta pork shoulder, kurobuta cheek meat, etc) 
½ cup aromatic White Wine (we used Riesling)
¼ cup Carrot, Medium Diced
¼ cup Celery, Medium Diced
1/3 cup Onion, Medium Diced
1 Bay Leaf
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled
1 quart Chicken Stock
1 Leek
1 Ear of Sweet Corn
1 tsp of Unsalted Butter
Olive Oil
Salt

Directions:

1. Optional: If oven braising, preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

2. Let the pork come to room temperature. Dab off any surface moisture.

3. Get oil hot in a dutch oven, add the pork, and sear it on all sides in order to develop a golden brown crust.

4. Remove & reserve the pork, drain the excess fat and deglaze the pan with the wine.

5. Reduce the wine until almost completely evaporated. 

6. Add the carrots, onions, and celery. Saute until softened.

7. Add enough chicken stock to cover along with the bay leaf, garlic cloves, and seared pork.

8. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise (either on the stove top or in the oven) for about an hour and a half, or until tender.

9. Once the pork has braised, let the contents of the pot cool completely. Remove the pork from the liquid (reserve the rest), and pick the meat from any bones. Shred the meat into bite sized pieces with your fingers or two forks.

10. Move the remaining braising liquid to a saucepan on the stove to reheat. Taste for seasoning and add salt & pepper if necessary.

11. Remove the top and bottom portions of the leek. Slice the middle into thin disks.

12. Peel the husk from the corn and snap off the stem. Slice the kernels off of the ear by holding the ear perpendicular (vertical) to the cutting board and slicing down. 

13. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Sweat the leeks until translucent, add a tsp of butter, salt, pepper, and the corn. Toss the corn in the melted butter and add the shredded pork.  Cook, stirring, until the pork has heated through.

14. Pile the pork, leek, and corn in the middle of a large bowl, and use a ladle to drizzle the braising liquid soup around it.  Serve.

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Best pulled pork sandwich ever?

Drink Pairings: US Microbrew Brown Ale or English Porter

Ingredients: (Makes 2 Servings)
~ 1lb of any pork braising cut (we used pork osso bucco, but you could use kurobuta pork shoulder, kurobuta cheek meat, etc) 
½ cup aromatic White Wine (we used Riesling)
¼ cup Carrot, Medium Diced
¼ cup Celery, Medium Diced
1/3 cup Onion, Medium Diced
1 Bay Leaf
2 Garlic Cloves, peeled
1 quart Chicken Stock
6 tbsp Mayonnaise
4 tbsp Barbeque Sauce, either use your favorite brand or try this barbeque sauce recipe
Aged Sheep’s Cheese (we used Garrotxa)
Butter Lettuce
2 Brioche Buns (or your other burger bun of choice)

Plus: 2 tbsp Salsa Verde

Directions:
1. Optional: For oven braising, preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

2. Let the pork come to room temperature.  Dab off any surface moisture.

3. Get oil hot in a dutch oven, add the pork, and sear it on all sides in order to develop a golden brown crust.

4. Remove and reserve the pork, drain off the excess oil and fat.

5. Deglaze the pan with the wine.

6. Reduce the wine until almost completely evaporated. 

7. Add the carrots, onions, and celery.  Saute until softened

8. Add enough chicken stock to cover along with the bay leaf, garlic cloves and reserved pork.

9. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise, either on the stove top or in the oven for about an hour and a half or until tender.

10. Once the pork has braised, let the contents of the pot cool completely.  Remove the pork from the liquid (reserve the rest), and pick the meat from any bones.  Shred the meat into bite sized pieces with your fingers or two forks. Store in your refrigerator until needed.

11. When you’re ready to make the sandwiches, reheat the shredded pork in a sauce pan with the barbeque sauce.

12. Stir together the mayonnaise and salsa verde until combined.

13. Grill or toast the brioche bun.

14. Spread the salsa verde mayo on the bun, pile on the pork meat, and top with grated cheese to taste.  Finish with butter lettuce, and serve.

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Pork Recipes

For a twist, we made one with equal parts orange zest, pine nuts, and chives, plus sea salt and ground pink peppercorns to taste. It paired perfectly with the veal osso bucco stuffed sashimi tuna in the 21st Century Vitello Tonnato recipe.

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Citrus Fruit Recipes
Fresh Herb Recipes
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Braising is a surprisingly easy cooking technique that can be used to turn affordable cuts of meat into meltingly tender, succulent treats.  The basic idea is to slow roast a tougher cut of meat in a pot with a small amount of flavorful liquid until the connective tissue breaks down and melts into the sauce. 

