Pork Recipes

Koho Bistro

Chef Jeff Strom

Braised Berkshire Pork Coppa with House Made Spiced Apple Butter

Makes 8 servings | total cook time: 5 hours

1 large pork coppa (Ask your butcher for the large loin from a fresh pork neck, used mainly for the Italian cured specialty meat of the same name, roughly 3-4 pounds. Ask the butcher to truss the coppa for you as well. This keeps it in a nice cylindrical shape through brine and cooking process.)

1/2 gallon water

1/2 cup pink peppercorns

1/4 cup whole mace (or whole nutmeg)

1/2 cup fennel seed, toasted

6 cinnamon sticks, toasted

1/2 cup juniper berries, toasted and crushed

1 tablespoon vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)

1/4 cup dried lemon thyme

1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled and crushed

Zest strips from 2 oranges

1 cup kosher salt

2 cups dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon pink curing salt

1/2 gallon ice-cold port wine

Grapeseed oil as needed

To finish, heat a nonstick sauté pan over medium high heat, add a tablespoon or so of grapeseed oil. Once oil begins to shimmer, carefully introduce a slice of coppa, reduce heat to medium and cook till coppa is dark golden brown. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, very carefully flip the coppa over, trying not to break it. Once this meat starts getting warm it also becomes very tender and fragile. Once flipped, place pan in a 350˚F oven to finish warming through. Meanwhile, warm up a little apple butter, and place a large dollop on a warm plate, drag a spoon through the apple butter for a tear drop design. Remove the coppa from the oven, carefully remove coppa from pan, place on the apple butter swoosh, and serve with accompaniments of your choice. A parsnip purée with butter, and warm pickled fruit are great to cut the richness.

Spiced Apple Butter

Makes about 3 pints | total time: 13 hours

6 pounds cored and peeled Granny Smith apples, cut into 1 inch chunks

3 cups organic apple cider

2 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground clove

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground aniseed

2 cups apple cider vinegar

Place the apples in a 6-8 quart preserving (non-reactive) pan. Add the apple cider, bring to a simmer, and leave uncovered stirring often with a sturdy wire whisk until the apples have nearly all broken down, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the spices and brown sugar. Continue to cook another 20 minutes or so and whisk until the apples have completely broken down and the mixture resembles applesauce. Add the apple cider vinegar, and continue to stir every once in a while. Transfer the apple butter to a crock pot, set to low, or warm if that setting is available, cover with lid and cook for 12 hours, stirring occasionally and checking the consistency, adjusting with cider or cider vinegar, whichever is to your liking. Adjust the sugar as well, the consistency should be smooth and silky, dark amber in color with a velvety texture.

Newberg | recipenewbergor.com

Chef Paul Bachand

Milk Braised Pork Osso Bucco with Sweet and Sour Savoy Cabbage Choucroute

Makes 4 servings | total time: 4 hours

Inspired by chefs from the Alsace region of France.

4 fresh pork foreshanks, each 12-16 ounces

Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil

8 ounces butter
2 quarts pork or chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine

2 cups béchamel

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Vegetable Sachet

2 yellow onions, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 head fresh fennel chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Wrap in cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string.

Season shanks with salt and white pepper liberally, and toss lightly with flour. Heat over low heat, butter and olive oil, in large pan until melted. Place shanks in pan, and slowly cook until lightly seared on all sides. Do not brown! Remove from pan and add white wine, béchamel and stock. Place shanks back in pan, add vegetable herb sachet and bring to a slow simmer. Cover and place in a preheated 275˚F degree oven, cook for approximately 3 hours until tender. Remove sachet from pan and carefully place shanks on a sheet pan. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Strain sauce and reduce over low heat until well flavored, season with salt, white pepper andDijonmustard. Serve shanks hot, with lots of sauce, dusted with chopped parsley, buttered rye bread and choucroute.

Sweet and Sour Choucroute

2 small heads savoy cabbage, shredded

2 tablespoons duck or pork fat

1 small onion, diced

3 cups white or champagne vinegar

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ cups honey

¾ cups golden raisins

Place duck or pork fat in large braising pan, add onions and cook until translucent, 8-10 minutes. Place remaining ingredients in pan. Cover and cook over low heat until cabbage is tender (1 hour or so). Keep warm until ready to serve.