Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Pork “Al Latte” – Now 100% Milk Free!

This comforting pork stew recipe is exactly the kind of homey dish you want waiting for you after a long, hard week…and maybe a 13-hour drive. Unfortunately, I made this last week, so I couldn’t actually enjoy it today, after a long, hard week and 13-hour drive, but just editing it made me feel better. It was that good.

This stew version is inspired by the classic Italian recipe, “maiale al latte,” or “pork in milk,” but instead of the usual moo juice, I decided to make my own with chicken broth and crème fraiche. I figured I’d get the same basic viscosity and fat content (okay, maybe a tad more), but also a little more flavor, and a better texture once reduced.

I topped it with some fried sage, which is an optional, messy, but delicious extra step, and makes this much more restauranty. Simply heat a 1/2-inch of vegetable oil in a small pan, and toss in some (not wet!) whole sage leaves. Fry until crisp, about 10-15 seconds

The classic preparation involves braising and slicing a whole roast, but one taste and I think you’ll agree it translates beautifully to the stew delivery system. I really hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 4 portions:
1 1/2 pound pork shoulder, cut in 2-inch cubes (note: I only had 1 pound, but the recipe will work with another half, which will make four nice portions)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 strips bacon
1 small yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup crème fraiche
2 tbsp fresh chopped sage leaves, plus more for frying
salt and pepper to taste
red chili flakes to taste
*Simmer covered for 1 hour, and then uncovered until the meat is very tender, and the sauce is thickened. Adjust with more broth if needed.

53 comments:

Unknown said...

Great recipe, as always.

I've been considering purchasing an enameled cast iron pan similar to the one you use to brown the meat in the video. My main reason is that I'm terrible about keeping my regular old cast iron pan seasoned properly. Do you think that an enameled pan would make an appropriate substitute, or should I just get my s*** together and learn to season my pan?

Thanks a million for keeping this great blog up. You're the best!

Unknown said...

Looks excellent. Will be for dinner tomorrow.


Thanks Chef!

Unknown said...

Chef John - love your recipes and videos. I have made many and they have all been great! For this recipe - I am not a fan of crème fraiche so may I substitute milk instead of the chicken broth and maybe a little butter at the end to finish the sauce? Thanks again, KLee

Unknown said...

Hello there! I truly enjoy reading and looking at this dish, so this will be my first culinary endeavor I try of yours! ONE QUESTION THOUGH: It hasn't been easy for me to find creme fraiche, what can be a good alternative?

Thank you Chef!

Unknown said...

Hello there! I truly enjoy reading and looking at this dish, so this will be my first culinary endeavor I try of yours! ONE QUESTION THOUGH: It hasn't been easy for me to find creme fraiche, what can be a good alternative?

Thank you Chef!

Chef John said...

Brian,

You should do both! ;) There are not exactly interchangeable, but on the other hand, all pans are similar in that you can cook in them.

Chef John said...

You can easily make CF by following one of the links in the post, or just use some heavy cream and a dash of vinegar. Or look at some traditional recipes and just use all milk.

philogaia said...

Let's see...bacon...pork shoulder...creme fraiche...days turning cool. Looks about perfect. This is going on the short list of stews to try. I even have a nice big sage plant that needs using this time of year.

BTW Chef: I didn't have this information when you were asking for places to try between SFO and SEA but I tried a pork chop (yes a chop, just keep listening) from a new meat market in Portland called Tails and Trotters. They hazelnut finish their pigs and the creamy fat layer on that chop was just amazing. The price is higher than typical pastured pigs but soooo worth it for a treat. They also have a deli there so next year you can pick up some sannies for the drive and put some pig in the cooler.

Roberto said...

I top my Saltimbocca with fried sage leaves, just like this dish. But I fry the sage first using the same pan I'm going to use for the main dish. I set them aside on a paper towel, pour off any excess oil if necessary, and go ahead with cooking the Saltimbocca. This saves making another pan dirty, flavors the oil a little bit, and conserves a little oil.

cookinmom said...

I'm gonna' cheat and use my pressure cooker!

Bob said...

Looks fantastic. My family isn't crazy about polenta. Could this be served with risotto?

