Braised Pork Belly With Blueberry Compote By Sean Paul
Prep Time: 25 minutes, plus overnight marinade | Cook Time: 4 hours | Makes: 4-6 servings 3-4lbs. Weightpork belly

1Tbsp. fennel pollen
1Tbsp. celery salt
2tsp. garlic powder
1tsp. black pepper, coarse ground
2Tbsp. butter
1onion, chopped
2carrots, chopped
1celery stalk, chopped
1bay leaf
3cups veal or pork stock
1cup red wine
1/2cup cider vinegar
1pkg. Driscoll's Blueberries
6Tbsp. butter, chilled

Warm Blueberry Compote

2pkg. Volume Driscoll's Blueberries
1/4cup orange juice
2Tbsp. raw or Turbinado sugar

Cauliflower Pure

1lb. cauliflower florets
1-2Tbsp. whole grain mustard (Pommery preferred)
1Tbsp. butter

Garnish

Celery sprouts, lemon juice and Kosher salt

Instructions:
1.Combine blueberries, orange juice and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat just until sugar melts and berries are glossy. Set aside.
2.Cut pork belly into 3x4-inch pieces. Combine fennel pollen, celery salt, garlic powder and pepper; rub evenly over pork. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3.Preheat oven to 375F.
4.Place pork in a deep roasting pan
or Dutch oven. Roast uncovered 20 minutes. Poke the fat layer all over with a roasting fork. Return to oven for 20 minutes or until fat starts to brown and render. Scrape off any excess salt and seasonings. Reduce oven to 325F.
5.Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion, carrots, celery and bay leaf. Cook over medium heat until very soft. Add stock, red wine and cider vinegar; bring a boil. Remove from heat.
6.Add stock mixture to the roasting pan. Cover and return to oven for 2-1/2 hours until pork is very tender. Let the roast cool slightly, then remove roast and strain the stock left in the roasting pan.
7.Simmer stock in a saucepan until slightly reduced; season to taste with salt and pepper.
8.Simmer 1 package blueberries and 1 tablespoon butter in another saucepan until juices release. Add the reduced stock, simmer 1 minute then strain through a fine sieve. Return sauce to pan. Bring to a simmer and whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time until sauce is thick and silky.
9.Boil cauliflower in salted water until tender. Drain. Spread on a baking sheet and place in a hot oven to dry slightly, about 6 minutes.
10.Pure cauliflower, mustard and butter in a food processor until smooth.

To Serve

1.Re-warm ingredients as needed. Spoon the cauliflower pure onto serving plates. Slice pork and arrange along side of pure. Spoon the warm blueberry compote over pork and surround with warm blueberries. Garnish with celery sprouts drizzled with lemon juice and a dash of kosher salt.

Specialty Ingredients

1.Pork belly comes from a hogs belly or underside and is succulent and rich in flavor. This cut is not widely available in supermarkets, but can be ordered from the meat department manager upon request. Pork belly may also be available online and in some ethnic food stores, including Chinese and Hispanic markets. Fennel pollen and celery sprouts can be found in Italian specialty food stores or gourmet spice retailers.

Read more: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Braised-Pork-Belly-With-Blueberry-Compote/1265869#ixzz0upHVcpOE Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

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Pork Chop Heaven, aka: Pork Chops with Fennel Pollen Adapted from Secrets of a Restaurant Chef

Fennel pollen is kind of expensive but also really amazing. There really isn’t a great substitute for it, so if you’ve got a little extra money, I’d invest in some. So fragrant. Kind of like if you mixed fennel with curry and some kind of mystery tasty ingredient. I’ve seen it online at Amazon. I was going to go that route but, in the words of jwa, I was able to score some through my “shadowy, underground, food blog connections.”

Actually, I made a comment on twitter about wanting to get some and a fellow pdxer offered to sell me some from a big, fancy food order they were putting together! But honestly, I think “shadowy, underground, food blog connections” sounds better. Much more mysterious…

Even without the fennel pollen, I think these are worth making with the brine alone. The chops are so flavorful and juicy!

Brine
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp fennel seed
2 tbsp coriander seed
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 bay leaves
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
4 cloves garlic smashed
1 1/2 quarts cold water
4 bone-in pork chops
1 tbsp wild fennel pollen

To make the brine: In a large container, add all of the ingredients and stir to combine.          

