Slow Braised Pork with Tomato-Fennel Sugo over Cobrancosa Fried Polenta

Ingredients (Pork With Tomato & Fennel Sugo)

• 5-7 pound bone in pork shoulder
• Kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 – 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes in juice
• 2 cups white wine
• 8 whole garlic cloves
• 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 3″ sprig fresh rosemary, leaves stripped
• 3 tablespoons Spanish Hojiblanca Olive Oil

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450.  
• Rub the entire pork shoulder with a tablespoon of Hojiblanca olive oil, season the entire surface area liberally with salt and fresh ground pepper and place in the roasting pan, fat side up. 
• Arrange the vegetables around the roast in the pan, drizzle and toss with another tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Roast the shoulder and vegetables uncovered at 450 for 20 minutes until the vegetables begin to take color and the pork roast is browned.  
• Reduce the oven to 350.  
• In a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, wine, a tablespoon of Hojiblanca, and the rosemary leaves. 
• Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.  
• Pour evenly over the roast and vegetables in the pan.  With heavy duty foil, tightly seal the roasting pan and roast at 350 for five hours. 
• Meanwhile, make the polenta.     

Ingredients (Cobrancosa Fried Romano Polenta)

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups polenta
• 2 shallots, finely minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced 
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• fresh ground pepper
• Kosher salt
• Cobrancosa Olive Oil – 2 tablespoons plus enough to fill a frying pan 2″

Directions

• In a 3+ quart sauce pan heat one tablespoon of Cobrancosa. 
• Saute the onion until translucent, about three minutes. 
• Add the garlic and saute for another minute.  Add the broth and bring to a simmer. 
• While stirring constantly, add the polenta in a steady stream.  Continue stirring constantly for 20-25 minutes until the polenta is thick.  
• Add the cheese, remaining tablespoon of Corbancosa, and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. 
• Immediately pour the polenta in to a 9″x13″ baking dish and allow to cool.  Refrigerate covered in plastic wrap.  
• Cut the polenta in to sqaures or rectangles approximately 3″ x 3″ in size. 
• Heat 2″ of Cobrancosa to 350 on a deep fry thermometer in a heavy, deep sided frying pan. 
• Fry the polenta slices a few at a time, approximately 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown.  
• Serve the pork in large shreds with the sauce from the pan over the hot, crispy polenta.