Maiale alla Zagara
Ingredients
- 2 cups good red wine ⓘ
- Juice and zest of 1 large orange ⓘ
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns ⓘ
- 1 tablespoon juniper berries ⓘ
- 6 whole cloves ⓘ
- 3 bay leaves ⓘ
- 1 5-pound loin of boned pork, trimmed of all but a thin layer of fat, rolled and tied at 1 1/2-inch intervals with butchers twine
- 1/2 cup brown sugar ⓘ
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil ⓘ
- Fine sea salt ⓘ
- 1/2 cup good red wine vinegar
- 3 large oranges, peeled of both their zest and their bitter white pith and sectioned ⓘ
- 2 lemons, peeled of both their zest and their bitter white pith and sectioned ⓘ
Instructions
- In a saucepan, warm the wine with the citrus juices and the zests just to a simmer.
- In a mortar with a pestle, grind the peppercorns, juniper berries, and cloves to a coarse powder.
- Remove the wine from the flame and add the spices and the bay leaves.
- Cover the pot and permit the liquid to absorb flavor from the spices for 1 hour.
- Place the pork in a noncorrosive bowl just large enough to contain it.
- Pour the cooled liquid over the pork, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and permit the pork to rest for two days in the refrigerator.
- Turn it several times each day.
- Remove the pork from its bathreserving the marinadeand dry it with absorbent paper towels.
- Pat the brown sugar over the surfaces of the pork.
- In a terra-cotta or enameled cast-iron casserole over a lively flame, heat the oil and brown the pork, sealing all its surfaces.
- Permit the flesh to caramelize and take on a dark crust without burning ita task that will take at least 10 watchful minutes.
- Remove the pork to a holding plate and salt it generously.
- With the flame still high, add the vinegar to the casserole, stirring and scraping at the residue and permitting the vinegar to reduce for 2 or 3 minutes.
- Strain the reserved marinade and add it to the casserole and, again, permit the liquid to reduce for 2 or 3 minutes.
- Lower the flame and add the pork to the casserole.
- With the liquid barely simmering, cover the pork with a skewed lid and braise it for 45 minutes.
- Add the sectioned oranges and lemons to the casserole, rolling them about in the sauce.
- Bring again to a quiet simmer and cover the casserole with a skewed lid, continuing the braise for an additional 20 minutes or until the pork is fork-tender.
- Permit the whole to cool, uncovered, for 1 hour.
- Very gently reheat the pork in its sauce.
- Carve it into thin slices, presenting them on a shallow, warmed platter with the braised fruit and spoonfuls of the braising liquors.
Nutrition & Diet Analysis (per serving)
569
kcal
28% DV
Protein
Fat
Carbs
Diet fit
High-fiber
Estimated from ingredients & per-serving nutrition — verify against package labels for allergies or strict diets.
* % Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet (FDA 2020).
Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data and may vary with brand, portion and preparation — see our methodology. This information is for general educational purposes only and is not medical or dietary advice (disclaimer).