One-Pot Maiale al Latte Recipe

Inspired by classic versions of maiale al latte (pork braised in milk), this comforting dish from Justin Chapple transforms humble ingredients into an extraordinary one-pot meal, using our Traditional Oval Doufeu.

Ingredients (serves 8):
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 (2 ½-pound) boneless pork shoulder roasts, neatly tied with kitchen string
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, halved through the core
1 leek, halved lengthwise and crosswise
1 garlic head, halved crosswise
2 cups dry white wine
1 quart whole milk
1 pint heavy cream
1 (½-ounce) bunch each of sage, rosemary, and thyme, tied with kitchen string
6 strips lemon peel
3 bay leaves
4 star anise pods
3 (15-ounce) cans cannellini or butter beans, rinsed and drained
Finely chopped parsley and crushed red pepper, for garnish
Crusty bread, for serving

Instructions:
1. Season the pork all over with salt and pepper; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. In a large cast-iron Doufeu or Dutch oven, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the pork and cook over medium, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 12 to 14 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the onion, leek, and garlic, cut side down, and cook until browned on the bottom, 2 to 4 minutes; transfer to a plate.

2. Add the wine to the pot and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced to ½ cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the milk and cream, then add the pork, onion, leek, garlic, herb bundle, zest, bay leaves, and star anise. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cover and, if using a Doufeu, add 3 cups of ice to the lid. Simmer over low, turning the pork a few times, until very tender and the sauce looks slightly curdled, about 2 hours and 45 minutes; replenish the ice as needed during cooking.

3. Transfer the pork to a carving board. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out and discard the onion, leeks, garlic, herbs, bay leaves, zest, and some of the milk solids. Stir the beans into the sauce and cook on low until heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Remove the strings from the pork and thickly slice it. Spoon the beans and some of the sauce into shallow bowls and top with the pork. Garnish with finely chopped parsley and crushed red pepper. Serve with crusty bread.

I love an Italian milk braised pork and this recipe is just in time for the cooler weather. It’s also a really great reason to show you my lacrosse defo which is essentially a cast iron Dutch oven with a very special lid. After browning the pork and the aromatics because as you know color equals flavor. We delaze with wine milk and cream scraping up all those brown bits. By the way, the sand color interior of Lucrise cookware is intentional. It’s so that you can see how much your food is browning. We’re going to return the pork and all those aromatics, plus some lemon zest, bay leaves, star anise, and an herb bundle for a low and slow braze. Now, here’s what makes this pot special. It has a recessed lid with dimples on the bottom. The idea here is to add ice to the recessed lid during cooking. And what that does is it cools the lid down, which causes the steam inside to condense. And then those dimples underneath will drip the moisture back onto the food, creating a self-basing effect. For this recipe, that means the most unbelievably tender and juicy milk braised pork. Add beans or serve with bread and you’ve got a complete meal.