The braised dish Americans are most familiar with is probably pot roast, but it is also often used for braised lamb shanks, Italian osso bucco, and short ribs.

Check out our Braising Liquid Recipes for some great options, all perfect for this technique.

Basic Braising Technique:

1.  Remove the meat from your refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.

2.  Dry off any surface moisture & season the meat with salt & pepper.

3.  Get a thin layer of oil in an oven-safe pot or Dutch oven very hot on the stove.

4.  Carefully lay the meat into the oil and sear it on all sides to develop a flavorful brown crust.

5.  Once all your meat has been seared on all sides, remove it from the pot and set aside.  Reduce the heat to low and add vegetables (often carrots, onions, and celery (aka mirepoix)).

6.  Sweat the vegetables (sauté to release their flavor and aroma, but not take on color) until soft.

7.  Deglaze the plan with a flavorful liquid or combination of liquids.  Commonly used liquids include alcohol (usually red wine, but some recipes may call for beer or fortified wines) and stock or broth.

8.  Gently scrape the bottom of your pan while simmering the liquid to release the flavorful browned bits.  Once the liquid has reduced somewhat, add any herbs (thyme, rosemary and bay leaves are popular choices).

9.  Return the meat to the pan, add the lid, and move it to the stove to slowly cook for several hours over low heat.  Alternatively, you could do your braising in a pressure cooker on the stovetop, which will cook your meat significantly faster. 

Good Meat Cuts for Braising:
Bellies
Cheeks
Ribs (particularly short ribs)
Roasts
Shanks and Osso Bucco

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Meat Tips & Techniques

This recipe works for as many or as few pieces of osso bucco that you care to put in your dutch oven. The great thing about veal osso bucco is that it comes individually vacuum sealed. So, simply take out the number of pieces that you want, and get started with the below how-to:

Basic Steps:
1. Pat the osso bucco dry.

2. Season the meat with salt and pepper.

3. Sear the meat for about 3 minutes on each side in a hot pan with a high temp oil, such as canola, peanut, grapeseed, or clarified butter. You’ll know the meat is seared when it releases easily from the pan and has a nice brown color. Searing the meat before braising carmelizes and adds texture.

4. Once seared, remove from pan.

5. Make the braising liquid.

6. Transfer braising pan to oven at 325 for about 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender.

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Braising Liquid Recipes
Osso Bucco Recipes
Veal Recipes
Venison Recipes
Meat Tips & Techniques
Culinary Techniques

Mire Poix & Tomato Paste Braising Liquid

i. Add 1.5 cups mire poix to dutch oven stirring occasionally, until caramelized
ii. Add a teaspoon of tomato paste, stir into mire poix and cook for a couple minutes
iii. Add cup of red wine
iv. Scrape the pan to release the fond
v. Reduce liquid by half to three-quarters, or until the liquid is thick.
vi. Once the braising liquid is thick, return osso bucco to pan. Rub the osso bucco in the liquid, then flip it over, rub the other side in the liquid and let sit.
vii. Add simmering stock to the braising pan. Add enough stock to cover meat half-way or you can cover the meat completely, depending on how much liquid you want in the final dish.

Port & Red Wine Braising Liquid
i. Add a tablespoon of butter to the dutch oven
ii. Add a sliced onion and cook on high until browned
iii. Deglaze with cup each of port and red wine
iv. Reduce by ¼
v. Add 1 bay leaf and a couple sprigs of fresh thyme
vi. Return the meat to the pan
vii. Add 2 cups of simmering demi-glace

Classic Italian Braising Liquid

i. Add 1 cup mire poix, 3 whole garlic cloves and ¼ leeks
ii. Sweat the vegetables, but do not caramelize.
iii. Add 1 large sprig each of thyme and rosemary
iv. Add half-bottle of red wine (Brunello)
v. Add quart of simmering veal stock
vi. Do not reduce.

Garlic & Tomatoes Braising Liquid
i. Add 1.5 cups mire poix and 2 minced cloves garlic. Brown slightly.
ii. Deglaze with 1.5 cups of red wine
iii. Add a sprig each of rosemary and thyme
iv. Add 2 large cubed roma tomatoes
v. Reduce to cook down the tomatoes and until the liquid thickens a bit.

Coconut Milk Braising Liquid

i. Add ½ cup onion and 3 tablespoons each of garlic, jalapeno and ginger. Sweat.
ii. Add 8 oz. coconut milk & 24 oz. chicken stock

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This is a rustic Italian-style dish featuring pulled/shredded wild boar shank meat slow roasted in the oven and served atop mascarpone polenta.  Boquerones compound butter and a fresh gremolata add a salty/astringent zing to the whole dish.

