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Pork Shoulder w/ Sauce of Wild Mushrooms




Source of Recipe


Internet


List of Ingredients




FOR THE PORK SHOULDER:
1 bone-in pork shoulder (picnic or Boston butt), brined*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thinly lengthwise
12 whole bay leaves
2 small whole onions, peeled and thickly sliced
1 bottle (750 milliliters) red wine or ruby or tawny port

FOR THE WILD MUSHROOM SAUCE:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups mushrooms, or a mixture of wild and cultivated mushrooms, cleaned and cut into 1/3-inch slices (or, if very small, trimmed and left whole)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, minced
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely snipped parsley
Reserved liquid from cooking the pork shoulder
1/2 cup heavy cream


Recipe



Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160C).

Rinse the pork shoulder and pat dry. Using a sharp paring knife, cut twelve slits in the skin side of the pork shoulder, about 1 inch wide and 1 1/2 inches deep-the slits should be in three rows of four each, spaced equally apart.

Mix together the salt, cracked peppercorns, and thyme. Sprinkle approximately 1/8 teaspoon of the seasoning mixture into each slit, then insert 1 garlic sliver and 1 whole bay leaf. (The bay leaves should protrude from the shoulder so that you can easily remove them before serving.) Sprinkle any remaining seasonings all over the pork shoulder.

Scatter the sliced onions over the bottom of a baking dish or roasting pan that will just hold the meat. Place the seasoned pork shoulder on top of the onion slices, and pour the wine into the bottom of the pan. Lay a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pork shoulder, and wrap the pan tightly with a double thickness of foil.

Put in the preheated oven to cook for 4 1/2 to 5 hours, until the meat is very tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. If you have a roast that has its skin intact, raise oven temperature to 425 degrees F. If not, disregard.

Remove the onions and cooking liquid from the roasting pan, and strain through a fine-meshed sieve, pressing gently on the onions with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Skim any visible fat from the surface of the cooking liquid, and reserve for the sauce.

Meanwhile, remove the bay leaves from the pork shoulder and discard. Using a sharp knife, carefully separate the skin (rind) from the top of the pork shoulder, and remove in 1 piece. Transfer the pork shoulder to a heated serving platter and keep warm.

Gently scrape any soft fat from the underside of the pork rind. Place the rind on a baking sheet and put into the 425 degrees F (220C) oven until crisp and deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. While the rind is crisping, make the wild-mushroom sauce.

TO MAKE THE MUSHROOM SAUCE:
Heat the butter in a large skillet until hot and foaming. Add the mushrooms, and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Season with salt and a small amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add the minced shallot and garlic and snipped parsley, and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. Pour in the reserved cooking liquid, and boil until the liquid is reduced by one-half. Add the heavy cream and simmer briefly. Taste carefully for seasoning, and adjust if needed. Serve hot.

TO SERVE:
Cut the crisped pork rind into 1/2 inch strips and arrange on top of the pork shoulder. At the table, slice the pork shoulder thinly against the grain, and serve with a piece of crisped pork rind (or crackling) on the side and the wild-mushroom sauce spooned over the sliced meat.

*Brining for poultry and meat: Brining poultry or pork, that is, soaking it in a saltwater solution before cooking, serves a twofold purpose: it helps the flesh retain moisture and seasons it all the way through. To make the brine, stir kosher salt into cold water until dissolved, in the proportion of 1/4 cup salt to 1 quart of water. (Don't use table salt in this formula, by the way; it will be too salty). Mix enough brine to cover the poultry or meat completely in a (non-reactive) bowl or pot. Store refrigerated 24 hours for pork shoulder.

Servings: 6 to 8