This recipe comes from Valentia Harris’s excellent book on risotto, which I use frequently. This is the only recipe for risotto that I have found that uses pork. I used a piece of a hand of pork, and some dripping that Malcolm had clarified.
INGREDIENTS:
- 75g pork dripping, lard or pork belly fat
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 300g finely cubed pork, eg from shoulder or hand of pork
- 1/2 glass dry white wine
- 1 tin organic chopped tomatoes
- pinch of safron strands soaked in a little warm water
- 500g organic risotto rice
- 1.5 litres hot stock
- 50g freshly grated pecorino/parmesan cheese
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
- Fry the onion in the pork dripping slowly so that it softens, then add the cubes of pork
- Cook together and add the dry white wine, until the pork is browned.
- Add the tomatoes and mix well, then add the saffron and the water in which it soaked, and bring to the simmer.
- Continue to simmer gently for about an hour, adding water if required to keep the mixture moist. At the end of the cooking, the pork should be almost falling apart.
- Add all the rice, and stir until it is heated through and well coated.
- Start adding the hot stock a little at a time, stiring it in as you go. Make sure that all the liquid is absorbed before adding the next bit of stock.
- When the rice is cooked, firm, yet velvety and the sauce is creamy, take the risotto off the heat and add the cheese, salt and pepper. Let it sit for a few minutes and stir before serving from a warmed platter.