Calabrian Chili and Pickle Peppered-Braised Pork

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This week, I’m so pleased to partner with Aunt Fannie’s on something special. Their products have no harsh chemicals, no hidden ingredients — just natural cleaning agents, held to the highest safety standards, for fresh-smelling, effective products you’ll love. I really love using them in my home and you will too.

I’m just back from a lovely trip to Toronto and Prince Edward County. More on that next week, but it was very special and full of great wine! In the meantime, I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes from Better at Home complete with a video (which includes a little ditty!). This recipe couldn’t be easier to make and it uses both Calabrian chili paste and “Hoagie Spread,” a pickled cherry pepper condiment that's great on — you guessed it — hoagies. If you'd rather skip the extra ingredient, just double the Calabrian chiles. I do like the acidic element they bring to the dish to cut the fat, so pick(le)the pepper you like!

The full recipe is below and I hope you like it. It might be a bit hot to make this week, but save it for the next cool, damp day. I’m sure there will be a few more before we’re fully in the swing of things.

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🫧 Cleaning with: Aunt Fannie’s Sink Refresher. I truly love the stuff! It’s safe to use on both on porcelain and stainless steel sinks as well as pots and pans. It smells fresh and zippy and is powered by baking soda, which is a natural, mild abrasive. I reach for it multiple times a week. Oh, and it’s also great for reducing garage disposal odors, just sprinkle and let sit for 15 minutes. The best part? There are no harsh ingredients. Whatcha you see is whatcha get.

📚Reading: The Encore by Juliet Izon. I love when friends I’ve worked with in editorial drop books of fiction! I adore it even more when I LOVE the book! My pal Juliet recently released The Encore, which is SO. MUCH. FUN. It’s also emotional and I teared up a few times. The book portrays the relationship of two former best friends Anna and Will who attend a music conservatory together in the 90s. On graduation night, the night takes an unexpected turn and Anna leaves to pursue a singer-songwriter career in Ireland. What she doesn’t know until about three months later is that she’s pregnant. Keen to pursue her dream, she gives the baby up for adoption and never tells Will. About 16 years later, their daughter Lottie finds Anna and reunites her with Will. I won’t give anything else away that’s not on the back cover, but the three end up on Anna’s music tour around the states. It’s a great read, perfect for the summer.

👕Wearing: I am deeply in love with my new Jenni Kayne Cashmere Fisherman Sweater. In fact, since putting it on two weeks ago, I’ve barely taken it off. Yes, it’s an investment piece, but the quality is exquisite and given the fact that it’s now an essential part of my wardrobe no matter the season, I think it’s worthy. I’d have them in all colors should it be a financial option, alas it is not.

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Calabrian Chili and Pickle Peppered-Braised Pork in Tomato

I first made this dish when my dad and family came for their annual holiday visit and it was a big hit. Not to toot my horn or anything, but this pork is insanely good. It gets great heat from the Calabrian chilis and the pickled peppers provide delicate acidity. I call for Cento hoagie spread here, because it’s always in my fridge. If you can’t find it, finely chop any pickled pepper of your choosing, but also buy the hoagie spread! It’s really good. If you can get ahead of it and make the pork a few days in advance, it will only deepen the dish’s flavor and make it even more delectable! I highly recommend serving it over creamy polenta, which I add lots of butter and grated pecorino to. A side of blanched broccoli rabe tossed with oil and toasted garlic never hurt anyone either.

Serves 6 to 8

Time 3 to 3 ½ hours

INGREDIENTS

1 5- 5 ½ pound boneless pork shoulder

5 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt, if using Morton’s cut by half

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium online, finely chopped

8 garlic cloves, crushed with the back of a knife, skins removed

1 tablespoon tomatoes paste

1 heaping tablespoon Calabrian chili paste

1 heaping tablespoon Hoagie spread or finely chopped pickled peppers

2 tablespoon roughly chopped mixed herbs such as rosemary, sage or thyme

1 24.5 ounce jar tomato passata

Creamy Polenta for serving

METHOD

Heat the oven to 350˚ degrees.

Season the pork all over with salt. If you can do this a day in advance and leave it uncovered in the fridge, great. If not, carry on, it will be fine!

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the pork and brown it well on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes total. Remove the pork and set aside.

Pour off all but two tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add in the onion and the garlic and stir to coat in the oil. Cook until the onion begins to soften and the garlic turns golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt.

Add in the tomato paste and toast for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the Calabrian chili paste and the pickled peppers and the herbs cook for one minute more. Add the passata and fill the jar a quarter of the way up, swish around to loosen up any remaining sauce and add to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then add the pork back to the pot and cover.

Transfer to the oven and braise until the pork is melting tender, 3 to 3 ½ hours. Shred the pork directly in the sauce. Taste and adjust the season with more salt if needed. Serve over the buttery polenta.

Have a good rest of your week!

With love,

Colu x

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