You know what that perfectly fine piece of pork sitting in front of you needs? A nice cold glass of milk.
I know, it sounds totally insane. What business does milk—the same stuff we make cheese out of and pour over our cereal—have mingling with a glorious pork tenderloin or chop?
The answer comes from legendary cookbook author Marcella Hazan. She included a recipe for pork braised in milk in 1984's The Classic Italian Cookbook, which calls for slowly braising pork loin in milk until it's cooked through. Milk plays a vital, tenderizing role in a classic bolognese pasta sauce, so perhaps braising a loin in the stuff isn't so weird after all.
And yet the image of a large piece of meat sitting in warm milk was enough to deter me from the technique for years. Then, one day, I broke down and tried it. The result was gloriously tender, the type of pork I grew up dreaming, and nothing like the slightly-to-very overcooked pork that so often is on my plate. The best part? The slightly sweet smell that the calcium-rich braising liquid casts throughout the my house.
I'm not the first one to sing the this recipe's praises, and I certainly won't be the last. In fact, if you try this for Christmas or New Year's, you just might be the one to sing next.
