Pork Loin Braised in Milk

Molly Stevens new cookbook, 'All About Roasting', is very good, but we remain faithful to her earlier cookbook, 'All About Braising'. This is NOT a kosher meal...and it doesn't look nearly as good as it tastes (the good news is that the kitchen smells fantastic and olfaction is very important in taste. I served this with pasta with pesto, and it was both simple and delicious. 4 garlic cloves, peeled - three slivered, one smashed 1 tsp. dried sage 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, lightly cracked 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1/2 tsp. fresh-ground pepper 2 1/2 lb. boneless pork rib roast, tied 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 1/4 C whole milk Squeeze of lemon juice 2 tsp. half-and-half or heavy cream In a small bowl, mix the slivered garlic, sage, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. Poke one-inch holes all over the pork with a paring knife and stuff garlic slivers in the holes, then rub any remaining seasoning over the surface of the meat. Wrap the pork up and stick it in the fridge for a few hours, if you’ve got time. Heat the oven to 275° and locate a pot that’s not too much bigger than the pork. Melt the butter with the oil over medium heat, then toss the pork in there and brown it on all four sides. Take the pork out and put it on a plate. Pour off all but one tablespoon of the fat from the pot. Add the remaining smashed garlic and cook over medium heat until it’s fragrant, about thirty seconds. Pour the milk in the pot slowly, so it doesn’t foam up too much, bring to a boil, and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to dislodge the tasty brown drippings. Put the pork back in the pot, along with any juices that pooled on the plate, then cover and put the whole deal in the oven. After about ten minutes, check to make sure the milk isn’t boiling too much, and if it is, turn the heat down a bit. Braise, covered, for another thirty-five minutes, then flip the meat over and leave the lid slightly ajar so the steam can escape. Braise for another thirty-five minutes or so, until the pork reaches 150° on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the pork and let it rest on a plate or carving board, tented with foil to stay warm. At this point, your kitchen should smell heavenly and the liquid that’s left in the pot should look kind of curdled. Skim off as much fat as you can, then put the pot back on the stove and boil the sauce down until it’s caramel-colored and the consistency of a loose, curdled custard. Add the lemon juice and taste the sauce for seasoning. Finally, to make the sauce more attractive, add the half-and-half and zip with an immersion blender (or in a real blender). Cut the strings off the pork, slice it up, spoon the sauce over it, and serve.