Maple-Braised Pork Butt With Roasted-Vegetable Hodgepodge

Here is another maple recipe from the staff at Rodale’s Organic Life (link). They write, “A deeply brown caramelized sear given dusky sweetness to the meat, while resinous notes from fresh rosemary and thyme round out the slight woodiness of the syrup.”  Serves 6.

Ingredients

Pork Butt

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 5–6 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large onion, cut into eighths
  • 1 large rib of celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1½ cups dry white wine
  • 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 3 sprigs of flatleaf parsley
  • 2 sprigs of sage
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup Coombs Family Farms Grade A Dark Color, Robust Taste Maple Syrup
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Hodgepodge

  • 1 pound small potatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 2 cups blanched, peeled pearl onions
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons Coombs Family Farms Grade A Dark Color, Robust Taste Maple Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 3 purple-top turnips, cut into ½-inch wedges
  • 1 butternut squash, cut into ¾-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons chopped chives

Preparation

  1. Make the pork: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1 tablespoon salt, 1½ teaspoon pepper, and paprika; rub on pork. Heat oil over medium-high heat in an 8-quart Dutch oven. Sear pork until dark brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
  2. Lower heat to medium. Add carrot, onion, and celery; cook, stirring, until soft, about 7 minutes. Add wine, garlic, and herbs, scraping up brown bits. Bring to a boil and reduce by half, about 6 minutes.
  3. Return pork and juices to pot. Add stock, vinegar, and syrup; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook in oven until meat is very tender, 3–4 hours. 
  4. Transfer pork to platter; tent with foil. Strain liquid into a 3-quart saucepan; discard solids. Raise oven to 400 degrees.
  5. Boil liquid until reduced by a third, about 8 minutes. Combine flour and butter; whisk into liquid until thickened, about 2 minutes. Boil 2 minutes more. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
  6. Make the hodgepodge: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except chives. Divide between two baking sheets; roast, stirring and swapping baking sheets’ positions halfway through, until tender, 40 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in chives. Slice pork and serve with sauce and hodgepodge.