Milk Roast

Milk roast is a dish from the Italian tradition with roots in Emilia-Romagna. It is a much-loved recipe for its tenderness and the delicate flavor that milk gives to the meat during cooking.

Ingredients

• 1 kg of pork roast (or veal)
• 500 ml of whole milk
• 2-3 sprigs of rosemary
• 2-3 sage leaves
• 50 g of butter
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 clove of garlic (optional)

Preparation

1. In a pan large enough to contain the piece of meat, melt the butter with the extra virgin olive oil.
2. Add the roast and brown it over high heat on all sides until it becomes well browned. This step is essential for sealing the meat’s juices.
3. If you can and you like, you can flavor the sauté with a clove of garlic, rosemary sprigs, and sage leaves, which will give the meat a more intense flavor.
4. When the roast is browned, lower the heat and remove the garlic to prevent it from burning. Season the surface of the meat with salt and pepper as desired.
5. Pour room temperature milk over the roast, almost completely covering it. As the milk warms, it will tend to coagulate, creating a sort of cream around the meat.
6. Cook over low heat with the lid slightly tilted for about 2 hours, turning the roast occasionally to cook it evenly.
7. Once the meat is tender and the milk has reduced to a thick, hazelnut-colored cream, the roast is ready.
8. Remove the meat from the pan and let it rest a few minutes before slicing it.
9. Meanwhile, if the cooking sauce is too thick, you can add a little milk or water to extend it and then blend it with an immersion blender to homogenize it.
10. Serve the slices of roast with its milk sauce.

Curiosity

Despite the use of milk seeming unusual in a savory recipe, milk roast is a very ancient and traditional recipe in many Italian regions; the milk during cooking tends to sweeten and soften the meat’s fibers, making it incredibly tender and juicy.

Enjoy your meal!