Pork Shank

Pork shank, chard, and some polenta/grits under that mess.

The Fig used to serve pork shank osso bucco (and hopefully will again). While this may not have been quite as good as theirs, it was a nice easy dish for a dinner at home on a cold day.

The pork (New Creation) was seasoned and floured and then seared on all surfaces in some lard. When they were done in went diced onion and carrot and minced garlic. Once that softened up some wine was added to the pot and reduced. Then a light poultry broth was added along with a bay leaf, rosemary, and some thyme (still hanging in there in the yard under the snow). Once that was simmering the pork went back in, the surface just peeking above the simmering liquid. The pot got covered and placed in a 375 oven for 2 hrs (the pork got flipped every .5 hrs or so).

After the pork was tender it was pulled from the braising liquid. The liquid got rapidly reduced for a bit, then some stemmed and chopped chard (Firefly--great greens of all sorts) was thrown into the porkless, somewhat reduced braising liquid and simmered covered on the stove top. The taste was classic, fresh soul food greens.

When it was time to eat, the pork got added back to the reduced braising liquid and greens, and the pot was covered over medium heat just to get everything hot. Some runny polenta got placed in the bowl, the pork and chard on top of that, and then a nice ladleful of the braising liquid (with braising veg and all--the rosemary and thyme stems were removed). A quick top off of parsley and it was good to go. A fair amount of time in the oven, but all in all not too much active work made this a pretty good weeknight meal.

The polenta (Country Gristmill/Stutzman--at NUFM) was just some cornmeal cooked with water and stock.

For reference, I glanced at these two recipes. I heart shank.