Italian Pork Loin Braised in Milk

Submitted by FoodE-MattyD

"Sounds unusual, but its an Italian classic that works. The sauce has great flavor, somewhere between a gravy and cream sauce, while the pork loin is juicier and more tender than any other recipe I've tried. The sodium citrate acts as an emulsifier to keep the sauce smooth, but if you don't have, rendered bacon or salt pork will work."

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 15mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 3-4

ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup salt
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 - 1 1⁄2 lb boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon emlusifying salt (sodium citrate)
• 1 1⁄2 cups whole milk
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
• 1⁄8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

directions

1. Dissolve 1/4 cup salt and sugar in 8 cups cold water in large container. Submerge roast in brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours or up to 2 hours. Remove roast from brine and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
3. In a dutch oven, turn heat to medium-high, add roast to pot, and brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer roast to large plate. Add milk, sodium citrate, garlic, sage, and baking soda to pot and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes, until the sauce has the consistency of heavy cream.
4. 4. Return roast to pot, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook until meat registers 140 degrees, about 30 minutes, flipping roast once halfway through cooking. Transfer roast to carving board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. While the roast rest, add wine and return sauce to simmer over medium-high heat, whisking vigorously to smooth out sauce. Simmer until sauce has consistency of thin gravy, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in tablespoons parsley and mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish with any meat juices that accumulate while the roast rests.
6. Slice roast into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer slices to serving platter. Spoon sauce over slices and serve.