Best Braised Pork Jowls Allamatriciana Recipes

PASTA AMATRICIANA

Pasta Amatriciana image

Pasta amatriciana is a traditional Italian dish that features a sauce of guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl), tomato, pecorino romano and chiles. Some variations include onion and white wine. The final product tastes much more complex than the ingredient list would suggest: This simple pantry meal delivers deep flavors, as the bright, tangy tomato base balances the rich pork, and a mix of dried peppers adds layers of subtle heat. Guanciale can be found in Italian specialty shops or online, but pancetta is a good alternative. Bucatini is a thicker pasta with a hollow center that captures the thick sauce, but spaghetti delivers equally tasty results.

Provided by Kay Chun

Time 25m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces guanciale or pancetta, chopped into ¼-inch cubes (3/4 cup)
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands in a bowl
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1 pound dried bucatini
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for garnish

Steps:

In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add guanciale and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. To the skillet, add tomatoes, black pepper and red-pepper flakes, and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally and smashing tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon, until tomatoes have broken down and sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain.
Add pasta, tomato sauce and ½ cup of pasta cooking water back to the large pasta pot and stir vigorously over medium-high heat until pasta is evenly coated in the sauce, about 1 minute. (Add more pasta water if sauce is dry.) Remove from heat, stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt.
Divide pasta among bowls and garnish with more cheese and black pepper.

BRAISED PORK CARNITAS

Braised Pork Carnitas image

Deliciously tender and juicy braised pulled pork carnitas can be used in fried or street tacos. Perfect for burritos and chimichangas or taco bowls.

Provided by Christopher Martinez

Categories Main Dish Recipes Taco Recipes

Time 5h40m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

5 pounds pork shoulder roast
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ small yellow onion, chopped
6 cups pork stock
1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
12 each green onions, chopped
24 each fresh yellow corn tortillas
4 cups thinly shaved green cabbage
10 ounces crumbled queso fresco
2 cups fresh salsa
2 each limes, cut into wedges

Steps:

Heat a large, cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season pork shoulder with garlic, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Place pork shoulder fat-side down into the hot pot and sear until deep golden brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Add yellow onion to cook with rendered drippings for 1 minute. Slowly pour in pork stock to cover pork shoulder.
Bring to a light boil; cover and braise until fork-tender, 4 1/2 to 5 hours.
Transfer to a bowl and shred into carnitas, adding 1 1/2 cups of pork stock for moisture and more salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions and cook until slightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Heat corn tortillas in the hot skillet on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes total for each tortilla. Place braised pork into tortillas and garnish with cabbage, queso fresco, salsa, green onions, and a squeeze of lime.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 210.8 calories, Carbohydrate 16 g, Cholesterol 41.4 mg, Fat 10.7 g, Fiber 2.8 g, Protein 13.4 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Sodium 820 mg, Sugar 1.7 g