Hearty Soup with Pancetta, Cannellini Bean and Swiss Chard

Ingredients

1 cup dried cannellini beans, picked over, broken beans discarded, or two 14-oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 sprig fresh rosemary + 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 dried bay leaves
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 oz thick-cut hot pancetta, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup diced leek, white and light green part only
1 cup diced carrot (about 2 carrots)
2 tsp chopped garlic
6 cups sodium-reduced chicken broth
1/2 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, cut into chiffonade (about 3 cups)
grated Romano cheese for garnish

Method

1. If using dried cannellini beans, cover beans with 2 inches of cold water in a large bowl and soak for 12 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.
2. Place the beans in a medium pot with the sprig of rosemary and 1 bay leaf; cover with 2 inches of water. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer until the beans are tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and rosemary; drain the beans and set aside. Beans can be cooked one day in advance, cooled and refrigerated in their cooking liquid until needed.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until fat has rendered and the pancetta is golden brown. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Add the leek, carrots, garlic and chopped rosemary to pancetta oil and cook over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the remaining bay leaf and the chicken broth, scraping any flavourful browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the drained beans and simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
6. Return the pancetta to the pot, add the Swiss chard and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Remove the bay leaf. Serve in warmed soup bowls and garnish with Romano cheese.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Source: Style At Home magazine

Japanese-style Pork Belly and Cabbage Pot

Ingredients

300g pork belly slices
1 kg Chinese cabbage (suey choi)
1 stalk leek, finely shredded
3 onion, shredded
1 tsp minced ginger

Broth

2 tbsp dashi granules
6 cups water
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sea salt

Method

1. Peel off the leaves of the cabbage and layer between them the pork slices. Cut the stack of cabbage and pork into smaller stacks of about 5 cm wide. Arrange the stacks in the pot as shown in the picture below.
   

2. Add the broth ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer with the lid on until the pork is done and the cabbage is tender.
3. Mix in the leek, onion and ginger and cook for a few more minutes. Serve the dish in the pot.

Source: Japanese magazine

Pork Belly and Cabbage Cooked in White Wine

Ingredients

180 to 200 g pork belly thin slices
1/2 medium-size cabbage
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Seasoning

3 tbsp white wine
1/3 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil

Method

1. Cut meat into 4 to 5 cm in length. Mix with some salt and pepper.
2. Tear by hand the cabbage into pieces.
3. Layer the pork and cabbage alternately in a pot. Add seasoning ingredients. Cover and cook over medium heat.
4. When the liquid boils, turn down heat and simmer until the pork is fully cooked and the cabbage pieces are tender.
5. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper before serving.

Source: Hong Kong magazine

Pork Belly Braised in Beer and Apple Juice

Ingredients

3 pounds skin-on, boneless center-cut pork belly
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 star anise pod
2 whole cloves
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 (12-oz) bottles stout or porter
2 cups unfiltered apple juice or apple cider
1 large onion, thinly sliced into rings
4 medium carrots, peeled, cut on a diagonal into 1” pieces
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
fresh lemon juice
finely grated peeled horseradish (for serving)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. Using a very sharp knife, score pork in a tight crosshatch pattern to form 1/2-inch diamonds, cutting through fat but stopping at flesh. Season with salt and pepper, massaging into cuts.
3. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high (if belly doesn’t fit, cut in half crosswise). Cook pork skin side down, turning once, until browned all over, 5–8 minutes per side (be careful, fat will splatter). Transfer to a plate.
4. Pour off all but 2 Tbsp drippings from pot, add star anise, cloves, and coriander and fennel seeds, and cook over low heat, stirring, until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add beer and apple juice, scraping up browned bits. Add pork along with onion and carrots, adding water if needed to cover. Bring to a simmer, cover pot, and transfer to oven.
6. Braise pork 3 hours. Add apricots and braise until pork is very tender but not falling apart, 1–2 hours more.
7. Transfer pork, skin side up, to a rimmed baking sheet. Place vegetables and apricots in a large bowl; keep warm.
8. Increase oven temperature to 475°F. Roast pork until skin is brown and very crisp, 25–35 minutes (the crispier, the better).
9. Meanwhile, pour braising liquid into a large saucepan and skim off fat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced by two-thirds, 25–35 minutes.
10. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium-low, stirring often, until it foams, then browns, about 5 minutes.
11. Add brown butter and shallot to braising sauce. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
12. Cut pork into pieces. Serve with sauce, vegetables, and some horseradish.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Bon Appetit magazine

Braised Chicken with Herb-marinated Peaches

Ingredients

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed
1 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into thin strips
3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 8)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced (1 cup)
3 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups Sherry Vinegar and Rosemary Marinated Peaches (see recipe below), drained, marinade reserved
3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
2 Tbsp drained capers
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, coarsely chopped

Method

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Heat the oil in an 8-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. If the pan is dry, add a little more oil.
4. Season the chicken lightly on all sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken on both sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
5. Turn the heat down to medium low. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp fat from the pot and then add the leek and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
7. Add the reserved marinade and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid thickens, about 2 minutes.
8. Add the broth, season lightly with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Arrange the chicken in the pot skin side up, return to a boil, and transfer the pot to the oven to braise, uncovered, until the chicken cooks through, about 25 minutes.
9. Take the pot out of the oven. Turn the broiler on high. Transfer the chicken, skin side up, to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
10. Simmer the sauce in the pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the capers and peaches. Cook until heated through.
11. Stir in the butter until it melts, then stir in 1 Tbsp of the tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper.
12. Meanwhile, broil the chicken until the skin is crisp, about 3 minutes.
13. Return the chicken to the pot or transfer it to a large platter and spoon the sauce over it. Garnish with the prosciutto and the remaining tarragon leaves before serving.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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Sherry Vinegar and Rosemary Marinated Peaches

Ingredients

3 medium ripe peaches, pitted and sliced, diced, or cut into wedges
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2-1/2 Tbsp spiced dark rum (optional)
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1-1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of granulated sugar

Method

1. Gently combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and let marinate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours.
2. After marinating, you can refrigerate the peaches for up to 1 day.

Source: Cooking Fresh magazine