Slow-cooked Italian recipes...

[burningbright]

Got a yearly Italian dinner night coming up for a party of eight. I've got a 9 qt Le Creuset dutch oven that I really enjoy using but have never made an Italian recipe with it. I've got a Florentine cookbook that fell behind the refrigerator that I need to fish out, but in the meantime, I'd love some suggestions.

Your epicurean slow-cooked Italian recipes are needed SF. Beef, chicken, pork, seafood, surprise me (except for Osso Bucco; I made that last year and want to try something new).

 

[gomestar]

braised short ribs perhaps?

 

[poliziano]

Here you go, from an Italian guy via an Italian-American chef:

http://www.mariobatali.com/recipes_shortribs.cfm

 

[poliziano]

Wow, amazing....two posts, same recipe. Apparently that's all we cook in Italy

 

[burningbright]

This is made even more hilarious by the fact that I had bookmarked the food.com recipe last night as a possibility.

It does look good. Any other thoughts...besides braised short ribs?

 

[foodguy]

people seem to like this.

 

[tattersall]

One of our favorites in the winter is Arrosto di maiale al latte (pork loin cooked in milk). The pork is slowly cooked in milk with lemon zest - over time the milk curdles and turns into a wicked sauce. I think it is best with a loin on the bone and one with plenty of fat.

Here is the recipe we usually use: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipe...Cooked-in-Milk

 

[gdl203]

Some SF member posted a recipe (with pictures) for grilling slices of bread on a BBQ. There was some cheese on it - looked amazing.

I don't know if this is helpful

 

[Douglas]

i've done the milk-cooked pork thing before... but i did it in an actual slow-cooker (eg crockpot). I was disappointed in the results, but it might just have been that the recipe did not translate well.

i'd have to give a pretty hearty recommendation for just a good bolognese sauce, which needs hours of slow cooking for the proper flavors and texture to develop.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by tattersall

One of our favorites in the winter is Arrosto di maiale al latte (pork loin cooked in milk). The pork is slowly cooked in milk with lemon zest - over time the milk curdles and turns into a wicked sauce. I think it is best with a loin on the bone and one with plenty of fat.

Here is the recipe we usually use: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipe...Cooked-in-Milk
I was going to mention this. We've always done it with shoulder. I love it.

 

[indesertum]

what some good cheap vegetable side dishes

 

[tattersall]

Originally Posted by indesertum

what some good cheap vegetable side dishes

At this time of year, with the dish I suggested:
- Roasted small (or cipollini) onions
- Kale with a vinaigrette

 

[tattersall]

Originally Posted by iammatt

I was going to mention this. We've always done it with shoulder. I love it.

That cut would work brilliantly too - would you tie it up or just let if fall apart?

 

[Johnny_5]

Joining the short rib party and suggesting this. I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and fell in love with it. The nice thing about braising is you can even make them the day before and not have to hassle yourself when your guests are over the next day and actually enjoy their company. Also, an added bonus to making your braise the day before is that they have even more flavor after they have sat in their braising liquid overnight.

 

[burningbright]

Originally Posted by Johnny_5

Joining the short rib party and suggesting this. I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and fell in love with it. The nice thing about braising is you can even make them the day before and not have to hassle yourself when your guests are over the next day and actually enjoy their company. Also, an added bonus to making your braise the day before is that they have even more flavor after they have sat in their braising liquid overnight.

Again, this seems to be the standard braised short ribs recipe but I like the pumpkin orzo addition as a side.

Reading the comments beneath the recipe revealed some interesting suggestions:

1. Marinating the ribs in wine overnight before browning allows the acid in the wine to tenderize them more (sounds obvious).
2. Adding 1/2 cup of coffee or an ounce of unsweetened chocolate to the braising liquid brings a richer flavor.
3. Cooking them just above 375 degrees makes the meat tougher but the sauce richer.
4. Adding a small amount of horseradish reserved for the gremolata to the braising liquid could possibly make this better (vague comment).

Anybody think any of these suggestions are unwise?

The pork recipe, while sounding good, also sounds too chancy for 8 people (one person may have dairy issues anyway) so I may try that one when it's just Mrs. burningbright and I. So, barring any other fantastic recipes, I'll probably have to go with the braised short ribs this time.