Submerge the pork chops in the brine and refrigerate for 2 days (the original recipe called for 3 days but I only had 2 days. Turned out amazingly well and I almost think they would be too salty after 3 days?). So, after the 2 days remove the chops from the brine, discarding the brine.

Pat the chops dry with a paper towel.

Preheat an grill or grill pan. Use a little of olive oil on the cooking surface of your choice to prevent sticking. Roll the fat edge of each pork chop with the fennel pollen. Place pork chops gently on the preheated grill or grill pan. After 3 to 4 minutes rotate the chops 90 degrees to create decorative grill marks.                                    

Grill the chops for another 3 to 4 minutes and then turn over and repeat the process. If the chops seem to be burning move the chops to a cooler part of the grill to allow for longer cooking time without burning. Stand the chops up so the fat edge is in contact with the grill to crisp up the fat edge, this will also make the fennel pollen very aromatic.

Final Pork Chop Heaven - Remove the chops from the grill and let rest in a warm place before serving. The doneness of the meat should be about medium to medium well and very juicy

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Roast Pork Shoulder with Fennel and Potatoes Recipe by Salvatore Denaro © Dana Gallagher http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roast-pork-shoulder-with-fennel-and-potatoes

Porchetta can be found at weekly markets in the country towns around Foligno: whole roasted young pigs seasoned with fiore di finocchio (Umbrian wild fennel pollen) and sold either sliced and stuffed into panini (small round buns) for a snack or bought by the kilo to take home for lunch. Rather than a whole pig, Denaro slow-roasts pork shoulder with similar seasonings (pork belly is equally delicious when roasted for 1 hour at 400 degrees).

Pairing Suggestion
The intense and tannic Sagrantino grape variety is an ideal match for this juicy, substantial pork roast, since the tannins help cut through fat. Arnaldo Caprai is largely responsible for bringing this Umbrian grape back into the spotlight, thanks to great wines like his spicy, powerful 2003 Collepiano Sagrantino di Montefalco. Another good Sagrantino from a different producer is the oaky, black-fruited 2003 Còlpetrone.

ACTIVE: 20 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 4 HRS 30 MIN
SERVINGS: 6
STAFF-FAVORITE

Ingredients
1/4 cup fennel pollen or ground fennel seeds (see Note)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
One 6- to 7-pound, bone-in pork shoulder, skin removed and thick layer of fat scored
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup dry white wine

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°. In a small bowl, mix the fennel, salt and pepper. Coat the pork all over with the spice mixture and set it in a large roasting pan, fat side up. Pour the olive oil around the pork. Roll the potatoes in the oil to coat and arrange them cut sides down. Roast until the pork is very tender and the potatoes are browned on the
bottom, about 3 hours.

Transfer the roasted potatoes to an ovenproof serving bowl. Pour the white wine into the pan around the pork and continue to roast the pork for 1 hour longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 185°. Let the pork rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the potatoes in the oven. Carve the pork into thick slices and serve on a platter with the potatoes.

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Photograph by Hans Gissinger- May 2009

Sun-Dried Tomato & Fennel Sausage Patties with Creamy Polenta Recipe by Bruce Aidells

Fennel pollen, a relatively new spice here in America, is very popular in Italy. It is more subtle and delicate than fennel seeds, and it marries particularly well with pork. If you can't find fennel pollen, substitute freshly ground fennel seeds.

4 servings

Ingredients:
sausage
1 1/2 pounds boneless heritage pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 3 cups packed)
4 ounces fat from heritage pork, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1/2 cup packed)
1/4 cup ice water
3 tablespoons chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons fennel pollen
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:
1 tablespoon (or more) olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups canned diced tomatoes in juice (from two 14.5-ounce cans)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil plus additional for garnish
Creamy Polenta
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
sausage
Place half of pork and half of fat in processor. Using on/off turns, blend until pork is ground to coarse texture (about 1/4-inch cubes). Scrape into large bowl. Repeat with remaining pork and fat. Add all remaining sausage ingredients to bowl with pork and mix gently with hands until blended.

