Wine and Vinegar-Braised Picnic Shoulder

Cheap Eats, Rewarms Well, Great Leftovers

Picnic shoulder, which is the leg portion of the front shoulder, is one of the only cuts customarily sold with the skin still on. When slowly braised, the skin gives the resulting sauce great body. While the picnic shoulder has lots of bone and gristle, the meat is usually well marbled and becomes soft and tender during braising. Leftovers provide lots of opportunities for tasty fillings for stuffed pasta, such as ravioli.

Serves 6, with leftovers

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 3½- to 4-pound bone-in picnic shoulder (with skin), tied with 3 or 4 loops of butcher’s twine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ pound pancetta or dried coppa, chopped
• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• ½ cup finely chopped peeled carrots
• ½ cup thinly sliced shallots
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup grappa, Calvados, or brandy (optional)
• ½ cup cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 2 cups homemade pork stock (see [>]) or canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 12 cipollini onions or 24 boiling onions, trimmed and peeled
• Sugar

SAGE AND THYME RUB:

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rub: Combine the sage, thyme, garlic, and salt in a mortar, and with the pestle, pound and mash to form a paste. Stir in the pepper and olive oil. Score the skin of the pork to form a 1-inch crosshatch pattern about ¼ inch deep. Make slits all over the rest of the pork and press the rub into the slits and crosshatches. Smear any extra rub over the surface of the pork. Set aside for 1 hour, or cover and
   refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
3. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until it browns and begins to crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Turn up the heat to medium-high, add the pork, and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
4. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced onions, carrots, shallots, and celery, cover, and cook, stirring from time to time, until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaves, ginger, and a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute more. Add the grappa (if using) and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Boil until the liquor has almost evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, bring to a boil, and continue to boil until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the white wine and stock and bring to a boil again.
5. Return the pancetta and pork, fat side up, to the pot. Cover, place the pot in the oven, and braise for 2½ to 3 hours, turning the roast every hour, until the pork is very tender. Taste it to tell. (At this point, you can cool the roast in the liquid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)
6. Transfer the roast to a platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Skim any fat from the surface of the sauce. Discard the bay leaves. Add the cipollini onions, cover, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until tender. If the sauce is thin, remove the solids and reduce until it just turns syrupy. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and sugar; the sauce should have a mild sweet-and-sour taste. Remove the twine from the roast and discard. Slice the pork, arrange on a platter, and ladle some sauce and onions over the top. Serve the extra sauce on the side.

ALTERNATIVE CUT:

• Boston butt, blade-end pork loin roast (decrease the cooking time), or whole pork shank.

LEFTOVER:

• Finely dice or shred the pork and rewarm in the sauce. Serve over penne.
• Use the leftover meat instead of veal to fill Veal Shank Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage