pork & peaches

Odd combo? Well, yes in theory...but, in matter of taste a perfect pair! Friday was a day of Frustrated Foodie to take on some new recipes and invite over some friends for good wine, good convo and well, hopefully some good food. For the first time we borrowed the recipe from Fiamma, The Essence of Contemporary Italian Cooking a cookbook we keep in our ever growing small library of cookbooks that inspire us and it came out to the T! Follow the directions exactly and you will have an impressive dinner for your family or friends, feeds up to 6 with left overs for the very hungry!

For the Pork

Ingredients

1 center-cut bone-in pork rib roast, about 5 pounds, well trimmed and chine bone removed (3 1/2 to 4 pounds trimmed weight)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Rosemary Salt, or sea salt with a pinch of dried or minced fresh rosemary leaves added, and freshly ground black pepper

6 rosemary sprigs

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

4 small carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 large stocks of celery coarsely chopped

1 head of garlic, loose papery outer skin removed, and cut in half horizontally

4 cups of dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Trebbiano

2 cups of chicken stock

Coarse Sea Salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375F

 Brush the pork with Olive Oil and season it liberally with Rosemary Salt and black pepper. Lay the rosemary sprigs on top of the roast and secure them in several places with butcher's twine.

 Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large heavy skillet or roasting pan and set it over high heat until almost smoking. Place the roast, fat side down, in the pan and sear it on all sides including the ends until richly browned, about 10 minutes total cooking time. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes.

 Pour in 2 cups of the wine. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the roast registers 150F, 50 minutes to 1 hour. If the tops of the bones begin to burn, cover them with aluminum foil. Transfer the roast to a cutting board. Tent it lightly with foil and let it rest for 20-25 minutes from the juices to be reabsorbed.

 Meanwhile, prepare the Chestnut Honey Glazed Peaches.

 On top of the stove, set the pan with the vegetables over medium heat. Pour in the remaining 2 cups of white wine, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock, raise the heat to high, and boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Season to taste with Rosemary Salt.

 Pour the liquid through a fine strainer, pressing on the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the vegetables. Skim off as much fat as possible and reserve the liquid.

 Remove the string and carve the roast between the chops. Serve the meat on a platter drizzled with some of the sauce. Add the peaches. Spoon a little sauce over them, and sprinkle on sea salt. Serve family style and pass the extra sauce at table.

For the Chestnut Honey Glazed Peaches

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of butter

6 firm, ripe, un-peeled peaches, pitted and cut into eighths

1/3 cup chestnut or other honey

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1 sprig of rosemary

Directions

Heat the butter in a large skillet over high heat until melted and sizzling. Add the peaches and cook, shaking the pan often, until lightly browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Spoon on the honey, stir to blend, and cook until it has dissolved, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour in the vinegar, adjust the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rosemary sprig and cook until the peaches are well glazed, 4 to 5 minutes more.

Eet Smakelijk! 

P.S. The photo is actually my finished product and not the professional cookbook photo incase you were doubting my abilities I just wanted to clarify...lol.