This dish takes some tender love and care, but it will not disappoint! I like to make this showstopper for Sunday dinner, but the real trick is to do it on a day off. Since the tying and searing of the meat will take up a fair amount of time, setting aside about an hour for prep is a good idea. This beauty braises in the oven for 3 hours, so if you don’t get started early enough, you’ll be sitting down for dinner closer to 10pm. Nothing about this is difficult, but you don’t want to be caught in a situation where you feel rushed. The lovely thing about this type of dish is that, while the prep time might be a nuisance, once it’s in the oven you have piles of time to create your sides and salad, while the heavenly aromas from your oven fill your home.
The technique I use for this recipe comes from Naomi Pomeroy’s, “Taste and Technique“. This cookbook has seriously elevated my home cooking, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in creating beautiful centrepiece dishes, with a serious “wow” factor. The idea behind adapting the original recipe was to create something better suited to my dad’s diet (ketogenic specific to cancer), with less animal fat and the added health benefits of turmeric. The original recipe was very heavy with milk, and by substituting coconut milk and adjusting the flavours to fit, the dish took on a whole new tone.
Fresh turmeric and ginger are quite a bit more potent than ground, and for this dish, I definitely recommend keeping it fresh. You can often find fresh turmeric in the produce section at Superstore (usually near the bok choy), or at many natural/organic markets. Curry leaves are optional, as they aren’t always easy to find, and the gravy stands well without. That being said, I typically find them near the turmeric, and they add nice dimension and flavour to the dish.
If you’re working from frozen, this cut of meat takes quite a while to defrost. Make sure to take it out the night before, in order to ensure that it thaws by the following afternoon. This way, since you’ll be separating it into 3 sections, it will be less of a hassle to find its natural dividers.
Finally, I recommend cooking this at 300ºF if using grass-fed meat, and 325ºF for grain-fed. Grass-fed meats cook roughly thirty percent faster than grain-fed, and adjusting temperature, instead of time, will usually result in a more tender finished product.
Coconut Milk-Braised Pork Shoulder with Fresh Turmeric and Ginger
Ingredients
- 1 Boneless Pork Shoulder
- 4 Tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 Large Leek, whites and pale greens roughly chopped
- 1 Onion, roughly chopped
- 8 Garlic Cloves, crushed
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Turmeric, grated
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated
- 10 Fresh Curry Leaves
- 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
- 2 Cans Organic Coconut Milk
- 4 Cups Stock, homemade or fine quality
- Salt + Pepper
- Twine
Instructions
- Note: You will need a large Dutch oven and a cast iron skillet, for this recipe.
- Preheat oven to 300ºF for grass-fed meat, or 325ºF for grain-fed.
- Once pork shoulder is completely thawed, begin by separating it into three pieces. Looking at the ends of the cut, you’ll notice it has three natural sections. Not always easy to find, these sections are most obviously divided between lines of fat. Following the fat is usually a helpful way to discover the beginning and end of one piece, but cut slowly with a sharp paring knife, in order to avoid lobbing a piece off too soon. You should finish with three pieces that are within the same realm of size. It’s okay if they’re not perfect.
- Roll each piece of meat into a tight “log” and tie horizontally with twine. Make sure you don’t tie too loosely. I usually find four or five ties to be about right, depending on the length of the log. Heavily salt all sides of each pork shoulder. Do not be scarce! You will lose a lot of salt in the searing process.
- Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a heavy cast-iron skillet, over medium-high heat. Once the oil is rippling, add the first piece of pork and sear all sides until golden brown. Approximately 3-5 minutes per side. Expect some smoke, but adjust heat slightly if it becomes incessant. Once finished, rinse pan, and repeat with new oil for each section of meat. When all the meat is seared, rinse the pan one last time.
- Over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of oil to the cast iron skillet. Once hot, add the leek and onion to the pan, and cook until translucent. Add nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger just before finishing, and transfer mixture to Dutch oven.
- If the coconut milk is solidified, mix in a bowl to remove most, if not all, the chunks. Add stock and coconut milk to Dutch oven. Sprinkle roughly 1 tsp of salt into mixture, and finish with fresh curry leaves.
- On the stovetop, bring mixture to simmer, cover, and place in oven to cook for 2 hours. Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and return to cook for one more hour. 3 HOURS, TOTAL.
- Once finished, remove from oven and place each log of pork on a cutting board. Very carefully, remove and discard the twine. Since the pork will be very tender, it will be difficult to cut without falling apart. Make sure you have a very sharp knife, and don’t worry if it isn’t perfect. Cut the pork horizontally into approximately 1-2 inch slices, and carefully transfer back to the Dutch oven.
- In a fine mesh strainer, separate liquid and vegetables, SAVING BOTH. In a blender add vegetables and 2 cups of liquid. Blend until smooth, adding more liquid to meet your desired thickness. Salt to taste, if necessary, and pour over pork. Cover and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes (to reheat).
- Serve with basmati or wild rice, and ENJOY!
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