Pork Cooked in Milk

In their acclaimed The River Cafe Cookbook (Ebury Press, 1995), Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers (of London's River Cafe) offer a version of this Italian classic. We adapted their recipe.

  • Serves

    serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 1/2–4-lb.) boneless loin of pork
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
  • Leaves from 2 branches fresh sage
  • 6 cups milk, hot
  • 4-6 strips lemon zest, wide

Instructions

Step 1

Generously season pork all over with salt and pepper. Put oil into an enameled cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed pot large enough to hold pork snugly and heat over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until well browned on all sides, 10–12 minutes. Transfer pork to a large plate and set aside. Pour off rendered fat from pot, wiping out any blackened bits with damp paper towels.

Step 2

Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add garlic and sage and cook, stirring often, until garlic just begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add pork and any accumulated juices, then add milk. Bring to a boil, scatter lemon zest around pork, and reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover pot and gently simmer, without stirring, until milk has reduced by three-quarters and turned into golden curds, 3-4 hours.

Step 3

Transfer meat to a cutting board to carve. Serve with curds and meat juices from pot.
  1. Generously season pork all over with salt and pepper. Put oil into an enameled cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed pot large enough to hold pork snugly and heat over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until well browned on all sides, 10–12 minutes. Transfer pork to a large plate and set aside. Pour off rendered fat from pot, wiping out any blackened bits with damp paper towels.
  2. Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add garlic and sage and cook, stirring often, until garlic just begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add pork and any accumulated juices, then add milk. Bring to a boil, scatter lemon zest around pork, and reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover pot and gently simmer, without stirring, until milk has reduced by three-quarters and turned into golden curds, 3-4 hours.
  3. Transfer meat to a cutting board to carve. Serve with curds and meat juices from pot.
Recipes

Pork Cooked in Milk

  • Serves

    serves 6

In their acclaimed The River Cafe Cookbook (Ebury Press, 1995), Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers (of London's River Cafe) offer a version of this Italian classic. We adapted their recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 1/2–4-lb.) boneless loin of pork
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
  • Leaves from 2 branches fresh sage
  • 6 cups milk, hot
  • 4-6 strips lemon zest, wide

Instructions

Step 1

Generously season pork all over with salt and pepper. Put oil into an enameled cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed pot large enough to hold pork snugly and heat over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until well browned on all sides, 10–12 minutes. Transfer pork to a large plate and set aside. Pour off rendered fat from pot, wiping out any blackened bits with damp paper towels.

Step 2

Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add garlic and sage and cook, stirring often, until garlic just begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add pork and any accumulated juices, then add milk. Bring to a boil, scatter lemon zest around pork, and reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover pot and gently simmer, without stirring, until milk has reduced by three-quarters and turned into golden curds, 3-4 hours.

Step 3

Transfer meat to a cutting board to carve. Serve with curds and meat juices from pot.
  1. Generously season pork all over with salt and pepper. Put oil into an enameled cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed pot large enough to hold pork snugly and heat over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until well browned on all sides, 10–12 minutes. Transfer pork to a large plate and set aside. Pour off rendered fat from pot, wiping out any blackened bits with damp paper towels.
  2. Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add garlic and sage and cook, stirring often, until garlic just begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add pork and any accumulated juices, then add milk. Bring to a boil, scatter lemon zest around pork, and reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover pot and gently simmer, without stirring, until milk has reduced by three-quarters and turned into golden curds, 3-4 hours.
  3. Transfer meat to a cutting board to carve. Serve with curds and meat juices from pot.

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