Chef Alejandro’s Maiale Al Latte (Milk Braised Pork with Cabbage and Fennel)
4
20
minutes3 1/2
hours
A slow-braised Italian classic – pork shoulder braised gently in milk with sage and fennel, creating an unexpectedly tender and silky sauce. Serve with sautéed cabbage and kale.
Ingredients
1 kg 1 pork neck steaks (pork scotch steaks)
2 Tbsp 2 extra virgin olive oil
1 1 fennel, cut into 2cm wedges
1 1 brown onion, diced
4 4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 1/2 bunch sage
1 1 bay leaf
2 2 rosemary sprigs
120 ml 120 white wine
1/2 1/2 lemon peel, white removed
1 L 1 milk
1 tsp 1 salt
1/4 tsp 1/4 freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp 1/4 white pepper
1/4 tsp 1/4 ground nutmeg
30 g 30 unsalted butter
1/4 1/4 cabbage, sliced into 1-2cm strips
1/2 1/2 bunch Tuscan kale, leaves removed from the stem
1-2 1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for sautéing)
Method
- Preheat oven to 140°C (160°C conventional).
- Pat dry the steaks and lightly season with salt.
- Heat a heavy-based ovenproof pot over high heat. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and sear the steaks for 4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the pot and set aside on a plate.
- Sear the fennel wedges in the same pot for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden. Remove and set aside with the pork.
- Add the onion, garlic, sage, bay leaf and rosemary sprigs. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until golden. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot. Bring to the boil and reduce the wine by half.
- Add the lemon peel and milk. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, stirring to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Return the pork and fennel to the pot, cover with a lid and place in the oven for 3 hours.
- Gently remove the pork from the sauce. Discard the bay leaf and lemon peel.
- Whisk the butter into the sauce until smooth and silky.
- Sauté the cabbage and kale in a hot frying pan with 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil, adding a splash of water. Cook until vibrant green and the water has evaporated. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Serve the pork steaks on top of the cabbage and kale, spooning the milk sauce over and garnishing with fennel wedges.
Notes
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