Pork Osso Buco with Riced Cauliflower Risotto

I love Osso Buco. If it’s on the menu, that’s my order. No matter the restaurant—

corner diner to top of the line fancy-pants eatery. Osso Buco is a classic Italian stew and full of flavor. Now if you’re a traditionalist, you probably want to remind me that Osso Buco is veal dish. Well, yes. But, I prefer to use pork. First off, I like the price tag—pork costs about half. Second reason, I find the pork to be a more tender meat. And a tender Osso Buco is The Bomb.  

Serve this hearty stew with Cauliflower Risotto (recipe below)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ pounds boneless pork sirloin cut into thick chops

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 28-ounce can peeled Italian plum tomatoes, crushed

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup dry red wine

1 Tbs fresh basil leaves, chopped

½ teaspoon grated lemon peel

½ teaspoon anchovy paste

salt and pepper

chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Heat oil in heavy extra-large deep skillet or flameproof casserole over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper and add to skillet, cooking until brown, turning occasionally, about 12 minutes. Transfer pork to plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion, celery and garlic and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add wine, tomatoes, chicken stock, anchovy paste, lemon and basil, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

3. Return pork to the pan, along with any juices, cover and place in heated oven, 1 hour or until meat is fork tender. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead.)

4. Ladle into bowls and serve with Cauliflower Risotto and chopped parsley

Riced Cauliflower Risotto Recipe

Let me start by saying, I am not a big fan of the steaming, chopping and straining a whole head of cauliflower. What I am a big fan of, is chopping and roasting. Roasting not only invites all the rich flavors of caramelization, but negates the tedious work of straining.

Paleo Note: The use of butter and cream, as opposed to vegetable broth and oil, in this recipe will give your risotto a more authentic flavor, but I have to say both ways are equally delicious.

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets (I also use the tender green leaves closest to the stem—hate to waste anything!)

3 Tbs olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbs olive oil or butter

salt and pepper

½ cup vegetable stock or cream

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast at 450 degrees until golden, about 30 minutes. When cooled, add to food processor and chop until florets are the size of grains of rice.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil or butter until tender. Add riced cauliflower, vegetable stock or cream and cheese, and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.