Recipe: Porky Milky things

A few months ago, a friend posted a couple of very excited Facebook status updates about making, and thoroughly enjoying, Maiale al Latte. I'd never heard of it, and on first consideration 'pig product heated long time in cow product' sounded all wrong. But the more I thought about it, the more tempting pork cooked in milk sounded, and the idea of cooking such a thing soon became, like so many things, a little red flashing light in the back of my head that wouldn't switch off*.

B and I are on a bit of a pig bender at the moment: yet to make it into the Metzgerei (horrible word for butcher's) round the corner due to its ludicrous opening times, the supermarkets are stocked with a selection of meat that bears little relation to my idea of a good one. Broadly speaking, however, the beef is so far terrific, the chicken is absolutely dreadful and there's not a morsel of lamb to be found at all. The pork is consistently excellent, however, and so we've mostly been enjoying that; the highlight so far having been a beautifully juicy shoulder that we tried out our oven rotisserie with. So anyhow, with a rogue loin of pork tucked in the refrigerator came the opportunity for a lovely porky, milky thing for a Saturday night feast. As far as ingredients are concerned, there's an even simpler recipe for Maiale al Latte in the wonderful 1080 Recipes, but here I offer you Robyn's wonderful version with every recommendation:

Pork cooked in milk is yummy. I suggest you do a shoulder of pork, tied up - but you could use a loin. Ensure the meat has only a thin layer of fat left on it. It should fit snugly into a pot. Have 2 or 3 pints of full fat milk at the ready. Sear the seasoned meat in your pot (I use a Le Creuset) in some olive oil and butter, till golden on all sides. Remove the meat to a plate and saute some onion, carrot and celery (chopped into small cubes) untill softened and beginning to caramelise. Add some bay leaves, sage leaves, a small strip of lemon rind and plenty of freshly grated nutmeg and some seasoning and then return the pork to the pan. Pour over enough milk to just cover the pork. Simmer the pork for about 1 1/2 hrs, turning the meat occasionally and being careful not to let the milk boil over.

Once the meat has cooked, remove from the pot and simmer the milk sauce and veg until well reduced. It will look curdled and yukky but will taste divine. Stir well to bring up any caramelised bits from the bottom. Check the seasoning and reduce just a bit further than you think is enough.

Really keep the cooking temp as low as poss and rest the meat well so it isnt dry or chewy.

Slice your rested pork and pour the sauce over the meat. Serve with mash potatoes and something green, maybe cabbage dressed with a little butter and a splash of balsamic vinegar. The sauce is sooo good, don't waste a drop!

I didn't have any celery or bay leaves, so had to go without; used a hand processor to turn the lumpy, curdled mess at the end into a gloriously smooth and milky sauce; and I served the meat and sauce with green beans and mash - you really need nothing to distract from the pork. Yes, the photo makes the plate of food look even worse than it did in real life - the carrot definitely did not help there- but wow, what an extraordinarily tasty dish this was: the pork was tender and the sauce just divinely comforting and utterly delicious. B said it was one of the best things I'd ever cooked him. Thanks, Robyn :)

*It's a disco in there.