Slow roasting shank meat instead of braising it yields a delicious result, but the meat tightens up enough that it’s hard to get off the bone easily with table utensils.  Though we photographed (and tried to eat) the meat on the bone here, we recommend that you serve it already cut from the bone and shredded.

Drink Pairings: Nebbiolo or Sangiovese from Tuscany

Ingredients: (4 servings)
2 Wild Boar Hindshanks
2 stalks of Celery, roughly chopped
2 Carrots, roughly chopped
1 – 1½ Onions (depending on size), roughly chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, smashed w/ skin on
1 tbsp Butter
Peanut Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Polenta:
3 cups Chicken Stock
1 cup Polenta
½ cup Mascarpone Cheese
½ cup Heavy Cream
Salt & Pepper to taste

Gremolata:
4 sprigs fresh Italian Parsley, minced
Zest of one Lemon, minced
1 clove of Garlic, minced

Boquerones Compound Butter:
2 Boquerones Fillets
5-6 tbsp Unsalted Butter
3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, minced
Salt to taste

Plus: 4 cups of brining solution

1. Brine the shanks overnight.

2. Preheat your oven to 325.

3. Get peanut oil hot in a pan or cast-iron skillet on medium-medium high heat.

4. Sear the shanks on all sides.

5. Remove the shanks from the pan, and add the mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery) and butter.  Sweat the vegetables for a few minutes, until softened.

6. Return the shanks to the pan, on top of the vegetables, and add the garlic.  Move the pan to the oven to roast for about 2 hours (until tender).

7. Mash the boquerones and thyme into the butter.  Add salt to taste.

8. Mix together the lemon zest, parsley, and garlic to make the gremolata.

9. Cook the polenta following this basic polenta recipe.  Stir in the mascarpone and cream.  Taste for seasoning.

10. Using two forks, shred the wild boar meat off the shank bone.

11. Serve the polenta in a shallow bowl, topped with the wild boar shank meat.  Make a quenelle from the boquerones butter, and put it on top of the shank meat.  Finish the plate with gremolata and extra virgin olive oil.

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Wild Boar Recipes
Osso Bucco & Shank Recipes

Braised Grain-Fed Veal Osso Bucco and Sashimi Tuna Roll with Celery Root Horseradish Mash, Pignoli Nut Chive Gremolata and Bone Marrow Balsamic Reduction

By Dino Jagtiani from Temptation in St.Maarten, St. Maarten

Ingredients:
1 grain fed veal shank (3 inches)
as needed Kosher salt and white pepper
as needed flour (for dredging)
as needed olive oil and butter
1 onion (thinly sliced)
1 cup port wine
1 cup red wine
2 cups Le Quebecois brand demi glace
as needed fresh thyme, bay leaf
1 each celery root (large diced)
1 each Idaho potato (large diced)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp prepared horseradish
8 oz fresh sashimi quality tuna loin (as large as possible)
as needed extra virgin olive oil
as needed pink peppercorns, and sea salt
1/2 cup mirepoix (brunoised,and sauteed…carrots, turnips, celery)
1/4 cup shallots (finely chopped)
1 tsp honey
2 oz balsamic vinegar
1/2 zest of orange
1/4 bunch fresh chives minced
1/4 cup pignoli (pine nuts) (toasted)

Method:

Braise veal shank:

1.  Remove as much bone marrow from inside the bone as possible, and set aside. Season veal shank with salt, pepper, and dredge in flour.
2.  Sear on all sides in hot olive oil.
3.  Remove from pan, add butter, and add sliced onions, allow to caramelize (as if making onion soup).
4.  When onions are nicely browned, deglaze with port & red wine. Add the seared veal shank, and cover with demi glace. Add a bay leaf, and few sprigs of fresh thyme. Braise on low heat, covered, for 3 hours.
5.  Allow the veal shank to cool in the braising liquid until ready to use.

Prepare celery root mash:

1.  Combine celery root & potatoes in cold salted water.
2.  Cook until fork tender.
3.  Strain, and pass through food mill (same procedure as mash potatoes).
4.  Add sour cream, horseradish, season with salt, and pepper and set aside.

Prep tuna:

1.  Thinly slice tuna loin into perfect rectangle slices of 4×6 inches. (Tip: use a 4×6 index card as a guide) Save trimmings for another use.
2.  Brush both sides with extra virgin olive oil, and season with sea salt, and pink peppercorns.
3.  Layer between sheets of parchment paper. Keep chilled until ready to use.

