Oven Braised Pork Food

BRAISED PORK SHANK

Steps:

• For the brine: Bring the water to a simmer in a large non-reactive pot. Turn off the heat and add salt, sugar, coriander, peppercorns, rosemary, bay leaf and garlic and bring to a simmer. Whisk until the salt and sugar is dissolved, and then let it cool in the fridge or an ice bath until the brine hits a temperature of 35 degrees F.
• Add the shanks to the cooled brine and weigh down with a plate to ensure that the shanks are completely submerged. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
• After brining, remove the shanks from the brining liquid to a baking sheet lined with a clean kitchen towel to dry off a bit. Discard the brining liquid.
• For the braise: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Heat a large Dutch oven or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Pour in enough oil so that it covers the bottom of the Dutch oven or roasting pan completely. Put some flour in a shallow dish. Add a heavy pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper to the flour and whisk to combine. Dredge the shanks in the flour, shaking off the excess, and add them to the pan. In order to get a nice even golden-brown sear, you don't want to overcrowd the pan. (Do this step in two batches if necessary.) Brown the shanks on all sides, a few minutes per side, then remove to a plate while you sear the rest.
• Add the celery, onions, carrots, garlic, rosemary and thyme with a large pinch of salt. Sweat the vegetables until tender, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and reduce by three-quarters. Add the apple cider and reduce by half. Add half the chicken stock and bring the braising liquid up to a simmer. Taste it for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper if necessary. Place the shanks back into the pan; the liquid should go about halfway up the shanks. If it does not, add the rest of the liquid until it reaches the desired half. Put the pan in the oven and cook until the meat is tender, about 200 degrees F when checked with a meat thermometer, 4 to 5 hours.
• Remove the shanks from the oven and carefully transfer the shanks to another large pan. Then strain the braising liquid over the shanks. Cool them in the liquid overnight in the refrigerator.
• The next day, reheat the shanks in their liquid. Then remove them to a large serving platter. Spoon some of the braising liquid over the meat.

BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Crisp pancetta in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, until fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
• Add onions to Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Transfer to plate using slotted spoon.
• Season pork with salt and pepper. Add oil to Dutch oven, and sear pork, fat side down, until golden, about 5 minutes. Flip, and repeat.
• Add garlic and spices to pot. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ale, stock, pancetta, and onions; bring to a simmer. Transfer to oven, and braise pork, covered, basting every hour, until meat is falling off the bone, about 4 hours. Shred meat (just what you're using) using 2 forks, and drizzle with warm skimmed jus.

BRAISED PORK BELLY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, carefully place one piece of pork in the saute pan and sear, turning once, until golden. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining pieces of pork. Set aside.
• Carefully add the beer to the drippings in the pan and cook, scraping up the cooked bits with a wooden spoon, until reduced.
• Heat the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil in a large flame-proof roasting pan over medium heat. Add the celery, onions, carrots, garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the pork to the roasting pan. Add the deglazed pan juices and enough chicken stock to cover the pork and vegetables. Add the peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves and 2 generous pinches of salt. Cover the pan with foil and braise for 3 hours. Remove the foil and roast 30 minutes more. This will allow the pork to gain a beautiful color and for the braising liquid to reduce.
• Let the pork cool in the braising liquid for 30 minutes to increase tenderness. Remove the pork from the roasting pan and strain the braising liquid. Refrigerate separately until ready to use. The pork can be served sliced or shredded.

BRAISED COUNTRY-STYLE PORK RIBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Pat the ribs dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2
• tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the ribs
• on all sides, working in batches if needed. Remove the ribs and set aside. Add
• the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the Dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium.
• Add the carrots, celery, onions and some salt and pepper and cook until soft,
• about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add
• the tomato paste and cook, stirring, to remove the raw flavor, about 3 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, and then add the red pepper flakes and bay
• leaves.
• Add the ribs back to the pan and add enough stock to reach
• halfway up the sides of the ribs. Bring the pan to a simmer, cover and place in
• the oven. Braise until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. During the last
• half hour, uncover to allow the liquid to reduce and the pork to brown.
• Serve the ribs with Creamy Polenta, spooning the sauce on
• top, and garnishing with parsley.
• Spray the insert of a slow cooker with cooking spray (for easier clean up) and preheat on high.
• In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of the half-and-half, the milk, 1 tablespoon of the butter and the polenta. Season with salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly to keep the mixture lump-free. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours, stirring once or twice per hour.
• Once you are ready to serve, open the slow cooker and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the remaining 1/3 cup half-and-half and the Parmesan. Salt and pepper conservatively since the polenta will be served with a robustly salted dish.

OVEN BRAISED BARBECUE PORK RIBS

Steps:

• Fold each sheet of foil in half lengthwise.
• You now have two double thick sheets measuring 18x18 inches.
• Stack them on top of each other, folded sides on top, and triple fold the three cut edge sides together, crimping firmly, leaving the folded edge side open.
• You now have a double thickness foil bag.
• Put the foil bag on a large baking sheet with sides (in case of leaks) and fill with the ribs, being careful not to puncture the bag if the ribs are 'bone-in'.
• Mix together the ketchup, beer, syrup, onion, garlic, Worcestershire, and hot sauce.
• Pour into the bag with the ribs.
• Triple fold and firmly crimp the top folded edges of the foil.
• Put the bag, still on the baking sheet, into a 300 degree oven for 3 hours.
• Remove from the oven, cut a corner of the foil bag, and drain the liquid contents into a sauce pan.
• Crimp the cut edge and set the ribs aside, still sealed in the foil.
• Bring the liquids to a boil and reduce to a glaze-like consistency (like b-b-que sauce).
• While the sauce is reducing, preheat your oven broiler.
• Place the ribs on a oil-sprayed broiler pan, being careful to keep as whole as possible, as they will be very tender.
• Taste the sauce and add more hot sauce if you want more spiciness.
• Brush the ribs generously with the sauce and broil close to the heat until the sauce starts to bubble and caramelize (about 1-2 mins.).
• Turn the ribs, and repeat.
• If you want a thicker coating, do this brush-and-broil process one more time per side.
• (I usually do.) Serve with any extra sauce to pour over.
• NOTE: If you don't have or can't find the dark maple syrup, dark corn syrup is a good substitute.

BRAISED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Generously salt and pepper the pork shoulder and let meat come to room temperature (about 2 hours) Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Add olive oil to a large, deep pan, Over medium-high heat, sear pork until brown on all sides; set aside.
• Dump excess oil from pan, leaving a coating of oil.
• Add onions to pan and sweat over low heat until translucent.
• Return pork to pan and add remaining ingredients.
• Cover and place in oven, and cook for 2 to 3 hours (internal temperature should be about 140-150°F) or cook on stove top for 2 to 3 hours over low heat.
• Remove pork from pan and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.
• Serve with a starch and vegetables.

PORK OVEN BRAISED PORK

Steps:

• preheat oven to 250. Place the onions and celery in the bottom of a large roasting pan or Dutch oven,set aside. Prepare the roast by spiking it with Garlic.Make small deep cuts in the pork then stuff a clove of the garlic in each hole.Repeat all over the roast. Rub all side with Tony Chacher's seasoning.
• In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat warm 3 tablespoons oil. Add the pork and carefully brown on all sides. When thoroughly browned, place the roast on top of the onions in the roasting pan or Dutch oven. Into the skillet add remaining oil and the flour,stir until flour cooks to a peanut -butter color. Scrape this mixture (roux) into the bottom of the roasting pan.Tent the roast with heavy foil or cover Dutch oven.
• Cook for 4-6 hours or until the meat falls apart when poked with a fork.In the first couple hours of cooking, check the liquid level in the bottom of the pan frequently, adding a little water,beer or chicken stock to maintain about 1 inch of liquid in the bottom of the pan.Serve.