Mama’s Pork and Mushroom Sauce

Use this recipe if you have leftovers in the refrigerator and you want something good as you clean it out. There are many small steps to this but if you have certain leftovers, this comes together easily. Amounts of ingredients are therefore just guidelines. Use that odd piece of uncooked pork from yesterday’s fine pork roast, the sautéed mushrooms held over from the pasta course. This sauce, as usual, is better the next day, so no rush to eat pork two days in a row. 

Fresh mushroom step

mushrooms 1 pound, button or crimini, or whole portabella, sliced or rough chop
Dried porcini, 1 ounce, for the deepest flavor, soak in 1 cup warm water 20 minutes
olive oil enough to sauté the mushrooms, 2 T or 1 T if using a nonstick pan
salt and pepper

garlic, at least 2 cloves, minced 

Slice or chop mushrooms, sauté in olive oil, add garlic after mushrooms are nearly cooked, sauté another minute to take away the raw garlic flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste (shouldn’t taste the salt).  Add porcini water (without the grit) and set in bowl in refrigerator.

Pork step

olive oil for sautéing
pork, 1 pound, raw, from chops, tenderloin, country-style ribs, or shoulder, cubed to 1/2inch
Capicola, 2 good slices, about 2 ounces, we use hot, can use mild, chopped fairly small
Italian sausage, 8 ounces, uncooked, bulk or 2 links with casings removed
Onion, 1 medium, small chop
Carrot, Optional, 1 peeled and chopped. If you use this, it’s more southern Italian style

Sauté pork cubes in a large pot until browned but not caramelized. Set aside in refrigerator next to the mushrooms.

Add Capa, sausage and onion to pan, and optional carrot, sauté until browned over medium heat taking care not to scorch.

 
And More

Red wine (Tre Sorelle preferred) 1/2 cup is enough
Better than Bouillon Ham base, reconstitute to 3 cups
Canned Tomatoes, crushed, or whole San Marzano you crush by hand (Cento is good)
Bay leaves, 2 whole
Truffle oil or truffle salt, optional, very small amount to taste, 1/2 tsp oil, pinch of salt 

Add wine and broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, and truffle oil. Bring to a boil then simmer about 1 hour, add sautéed  mushrooms, continue about 15 minutes or until heated through. Pork  should be tender. Looks like spaghetti sauce, smells wonderful, great with Tre Sorelle. Serve with gnocchi or rotella and grated Parmigianno. So why pork and Tre Sorelle? Look at the mushrooms and there’s something in the sausage….