Milk-Braised Pork Sholder

Bacon is my favorite food. It combines a savory and saltiness I think is programmed into our DNA. I touched an even deeper place with this braised pork recipe. Any braised recipe, whether it is an Italian ragout or a French stew, takes meat to a higher place with a multi-hour tenderizing. They say the best stews are allowed to sit and enjoy on the second day. Maybe that is true, because this recipe took three days to prepare, but it was well worth the trouble.
A few months ago, I clipped this recipe from Bon Appetit. It comes from the restaurant Olivia in Austin, TX where apparently there is only one thing on the walls: a Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings concert poster that the chef’s grandfather gave to him. I don’t know if that is true or not, but I do know that when I tried his recipe last month for my friends at a tail-gating party I received rave reviews and requests for its posting. So, here it is and enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 ½ lbs 1-inch cubes trimmed pork shoulder
1 tbsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 stick butter
½ cup flour
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1/4 lb bacon, chopped
2 cups dry white wine
4 cups whole milk
2 28-once cans of pureed tomatoes

Directions:
Place pork in a large bowl. Mix 1 tbsp salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over pork, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 350○F. Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 2 minutes, whisking often to not allow roux to brown. Remove from heat, cover and let stand until ready to use.
Blend onions, carrot, and celery in processor until finely chopped. Cook bacon in large ovenproof pot over medium heat until beginning to brown and fat is rendered, about 6 minutes. Add vegetables to pot and saute until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add pork and saute until brown, about 7 minutes. Add wine and bring to boil, stirring up browned bits. Add milk and bring to simmer. Add tomato puree, then whisk in roux. Simmer 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Cover pot. Place in oven and braise pork until very tender, about 2 hours. Uncover, let pork cool, recover and chill overnight.
Rewarm pork over low heat, stirring often. Season to taste with salt and pepper.