Mignon le porc a l'ail

I swear I spent a good few days to search for a recipe that won't alter the good pork shoulder I have. I do not want to waste this prime cut I have and mask the flavor with sauces. So I turn to Les Halles' classic, Mignon le pork a l'ail, which is basically roast pork with garlic. I served it over sauteed & roasted vegetables.

Original recipe is courtesy of Anthony Bourdain. It looks complicated, but trust me, it's easy and it'll be worth it!! Here's how I did mine over the weekend.

(note: the original cut of meat is tenderloins, but use what you have).

Mignon le porc a l'ail (serves 2)

Ingredients:
* 1 head garlic confit
* 300 gr pork shoulder
* 2 slices of bacon
* 1 tbsp OO
* 2 tbsp butter
* 2 shallots, thinly sliced
* 1/4 C white wine
* 1/2 C chicken stock
* 1 sprig parsley

How to:


* [Preparing the pork, a day before] Cut the pork the long way (horizontally) into half. Spread the mashed garlic confit on the lower half, top with bacon, another spread of garlic confit and place the other half-pork on top. Tie with kitchen string, equally throughout the tube. Refrigerate over night.

me and my "thin" bacon. You can do better.

* [Cooking the pork] Preheat oven to 180C. Remove the pork from fridge. In the saute pan, heat OO over high heat, add 1 tbsp of butter. Once the butter stops foaming, season the pork with S+P and add into the pan. Brown all sides. Place the meat onto roasting pan and finish cooking in oven for about 15 mins. Once done, set aside and keep the drippings.

* [Making the sauce] On a pan, add 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add shallots and cook till soft. Turn to high heat and add the wine, until it turns thick to a glaze consistency. Your home will smell heavenly by this time. Then stir in the chicken stock & any drippings from your roasted pork. Cook till it's reduced till half. Add the remaining butter, any left over garlic confit & parsley and whisk.

* [Plating] After you cut the kitchen thread, pour over the sauce on the pork before serving. It will keep the meat moist & flavourful. If you're serving it over a bed of roasted vegetables like I did, pour spoonfuls of sauce onto the pork, avoiding drenching the vegetables too much.

Note: you will have some left over sauces. Keep it for next time you roast your beef, pork, chicken.


Bon appetit, cherie.