Make filling:

1.  Remove veal shank from the cooking liquid. Pull meat off the bone.
2.  Using a fork, shred as thinly as possible.
3.  Add a bit of braising liquid to moisten the meat, add the sauteed and brunoised mirepoix.
4.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Make Gremolata:

1.  Combine chives, pignoli nuts, orange zest, pink peppercorns, and sea salt. Set aside.

Make Rolls:

1.  Use approx 2 Tbsp of the pulled veal shank filling per roll. Use tuna slices as wrappers. Roll using similar technique for rolling sushi rolls. Slice each roll into 2.

Make Reduction sauce:

1.  Reduce braising liquid to 1 cup, and strain.
2.  Melt the bone marrow in a saute pan like butter, and saute the shallots.
3.  Deglaze with honey, and balsamic, and add this to the sauce.

To Plate:

1.  On rectangular appetizer plate, make a quenelle style dollop of the celery root puree in the center, lay the roll over it in a criss-cross manner.
2.  Top with gremolata, and spoon reduction sauce around in an oval shape.

Enjoy.

Black & Tan Sirloin, Shank Confit & Southern Fried
by Chef Dean Thomas

“This menu item features three various preparations for wild boar. First, I sear the loin and make a pan sauce using the classic combination of Guinness and Bass Ale as the inspiration for the Black & Tan Sauce. The shank is trimmed to remove the small bone and muscle then cured and simmered in duck fat. Finally taking the tenderloin, pound thinly to make a southern-fried fritter served with a fennel-watercress slaw.”

Yield: 8 Servings
Created by: Dean A. Thomas, Executive Chef

INGREDIENTS:

Boar Shank Confit
8 each, trimmed 3 oz. with bone Fresh Boar Hind Shanks, trimmed to remove the small bone and muscle; cured for 24 hours
1 oz. Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
½ oz. Granulated Sugar
2 sprigs Thyme
2 cups to cover Rendered Duck Fat

Parsnip Puree & Fried Parsnip Chip Garnish
1 Lb. Parsnips, peeled, large diced, and shaved into chips to deep fry
Salt to taste
¼ cup Heavy Cream
2 tbsp Whole Butter

Loin, Black & Tan Sauce
8- 3 oz. portions Boar Loin Medallions, trimmed completely
Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste
1 tsp. Butter
1 each Onion, thinly sliced
1/8 tsp. Caraway Seed, crushed
1 each Bay Leaf
2 tsp. Brown Sugar
2 tsp Ketchup
6 oz. Guinness Stout
6 oz. Bass Ale
6 oz. Veal Demi-Glace
1 tsp. Malt Vinegar
6 oz. Fresh Sweet Pea Tendrils
Shavings Super Aged Gouda Cheese, Winchester Cheese Farms

Boar Fritter
8- 2 oz. portions Boar Tenderloin, Sliced thin and pounded
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1 Whole Egg
1 cup Bread Crumbs

Fennel Watercress Slaw
1 large Fennel Bulb, blanched & thinly sliced
1 Lime, Zested & Juiced
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¾ cup Upland Cress & Amaranth Sprouts
Fennel Frond Oil, Salt & Pepper to taste

Method of Preparation:
For the Boar Shank, begin by separating the two bones and muscles of the shank, reserving the small shank inside; season and cure overnight. In a heavy gauge pan over low heat, lightly poach in the duck fat until tender and ready to fall of the bone. Reserve for service where the shank will be fried to crisp the outer skin.

For the Parsnip Puree, just cover the diced parsnip in salted water. Simmer until fully cooked. Drain and place into a blender, puree with the heavy cream and butter until very smooth. Reserve for service.

For the Black & Tan Sirloin, preheat a heavy duty sauté pan. Season the loin portions with salt & pepper. Sear the medallions over high heat in butter to caramelize. Do not overcook the boar; leaving for carry over cooking at just under medium. Remove from pan and reserve for service. Add the onions and slowly caramelize the onion, caraway seed, brown sugar, bay leaf and ketchup until dark and sweet. Deglaze the pan with both the Guinness and Bass Ale; reduce until about two tablespoons of liquid remain. Add the veal reduction and bring to a simmer. Strain and adjust seasoning with the malt vinegar. Reserve for service. Later the item will be arranged with blanched pea tendrils and shaved gouda.

For the boar fritter, season and lightly bread in a standard method. Deep fry until golden brown. For the slaw, mix all the ingredients and let rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator before service to allow the flavors to develop.

For Presentation & Service:
On a warm service plate, place two tablespoons of fennel-watercress slaw at one end, shingle with the boar fritter and drizzle with green fennel frond oil.

In the center, place two tablespoons of the parsnip puree in a small mound, shingle the crispy boar shank.

Finally, place the seared, rested boar medallion over a tablespoon of “black & tan” sauce and garnish with the pea tendrils.

Bon Appetit!