It's like duck confit, but not as good.

[madbaker]

This week's Resolution Recipe, after a two-week lapse: Pork Confit.


1 T kosher salt
2 medium bay leaves
4+ garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 T black peppercorns
1 small bunch fresh sage
1 1/2 T chopped shallots
1/4 tsp pink salt (sodium nitrite, not Hawaiian colored salt)
2 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin or shoulder butt (I used pork loin from Trader Joe's)
2 to 4 cups rendered duck fat (I used duck fat that j_i_m_r had rendered and stashed in the freezer after her last confiting project - it can be re-used)

Combine all except pork and fat in a spice grinder and pulverize to a powder. Rub evenly all over the meat. Place it in a nonreactive container (I used a Ziploc bag), cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours if shoulder, 48 hours for loin.

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Rinse pork under tepid water, wiping off all the seasonings, and dry thoroughly on paper towels. Submerge the meat in the rendered fat in a stockpot or Dutch oven (I used a Le Creuset, which is made for this sort of thing). The meat must be completely covered in fat. Bring to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, then place uncovered in the oven for 4-6 hours for shoulder or 3-4 hours for loin.

Cool in the fat, then cover while making sure that the meat is submerged. Refrigerate for 24 hours, or freeze. To serve, bring to room temperature, remove from fat, and saute over medium heat or roast at 425 until hot.

What worked: Easy. Yummy. It did indeed improve a commercial pork loin as promised.

What didn't: It's not as good as duck confit, which is not its fault but I had to write something.

Will I make it again? Yup. Not soon as we have 2 lbs of confited pork loin to go through first, and you don't need very much at a time. It went well on a salad for lunch today.

Comments

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

Broken tag fixed, which fixes the time question you raised.
I bought my pink salt at The Sausage Maker (http://www.sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2). I also got their Insta-Cure #2 (http://www.sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=23), which is better for long-hanging items where you want a gradual release of the nitrate.

The possibility of botulism is very low, but I prefer not to take chances.

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

If F. doesn't like duck fat (inconceivable!) you could use rendered lard instead, as long as it's real lard and not that wax that Hormel sells.