Unknown said...

Brian, a properly seasoned cast-iron skillet will be pretty much non-stick. An enameled one will not be, but it's a lot easier to care for.

Food Junkie said...

Sounds excellent. Would a little trotter gear (gelatinous pork stock from pigs feet - I'd never heard of it until yesterday and had to Google it) kick up the pork goodness even more or would it be too heavy?

FSB said...

Have you considered offering, regularly, a beverage selection to go with the dish you cook? It would help me, at least.

Chef John said...

Scott, I only drink beverages. ;) Too subjective for me to choose.

Chef John said...

FJ, Never tried but sounds good to me!

Chef John said...

Bob, as I said at the end of the video, this is a great on rice or pasta also!

Aidann said...

it was amazing! Followed it to the letter.

Chef John said...

its a le creuset pan

Ark said...

We just made this, it was absolutely delicious! We served it atop a light cauliflower puree instead of polenta, encircled by sauteed spinach. Having never stewed anything in milk/cream/dairy products before, this was mindblowing.

Elizzaruth said...

I'm not a big pork eather but this looks so delicious. Would it be good with beef? Would you make any other substitutions to alter the recipe for beef stew?

PJ said...

Delicious! Many thanks.

Estoy_Listo said...

Man, that looks good. 'we're having it this weekend for sure. I'm reminded of your mushroom ragout recipe from a couple of years ago, one of our favorites. I think I'll add a few mushrooms to the mix.

Scott Pham said...

Could one do this with a slow cooker, or is that just CRAZY

Chef John said...

Of course! Any stew can go in a SL! Enjoy!

Unknown said...

Chef John, could you substitute CF with sour cream?

Js said...

I'm not familiar with sage but usually, herbs are not thrown in the beginning as they quickly lose their flavor and aroma. In this recipe, sage was cooked for over an hour. Wouldn't it make more sense to add it near the end?

FrauSeltsam said...

Is just on the stove. Regards from Germany

michelou said...

It's currently simmering away and it smells great. Can't wait to eat this. Serving it over egg noodles as the husband doesn't care for polenta. Very excited about this recipe!

Nicole O. said...

Chef J, I tried this recipe last night for the first time and I made the polenta to go with it. WOW!!! This is high praise as my autistic son, whom is a very picky eater, had 2 huge helpings! My boyfriend loved it so much he said we need to make it again since I had the other half of the pork roast left, so will probably make it again tonight. The problem I ran into was nowhere close had fresh sage. I picked up fresh rubbed sage from the health food store and it seemed to work, will just need to add a bit more. This was very easy to make and so rich and comforting. Will certainly be trying more of your dishes.

michelou said...

This was awesome! Made one minor change - I tasted the gravy at the end and it was really really rich (and good) but I thought it needed something to cut it a bit so I threw a splash of white wine in and it was perfect. I'd probably add it at the beginning when I make this again! YUM.

David, Easton PA said...

Thank you Chef John, my wife made this last night and it was heaven here in my home. We love your recipes because they are always delicious. She made hers with sour creme instead of the creme fraiche, but next time we will use creme fraiche to see if its more heavenly. Thanks again.

Joey said...

I finally splurged on this very Le Creuset pan this week because I have been coveting it every time I see it in one of your recipes. Talk about a stalker. I'm going to cook this dish in it first!

Anonymous said...

Chef John, this was amazing! I've now made it twice in the past three days to help stock my college age son's freezer after the holidays. He's a picky eater but LOVED this dish. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!

Unknown said...

Thanks Chef John for your wonderful recipe! i have some questions to ask. Can i use beef stock in stead of the chicken broth? and can I also use thickened cream instead of the creme fraiche?

Chef John said...

Of course, it's your food! I can't comment on the taste, but it would still work the same.

TexasMom said...

Hello Chef John, I just want to thank you for teaching us to cook right:)) I've been enjoying watching your videos and reading your blogs..you are very funny, it makes a difference watching your videos.. in a very good way!!! Very inspirational!! So far, I've been learning a lot and my family enjoys your recipes. I'm cooking the Pork al Latte for dinner tonight (with rice) can you give me suggestions on what vegetable recipe that best goes with it?

