Tuscan Pork Shoulder Blade Roast with Beans and Spinach

This is a classic combination of textures and flavors that provides a hearty one-bowl dinner. It's common in the Tuscany region of Italy although my mother, who was from southern Italy, made it regularly. 

Julian's Tuscan Pork Blade Roast with Beans

Pork Shoulder Blade Roast- Dry Brined

After the Long Braise - Meat Separated from Solids

This is a cut of the pork shoulder and as such requires a long, slow braise to break down the meat and make it fork tender. I'd say it is combination of Italian flavors like white beans, various Italian herbs, vegetables and wine that really make it Italian. I'm sure other regions also make similar dishes from this cut of pork. You may think a 3-pound roast would feed more than four adults. However, it does include a bone and the roast will further reduce during the long, slow braise. 

Ingredients (Serves 4 adults)

Pork
3 pound bone-in pork blade shoulder roast
4 tablespoons salt, plus more

 5 fresh bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried sage, plus a sprinkle more

       (Substitute Meathead’s Poultry Dry Brine and Seasoning)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
8 juniper berries (optional)
4 whole black peppercorns
2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

 
Beans
1 large beefsteak tomato, cored, halved crosswise and cut into wedges
6 large cloves of garlic, sliced crosswise
4 large sprigs sage
2 cups dry cannellini (white kidney) beans, soaked overnight, drained
   (substitute 2 cans cannellini and/or butter beans, drained)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt

Greens and Assembly
1 large bunch (or 2 small) of spinach, tough stems removed
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Grated parmesan cheese
Crusty Italian or French country bread for serving

Instructions

Pork

Sprinkle pork all over with salt. Tear 3 bay leaves and combine with sage and scatter over pork. Alternatively sprinkle generously with Meathead’s Poultry Dry Brine and Seasoning. (Yes, I said the poultry version, not their pork version which is more of a BBQ rub.)  Place pork on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap; chill 6 to 12 hours.

Before you begin cooking, remove from the refrigerator and let pork sit at room temperature 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450F degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Cook pork, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer pork to a large plate.

Remove pot from heat and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. If there isn’t enough fat, add oil to make up the difference. Add garlic, optional juniper berries, peppercorns, a sprinkle of dried sage, and the remaining 2 bay leaves. Cook over low heat until garlic just starts to brown around the edges, about 1 minute. Pour in wine and vinegar. Return pork to pot and cover with parchment paper, tucking edges down around sides of pork (this prevents it from drying out). Cover pot with a lid, transfer to oven, and cook pork 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300F degrees and cook, checking pork after the first hour or so and adding a splash of water if braising liquid is reducing too quickly, until meat is fork tender, about 2-3 hours. Remove from oven.

Turn off the oven and let pork sit on the counter until cool enough to handle, 15-20 minutes. Remove any bones and pockets of fat; discard. Break the meat into 2 to 3 inch pieces. Transfer meat to an oven proof plate or platter and cover with foil. Return to oven to stay warm. Strain braising liquid into the beans (below) and discard solids after pressing out any juices. 

Beans

For dry beans: Combine tomato, garlic, sage, beans, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a large pot. Pour in cold water to cover by 1 ½ inches and bring to a simmer over medium heat, skimming foam from surface as needed. Reduce heat so that liquid is at a very gentle simmer; cook until beans are almost tender but still slightly starchy in the centers (you want them to be about 75 percent cooked), 35–45 minutes. Transfer to a 300F degree over and cook for another hour until the beans are soft and flavorful.

For canned beans: Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add the tomato, garlic, and sage, and a small sprinkle of salt and stir to combine. Add the beans and reduce the heat to medium and cook for an addition 20-30 minutes and the beans are soft and flavorful. 

Greens and Assembly

Cook spinach in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender and no bite remains, about 2 minutes for full sized spinach or 1 minute for baby spinach. Drain in a colander and let cool slightly, then squeeze out excess water. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium and cook garlic, stirring, until softened and barely golden, about 1 minute. Add spinach and stir just to coat leaves in oil and warm through.

To serve, place one-quarter of the meat into the center of a pasta bowl or rimmed plate. Spoon beans plus a bit of their cooking liquid around and over the meat. Add the spinach around the edge. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

Serve with hearty, crusty bread.