Braised Pork and Penne Agro Dolce

mmm. . . pork shoulder. Over the course of my time in the kitchen I have undergone a bit of a metamorphosis as far as my favorite things are concerned. In the beginning, I favored the more naturally tender cuts and did not seem find much time to spare for the so called lesser cuts. As the years rolled on I have found more satisfaction and glee in those lesser cuts than I ever did with say, a tenderloin of beef. Whether it is wisdom or skill that changed my way of thinking, I am just glad I changed. After all, with a tenderloin of beef, you know ahead of time that unless you are the most horrid cook on this planet, it will turn out fork tender.  But, what about a lesser cut?

Whether by friends, family or restaurant, I have been served some of the most wretchedly tough, dry chuck stews and pork shoulders; some of the things my grandmothers did to meat were utterly horrifying. There really is no call for such difficult to swallow nonsense as a simple solution exists that takes a cut from chewy to weak in the knees delicious. It only requires a tiny bit more work than simply tossing everything together in a pot and hoping for the best. This simple technique is braising and its results are of the kind Phil will gladly risk a hand slapping or kitchen banishment for. Last week I made a braised pork shoulder dish that was so good, I didn’t bother slapping his hand and instead joined him in sampling this porky delight.

I chose to do my pork shoulder in the Italian style of agro dolce, which is a varying combination of sweet and sour flavors. In my research of agro dolce in cookery I found a wide array of variations, but most shared the common thread of raisins and vinegar between them. Most recipes contain sugar, which I just couldn’t bring myself to add, instead relying on the sweetness of the black currant for that sugary touch. Many recipes also contain red wine vinegar, which I have switched out for cider vinegar, as I am not partial to red wine vinegar. Other relatives of agro dolce contain chocolate to add richness and depth while others use honey in place of sugar. I found that agro dolce, like all dishes has no one set of ingredients, but guidelines and these guidelines change from town to town and house to house.

My first experience with agro dolce was almost two years ago at Lucca and Italian restaurant in Boston’s North End neighborhood. They served cinghale agro dolce (sweet and sour wild boar), but with one big difference from all of the agro dolces I have read about, at Lucca the agro dolce was creamy and a bit cheesey. In creating my recipe I kept that lovely sauce in mind and did my best to recreate it.

Now, I have to admit, that while my dish is delicious, I have yet to figure out the magical combination they serve at Lucca. I guess I will just have to go back east for a visit and another taste. Till then, I will just have to keep trying and I promise to share if I ever figure out the magical combination.

Braised Pork and Penne Agro Dolce

Generous Splash of Olive Oil

1 Pork Shoulder, cut into large chunks, brined overnight and well drained before use

2 Onions, sliced thin

1 Carrot, diced

2 Celery Stalks, diced

4 Garlic Cloves, smashed and minced

1 cup Currants

1-2 TBS Tomato Paste, (do not exceed 2TBS for this or you will regret it)

1/4 cup Cider Vinegar

2 cups of Dry Red Wine

Stock, to cover

2 Cloves

1 Bay Leaf

1/2 tsp or so Freshly Ground Pepper

1/4 to 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1 cup Parmesan, grated at room temp

3/4 to 1 cup Cream, slightly warmed

1 lb Penne, cooked al dente

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat and sear your pork, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Set aside your seared pork and add the onions, allowing them to soften and get a bit brown. At this point add in your carrot, celery and garlic. Cook a minute or so, then stir in the currants and tomato paste, fry a moment and deglaze with the vinegar, being careful of the rather acrid backdraft. Add in the wine, stock, cloves, bay, sea salt and pepper, stir, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

After the mixture has simmered the allotted time, use tongs to remove the fork tender pork to a plate and allow to cool a moment before commencing to shred. During this time, spoon 1/2 of the onion/currant mixture into a blender and puree until smooth and return to your pot and simmer on low while the pork is being shred. This is about the time you should be getting that penne going as well. Stir in the shredded pork, parmesan and warm cream before tossing in the penne.

Serve topped with a little extra Parmesan and/or a sprinkling of pine nuts and devour. Serves 6-8

Note: Do not cut your pork in too small of pieces, you will need to fish them out of the pot later to shred.

*I like to brine mine overnight with bay and pepper. I know there are some that believe this is a tedious step, if that is your feeling than go with it. I however like my pork brined and dangerous.