This Little Piggie Went . . . to Cafe Drake

We were reminded via several emails from far and wide recently that Cafe Drake suffers from a real dearth of pork recipes. Let us assure you this oversight was unintentional and free of religious prohibitions; we in fact LOVE the pig and all its various products (pancetta and hot Italian sausage at the top of a long list, with Moo Shoo close behind). Below are two uncomplicated recipes freely adapted from Joyce Goldstein's marvelous coffee table cookbook Italian: Slow and Savoury. Cafe Drake has tweaked the instructions and ingredients below to make them friendlier to those of us with work lives or social schedules outside the home, but the originals should be referred to if a purer form of Italian cookery is desired. The book itself is a treasure trove of historical facts and traditional preparation methods in both Northern and Southern Italian cuisine, and worthy of immediate purchase on Amazon. The photos above illustrate our particular method of constructing Pork Shoulder with Apples (on a lazy weeknight, unencumbered by fussy rules, 90% of the cooking is left unattended while you chat on the phone or catch up on TiVo backlog), and (randomly) the azalea plant bought for $9 at Key Foods that bloomed for 2 weeks in Cafe Drake's kitchen and delivered much happiness.

STEWED PORK SHOULDER WITH APPLES

As you can see above we sided the stew with a simple polenta (no cheese: just water, salt and 2 tablespoons of sour cream for richness) and steamed broccoli dressed with a light vinaigrette. The dish is classic Abruzzo and is often enlivened in Italy with the addition of fresh, peeled and seeded orange slices tossed in during the final five minutes of cooking.

Olive oil /2 lbs. pork shoulder, trimmed of excessive fat and cut into 2-inch pieces / Salt and pepper / 4 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole (the original recipe calls for 10 cloves chopped, but we find even the sturdiest Merlot or Chianti can't hold up to the ferocity of so much garlic) / 1 fresh or dried red chile pepper, chopped / 3 sprigs of rosemary (if you must use dried, we'd estimate 1 t. crumbled leaves ) / 1 cup dry white wine (or vermouth, white obviously) / 3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced roughly

1. Add a generous amount of olive oil to a deep and hot skillet. Brown pork on all sides thoroughly. We've said it a million times before but DO NOT SKIMP OUT on this all-important step. It should take 10 minutes or so.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, chile, rosemary, wine and salt and pepper. Mix well.
3. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for about 50 minutes while you do whatever you fancy.
4. Now add the apples, water if the liquid is very low and continue to cook over low heat (uncovered) for about 30 minutes longer.
5. Season again to taste with salt and pepper and if desired, add 1 orange sliced. Heat for 5 more minutes then serve piping hot with any broth accumulated.
6. Receive unanimous praise from guests or yourself if dining alone.

BOMBAS ALLA SARDA

These Sardinian meatballs are addictively good, perfect with spaghetti or mashed potatoes for a sophisticated rustica touch.

1 lb. ground pork / 1/4 cup bread crumbs / 2 eggs / 6 T. pecorino or parmesan cheese / 2 cloves garlic, minced / 1/4 cup chopped parsley Sauce: 3 T. olive oil / 1 onion, chopped / 2 cups canned tomatoes, chopped and seeded / 1/2 cup water / Salt and black pepper

1. In a large bowl combine pork, bread crumbs, eggs, cheese, garlic, parsley and some salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with well washed hands.
2. Form into balls (about 1 inch in size).
3. In a large skillet or saucepan, heat oil and fry onions for about 8 minutes until softened but not brown. Add tomatoes and water, mix well, then add meatballs.
4. Bring to a low boil, reduce to gentle heat and simmer uncovered about 45 minutes.
5. Season sauce with salt and pepper and serve hot.