Author Notes
: This is not a true porchetta but it does incorporate the flavors that would typically be associated with it; especially a generous amount of fennel. Country style ribs are not true ribs but rather large pieces of shoulder in long thing strips that resemble ribs. They make a very good braise. The final dish is great with a thick ribbed pasta such as rigatoni. It’s better still with polenta. The timer on your slow cooker should keep the braise warm while you are away. —pierino
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
-
2
pounds boneless country style pork ribs
-
1
sweet yellow onion
-
1
fennel bulb (fronds saved)
-
1
stalk celery
-
1 teaspoon
juniper berries
-
1
branch rosemary, leaves stripped
-
2
bay leaves
-
1 tablespoon
fennel pollen
-
kosher salt and ground black pepper
-
4 cups
chicken stock
-
canola oil for browning meat
Directions
-
1) Cut the pork rib into large cubes about 1 inch each
-
2) Chop the onion and fennel into large pieces, about 1 inch each, reserving the fennel fronds until the very end of cooking.
-
3) Slice the celery and chop the fronds
-
4) Crush the juniper berries in a mortar
-
5) In a large skillet heat the oil until it begins to smoke. Brown the cubed pork in batches.
-
6) Transfer the pork to a slow cooker. Add the dry ingredients except for the fennel pollen.
-
7) Add the stock to the crock to not quite cover the meat. It should come about ¾ of the way to the top. Sprinkle on the fennel powder.
-
8) Set the timer for 6 hours. Take the afternoon off while the meat cooks.
-
Sprinkle with celery leaves and serve.
Standup commis flâneur, and food historian. Pierino's background is in Italian and Spanish cooking but of late he's focused on frozen desserts. He is now finishing his cookbook, MALAVIDA! Can it get worse? Yes, it can. Visit the Malavida Brass Knuckle cooking page at Facebook and your posts are welcome there.
See what other Food52ers are saying.