Cooking meat in milk is common throughout north Italy because it results in moist meat and a wonderfully rich and flavorful sauce. The milk transforms during the cooking from liquid to yogurt-like clusters which form a rich brown sauce. Valentina Harris advises me that if you give it a good whisk over the heat just before you are ready to serve, it helps to break up the sauce slightly, giving it a smoother texture.–Katie Caldesi
LC Fatty Fat Fat Note
A stroke of Italian brilliance, this classic tenderizing technique infuses a relatively cheap cut of pork with the subtle sweetness of milk. Thing is, pork loin nowadays is leaner than it once was back in the day. Those who like their pork falling-apart tender and infused with fatty flavor ought to consider swapping the loin for a fattier cut of pork, perhaps something from the shoulder region such as pork butt. (We love saying those words almost as much as we love devouring the tantalizingly tender meat.) Promise you won’t be disappointed. As for that milk sauce, it’s going to look curdled and, truthfully, not exactly come hither. But just wait till you taste it.
Roast Pork in Milk Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pound pork loin, bone loosened and re-tied (see “Chining” below)
- Salt
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups whole milk
Directions
- 1. Remove the rind from the loin of pork for a leaner roast or leave it on and score with a sharp knife for a crusty-topped roast with crackling fat. To chine the pork, cut as close to the ribs as possible to partially separate the flesh from the bones but leave a “hinge” of meat in place to keep it together. After cooking, this can simply be cut through. Leaving the bones attached to the meat means you gain flavor and prevent the meat from drying out. Season the outside of the pork with salt—but go easy, because pork is a naturally salty meat.
- 2. Heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or flameproof casserole. Lower the pork into the pan and sear until the skin is crisp and a rich golden color, turning it every few minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to ensure all the edges are golden.
- 3. Reduce the heat slightly and add the milk to the pan or casserole very, very slowly so it doesn’t bubble up too much. Gradually bring it to a gentle simmer and partially cover the pan. Let the pork cook like this for 2 hours, or until the juices run clear when pierced with a skewer. The pork will be tender but not fall-apart tender.
- 4. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes, loosely covered with foil. Leave the pan with the cooking liquid on the stovetop. Skim most of the fat from the surface of the juices and discard, then whisk the remaining cooking liquid to break up the chunks of coagulated milk a little. It won’t be pretty, but that’s okay.
- 5. Carve the meat and place the pork slices on a warm plate. Pour the pan sauce over the pork and serve. (If you find upon slicing the pork that you’ve undercooked it, slip the pork slices and sauce in an oven cranked to 350°F (176°C) and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through.)
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Looks great David! I am trying this one out tonight, wish me luck! Wondering how dropping a sprig or two of fresh rosemary may change or enhance the flavor of the milk? Tripp
Tripp, first anything you do can only enhance a recipe. And I think the rosemary would help. Not too much, but I’ve found rosemary and milk/cream to go very well together.
I made something like this recently and the family all thought it sounded “weird” but they didn’t even leave me a sliver of leftovers. Did the same with roasted chicken (Jamie Oliver style) and was equally delicious.
As with so many things, tasting is believing! And yes, though this sauce has a face that only a mother can love, we swoon to its subtle overtones. Good for you for making it anyways, Jenny.
I am all for trying new flavors and new tastes. When I moved here 14 years ago, no one in my husband’s family had ever eaten homemade macaroni and cheese. Now they all make it because I taught them. I am a revolutionary. LOL
A noble cause, if ever there was one! Sounds like you’ve swayed some former loyalists, Jenny. Keep up the good fight!
I used to be one of those non-believers (read: picky teenagers) too, Jenny! Pork in milk was a combination I didn’t even want to think about, until I tasted it a few years ago. It’s such a dream!
I’ve been making a version of this dish since I first noticed it in a book called The Italian Cooking Encyclopedia. This version calls for browning the meat but only after browning chopped onions, celery, several carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt and pepper. Then, scalding milk is added, the casserole is covered and oven roasted for about 1 1/2 hours, turning every 20 minutes. A third of the carrots and the veggies (minus the bay leaves) are then pressed through a sieve and added to the sauce. If sauce is too thin, the directions call for boiling it down a bit. It’s then poured over the sliced meat and the carrots (which are, btw, fabulous). This treatment of the sauce eliminates the curdled look. The meat is flavorful and tender. I recommend trying this method – it’s only slightly more labor intensive but the results are worth it.
Many thanks, Loretta. It does sound intriguing and I like that we all now have another option for the sauce. I’m a pork purist, so I’m going to try the plain and simple pork and milk rendition first, but may add just a little onion, as you suggest, for sweetness. Again, thanks!
My best friend is from France and this is how her family cooks their pork. When I first had it, I couldn’t believe how tender it was. But if I remember my chemistry, it’s the enzyme in the milk that tenderises the meat. Nice recipes. Thanks for sharing.
It’s nice to finally have a real-life application for all that high-school science, isn’t it, Karen?
What do you serve with it? I’m anxious to try it but think I’ll use the butt or some other, fattier cut. Just not sure what to serve with it.
Thanks!
So many things, Patty! If you like pleasingly bitter, sautéed broccoli rabe would be really lovely in contrast to the subtly sweet richness of pork butt. We have a really nice recipe for rabe and potatoes that would go really well with this, especially given the crisp texture of the potatoes in conjunction with the falling apart tenderness of the pork. Another option would be simple fork-mashed potatoes and green beans sautéed in olive oil and slivered garlic. If you prefer a salad to cooked greens, perhaps some chicories such as escarole, frisee, and radicchio with a basic or a mustard vinaigrette and some oven-roasted potatoes? Let us know what you decide…
Planning on cooking this next week, looking forward to it, but just wondering how the sauce would fare if you used a hand blender to break up the chunks?
William, a couple of our recipe testers tried that, and they told us it really didn’t do much for the appearance or the taste. A couple other testers strained the sauce prior to serving and were quite pleased with that result. Quite frankly, the sauce has a face that only a mother can love, but the taste and the texture of the pork? Something everyone can fall in love with. Curious to hear what you chose to do and what you thought of the pork…
Just cooked some pork belly using this method and the milk did not coagulate at all and, as I was making a pavlova the same day thought a savoury baked custard using the amazing flavoured milk and those leftover egg yolks would be good. I’m chilling the milk overnight so I can remove the fat and will be trialling this.
Inspired, Vicky! I can’t wait to hear more details…!