Using wet hands, shape sausage into 10 oval patties, each about 3/4 inch thick. Place on plastic-lined plate. Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Sauce:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage patties and sauté until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer patties to small baking sheet.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet (or add olive oil to make 2 tablespoons). Add onion and carrot. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add wine; boil until reduced to 2/3 cup, scraping up browned bits, about 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes with juice and 2 tablespoons basil. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens, crushing tomatoes with back of fork, about 10 minutes.

Add sausage patties and any juices to sauce. Cover; simmer over medium heat until cooked through and tender, turning patties occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool; cover and chill. Rewarm covered over low heat before continuing.

Spoon polenta into large shallow bowl. Top with sausages and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and additional chopped basil. Serve, passing more cheese separately.

Read More: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2009/05/sun_dried_tomato_and_fennel_sausage_patties#ixzz0upk9urwN

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Fennel Pollen Butter with Aged Steak Posted by Matthew on Mar 01, 2010

Chez What do you have for us next, Christo? Fennel Pollen butter with aged steak, you say?

Fennel pollen is so rich and aromatic that it can hardly be compared to fennel the fresh vegetable. Immediately upon smelling it I knew I was going to have to make a compound butter and have it on a nicely aged Angus steak.

Compound butter is easy to make. In this case I took a few ounces of salted butter and a teaspoon of fennel pollen and mixed it together until it was completely incorporated. Roll the butter up in some plastic wrap and refrigerate to harden.

I took a perfectly aged steak and made sure it was dried off before I put it in hot grill pan for a few minutes on each side since I like mine pretty rare.

Grilled to my liking I let it rest a bit.

Then I put two nice slices of my fennel pollen butter and let it melt and do its magic. I also sprinkled a little more fennel pollen on the steak.

This is the easiest way I can think of to turn an ordinarily great steak into an extraordinarily fantastic steak. The fennel pollen mixed into the butter and also sprinkled on the steak was so out of this world tasty that even though this was more than a 12 ounce steak I could have easily eaten more simply for the flavor.

Fennel Pollen Butter

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Additional information on this Recipe from Food Network Canada

Braised Sweetbreads with Fennel Pollen nhttp://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Main/Beef/recipe.html?dishid=8683

Recipe summary:
I think braising is the best way to cook sweetbreads. It’s certainly the lightest way, compared with, say, pan-frying them and serving them with a creamy sauce, which is how they often are prepared in restaurants. Here, I coat the sweetbreads (which, for the record, are the thymus gland of a calf) with cornmeal before searing them. This helps keep them crisp even when they are braising. You’ll notice that the braising temperature, at 350°F, is slightly higher than usual for this book. This also promotes a crisp crust, and the dense flesh of the sweetbreads can take the higher heat. Since sweetbreads are mild and delicate on their own, you can cook them with almost anything and they will absorb the flavors. This recipe, seasoned with saffron and anise (and, optionally, fennel pollen) and spiked with pastis, was inspired by Provence.

Yield: 6

Ingredients
3 pounds sweetbreads, about 4 (8- to 10-ounce) pieces or 8 (4- to 6-ounce) pieces
4 fennel sticks or 4 licorice sticks
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon white peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel pollen,
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 star anise pod
1/2 cup polenta or cornmeal
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 garlic cloves, peeled
4 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and quartered
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons Pernod or pastis
1 cup chicken stock, low sodium canned broth, or water
4 plum tomatoes, peeled if desired, halved, and seeded

Directions:
The day before you want to serve this dish, trim the sweetbreads of any fat and veins (or ask your butcher to do this for you). Put the sweetbreads into a large bowl of ice water and refrigerate them for 24 hours, changing the water twice during this period. Drain and rinse the sweetbreads well.

Put a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Using a small paring knife, make a small hole in each sweetbread and push a fennel
stick into it. (Use half a fennel stick if necessary.)

In a spice grinder, finely grind together the salt, fennel seeds, white peppercorns, fennel pollen (if you are using it), saffron, cayenne pepper, and star anise. Season the sweetbreads with this spice mixture and roll each one in the polenta, coating all sides and shaking off any excess.

Warm the olive oil and butter in a medium cast-iron pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the sweetbreads, garlic, and fennel and sear until the sweetbreads and fennel are light golden brown on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Deglaze by adding the white wine and pernod, bringing to a boil, and scraping up any browned bits stuck to
the bottom of the pot. Let simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes, bring to a simmer, transfer the pot to the oven, and braise, uncovered, turning the sweetbreads once, until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.