ITALIAN MILK-BRAISED PORK ROAST WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS & CREAMY LEMON POLENTA RECIPE - (4.8/5)

Steps:

• Note: Why simmer salt pork to render the fat? Cook's Illustrated's explanation is "that's because the pork's slightly acidic juices lower the pH of the milk, causing the clusters of casein proteins in milk that normally repel one another to suddenly attract one another and form clumps. Heating the milk speeds up this reaction." "A couple of tablespoons of fat added to the whole milk keeps it from curdling-even when super acidic wine is introduced." Bring the pork loin to room temperature (about 30 minutes) and pat very dry. Season with coarse salt and black pepper. Turn the slow cooker on to low heat. If you don't own a slow cooker, you could prepare this dish in a Dutch Oven, covered, at 275°F for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until it registers at 145°F. Bring salt pork and 1/2 cup water to simmer in Dutch oven over medium heat. Simmer until water evaporates and salt pork begins to sizzle, 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until salt pork is lightly browned and fat has rendered, 2 to 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, discard salt pork, leaving fat in pot. Add pork, fat side down, and sear until brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Brown pork on all sides, about 5 minutes more; transfer to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add garlic to skillet; cook 30 seconds. Note: I did drizzle a little olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter once I really began searing the pork for extra color and caramelization. Deglaze skillet with wine,scraping up any brown bits. Add milk, cream, porcini, anchovy paste, pepper flakes, baking soda and zest; simmer 3 minutes. Pour milk mixture around pork in slow cooker; submerge rosemary and sage. Cover slow cooker and cook pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°F on low setting, 2 hours. Transfer pork to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Discard rosemary and sage. Purée sauce in slow cooker with a handheld blender until smooth; season with salt and black pepper. Note: If you don't own an immersion blender, you can puree this in a regular blender. Just don't overfill the blender, and cover the top with a hot towel, to prevent an explosion or burns! Slice pork and serve with sauce. The sauce is divine! Serve with Creamy Lemon Polenta, for a perfect pairing. Polenta: Boil broth and buttermilk in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in cornmeal, reduce heat to low, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes; remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan, butter, a splash of heavy cream and zest; season with salt and pepper.