Brandied Pork Shoulder with Pignoli Puree

STEP 1: CUT AND MARINATE THE PORK

Butcher the shoulder down to its tender section, trimming away the sinewy, hard-working portions and reserving them for another use. Cut the tender meat against the grain into steaks a scant ½ inch thick. Combine the brandy, olive oil, garlic, onion powder, fennel pollen, salt and pepper in a dish, turn the steaks in the marinade to coat, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

STEP 2: MAKE THE PIGNOLI PUREE

Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until evenly golden and fragrant, 4–5 minutes, shaking constantly so they do not catch. Tip them out. In the same pan, soften the shallot in 1 tablespoon olive oil, then take the pan off the heat, add the cognac, and return it to the heat for 30 seconds to cook off the raw edge. Blend the nuts, shallot, cognac and warm stock until completely smooth, 2 minutes or more, then stream in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with the salt and lemon juice. It should be loose enough to spoon and hold a shallow swoop. Keep warm.

STEP 3: BRAISE THE ENDIVE

Halve two heads of endive lengthwise. Heat the olive oil in a wide pan, lay the halves cut side down and colour them well, 3–4 minutes. Add the wine, chicken stock, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer until a knife slides into the core with no resistance, about 18 minutes. Uncover and reduce the liquid to a syrupy glaze. Set aside.

STEP 4: BUILD THE BRANDY-THYME JUS

In a small saucepan, sweat the shallot until soft. Off the heat, add the brandy, then return the pan to the heat and reduce to about a tablespoon. Add the veal stock and thyme and simmer until reduced by half and lightly coating a spoon, 15–20 minutes. Strain, return to the pan and swirl in the cold butter off the heat. Season with salt and hold warm.

STEP 5: DRESS THE RAW ENDIVE

Separate the leaves of the remaining two heads, keeping the small pale inner leaves whole. Toss with the lemon juice, a thread of olive oil and a pinch of salt no more than 5 minutes before serving. These leaves carry the freshness and the only surviving bitterness on the plate, so do not dress them early.

STEP 6: GRILL THE PORK

Heat a cast iron griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high until it is genuinely hot. Wipe the steaks of excess marinade and pat them dry. Oil the griddle lightly and grill the steaks about 2–2½ minutes per side, to an internal temperature of 140°F for a rosy medium-rare. Rest 5 minutes; carryover will carry them to roughly 145°F.

STEP 7: FINISH THE ENDIVE ON THE GRIDDLE

While the pork rests, return the braised halves to the hot griddle, cut side down, for 60–90 seconds until well marked. The char is what carries the bitterness away; the braise alone will not do it.

STEP 8: PLATE

Spread a wide swoop of pignoli puree across each plate. Set the grilled endive halves alongside. Slice the rested steaks against the grain and lay them over the puree. Spoon the jus over the pork and into the puree, not over the endive. Finish with the dressed raw leaves, standing rather than lying flat.