Braised Pork with Turnips

Name: Braised Pork with Turnips
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn; 1 tablespoon butter (or more oil); 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or loin, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks; 1 1/2 pounds purple-topped turnips or rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks; 3/4 cup white wine, chicken stock, or water; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons minced fresh lovage, celery leaves, or parsley (optional)

December 20, 2011

This is a classic spring or fall dish, times when you can get good, fresh turnips but don’t mind long, slow cooking. Here turnips and pork are both browned for perfect color and then simmered in a little liquid until tender. Don’t ignore the instruction to preheat the skillet for at least a minute, then allow the butter and/or oil to become hot, and don’t crowd the meat, or it won’t brown properly. Make sure the first side of the pork cubes browns well and that the second is on its way to being browned before adding the turnips. The turnips themselves are so high in natural sugars that they brown almost instantly and continue to gain color as they braise.

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