PORK HOCK RAGOUT
La Cabane d’à Côté

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs

• 500 g (1 lb) ground pork
• 75 g (½ cup) minced onions
• 2 eggs
• 60 ml (¼ cup) heavy cream
• 50 g (½ cup) breadcrumbs
• 10 g (1 tbsp) minced garlic
• 10 g (1 tbsp) salt
• pepper
• 1 pinch ground clove
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch nutmeg

Ragout

• 100 ml (⅓ cup) canola oil
• 1.3 kg (2¾ lb) skin-on pork hock, cut crosswise like osso bucco, about 5 cm (2”) thick
• 250 g (½ lb) skin-on onions, halved and charred
• 200 g (1¼ cup) chopped carrots
• 200 g (7 oz) small potatoes
• 4 g (2 tsp) minced garlic
• ½ bunch parsley
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground clove
• 1 pinch ground savory
• salt and pepper

Roux

• 100 g (½ cup) rendered pork fat
• 100 g (¾ cup) flour

Garnish

• pickled beets
• pickled gherkins

METHOD

Combine all meatball ingredients. Working with about 35 g (2 tbsp) of the mixture at a time, form into balls and arrange on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

To make the ragout, heat a Dutch oven on medium-high and add the oil. When the oil shimmers, sear the meatballs in batches until lightly browned on all sides; set aside. Sear the pork hock pieces until bronzed on all sides. Add cold water to cover and follow with all remaining ingredients except the pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. When the potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes) remove and set aside. Skim fat from surface periodically and reserve (for the roux). Cook until meat is tender and separates easily from the bone — about 3 hours. Remove hocks, onions and carrots from the braising liquid and set aside to cool under cling film. Discard onion skins. Add meatballs to the pot, simmer for 10 minutes and, with a slotted spoon, transfer to a baking sheet. Skim fat again and reserve. Strain braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve. Debone the pork, reserving the meat and skin. Combine with the cooked onions, carrots and potatoes.

To finish, heat 100 g (½ cup) of rendered pork fat in a Dutch oven on medium. Add flour and cook, whisking until it browns — about 3 minutes. Slowly add the reserved braising liquid to the roux and whisk to form a smooth sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add reserved meatballs, pork, carrots, onions and potatoes. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. If it seems thin, add 1 tbsp cornstarch diluted in cold water and stir. Add pepper, correct seasonings and serve with pickled beets and gherkins.