Pulled Pork Pasta With Almond Cream Sauce

echo echo's Note:

A recipe from Sara Lawson, one of the chefs competing on the PBS show Cooking Under Fire. For the white wine in the recipe she suggests Sauvignon Blanc. Pappardelle is a ribbon-style pasta 5/8- to 1-inch wide; I would think you could also use egg noodles or fettuccine. Times shown do not include a minimum of 30 minutes marinating time. VERY rich and fattening, so reserve for special occasions.

• Total Time: 3 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 lb boneless pork butt , cut in large cubes
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 carrot , large dice
• 1 leek , white part only, coarsely chopped
• 1 onion , coarsely chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorn
• 1 tablespoon fennel seed
• 1 (1 lb) package pappardelle pasta (can use fresh or dried)
• fresh flat-leaf parsley (to garnish)

MARINADE

• ¼ cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (or Sriracha sauce)
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 4 garlic cloves , crushed

ALMOND CREAM SAUCE

• 2 cups whole almonds , slightly toasted
• 4 cups heavy cream
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Combine marinade ingredients, toss pork with marinade, cover and chill in fridge at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
2. Put pork and marinade in an oven-proof large dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat; sear pork on all sides until browned, seasoning with salt and pepper as you brown. Before garlic burns on, deglaze with wine, scraping pan with wooden spoon to dislodge brown bits.
3. Continue cooking about 3 minutes until wine is mostly evaporated, then add carrot through fennel seeds.
4. Pour in cold water to cover by 1 inch, cover and braise in 325F oven until pork is fork tender (1-1/2 to 2 hours).
5. Meanwhile, make almond cream sauce: in a saucepan simmer almonds in cream over medium heat 30 minutes, stirring often, to infuse cream with almond flavor. Strain out almonds and discard. Continue simmering cream about 30 minutes until reduced and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper and keep hot.
6. When pork is done, pour 1 cup of braising liquid into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced by half (meanwhile keep meat in the rest of the braising fluid to keep moist).
7. When meat is cool enough to handle, shred pork and keep warm covered in the (unreduced) jus.
8. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water 8-10 minutes until al dente.
9. Drain pasta and toss it with 1/2 cup of almond cream sauce to coat; divide among 4 plates.
10. Drain pork and top each plate of pasta with 1/4 of the pork, a drizzle of the reduced juice, 1/4 of the remaining almond cream sauce and parsley to garnish.