Thanks Chef John!!! More power to you!!!

Chef John said...

Thanks! I don't worry too much about side dish pairings. Any veggie you like will work! Enjoy!

Kritz said...

ah, something low-carb friendly! what's the difference of cooking in a cast iron pan and a normal stainless steel pan?

Cdg said...

perfect....I love the combination of flavor and texture. My husband said"don't misplace this recipe!"

Cdg said...

Perfect... Love the flavor and combination of texture served over the polenta... It's a keeper!

Kilyena said...


I made this tonight followed the recipe exactly. I did double the recipe because we had a 3 lb. pork roast. It was devoured!(by 5 people.) Hubby went crazy over it. Thanks Chef John for a fabulous recipe.

Jim said...

Chef John: This is an excellent recipe. By popular demand I cooked this recipe up again three days latter after my first attempt.
This recipe is a keeper. thank you.

Unknown said...

This is delicious! My grocery store didn't have CF so I used heavy cream instead. It turned out wonderful and full of flavor. Husband said to add it to the regular rotation. We served it with some high quality whole egg egg noodles as our store also didn't sell polenta. It was great with the pasta.

harleydhick said...

OMG...the combination of polenta and pork was amazing!!! Thank you Chef

Anonymous said...

Awesome! Made my own crème fraiche as well - incredible! Even watched the South Park crème fraiche video (too much). Anyway, I will be making this again and I will try it with polenta, I used wide egg noodles, coating the hot noodles with crème fraiche for the fun of it - all of it was one of the best pork stews I have ever had. Everyone loved it!

Kuchenrolle said...

This is one of my favourite recipes. When I need something that will definitely come out delicious and doesn't require much work, this is what I make. I had some iberico shoulder and some guanciale (pork jowl bacon) this week and wanted to make something special, so I decided to put a bit of a twist on this recipe.

I added some ginger (about as much as garlic), some red miso paste (about two heaped tablespoons), a tablespoon of brown sugar and a few squeezes of lime juice. I meant to throw in some orange zest, but by the time I had made that decision, I could only get my hands on treated ones, so I left it out. I also thought about adding carrots, but decided against that and instead served it on carrot-potato mash.

It was spectacular! The dish did not taste of miso, but instead that addition created an incredibly round umami flavour in the background and turned out to be one of the best things I have ever made.

Deisi said...

OMG, what an incredibly delicious dish and so so simple to make! Thanks a million Chef John! My husband and I adore your recipes and your sense of humor ☺️

Unknown said...

hi, Chef John, I have been making this recipe for a while and every time it comes out really flavorful, BUT......the creme fraiche curdles every time! I have been using one with fat content of 11g per serving of 28g. I have tried using more chicken broth, less chicken broth, and cooking it on the lowest heat possible on my stove, which still boils the broth every time I open the lid. So I open the lid for a minute and let it go back to simmer. I will still keep cooking this dish because it's so delicious but the curdling is not very sightly if say I want to make this for a party. Any ideas what I did wrong? Thanks.

Locomotive_breath said...

Hi Chef John

I made this last week and it was a real hit. The simplicity and the delicious, rich taste are hard to beat. I plan to make this again and again and maybe tweak the flavours a little but the basic recipe is a keeper. I might have dried the sauce a little too much but that just added to the richness. I follow a low carb, high fat lifestyle, so this recipe is just perfect. Thanks to you, crème fraiche is now a staple in my house. I add it to EVERYTHING...except coffee...although...hmmm :) . Bonus: my 7 year old son LOVED it.

Thanks Chef. I remain a very loyal fan. You Alabama whote BBQ sauce is also a staple in my house.

Graham said...

I added eight ounces of quartered button mushrooms and doubled the broth and cream- it works quite well with the recipe.

Unknown said...

Thank you Chef. This recipe is now a family favorite. And thank you for teaching me to cook and finding the joy therein. I you have my most sincere gratitude.

Unknown said...

Thank you Chef. This recipe is now a family favorite. And thank you for teaching me to cook and finding the joy therein. You have my most sincere gratitude.