Braised Pork Shoulder with Potato Fennel Puree

Ingredients

• 1.5 teaspoons pepper black freshly ground
• 4 pound pork shoulder boneless (Boston butt)
• 3 medium fennel bulb fresh with fronds attached, all fronds trimmed and reserved, each bulb cut through root end into 8 wedges
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 
• 0.5 cup chicken broth 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin extra-virgin
• 0.3 cup orange juice fresh
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper dried red crushed
• 1 tablespoon salt 
• 1.5 pounds yukon gold potatoes peeled quartered

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• roasting pan
• kitchen thermometer
• aluminum foil
• microwave
• slotted spoon

Directions

1. Chop enough reserved fennel frondsto measure 1 cup; set aside remainingfronds for garnish.
2. Place chopped fronds inblender.
3. Add olive oil, orange juice, orangepeel, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper;blend to paste, scraping down sides of jaroccasionally.
4. Sprinkle pork roast on all sideswith 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoonspepper.
5. Spread fennel paste on all sidesof pork to coat.
6. Place pork on plate; chilluncovered overnight.
7. Preheat oven to 325°F. Arrange pork,fat side up, in large roasting pan. Coverpan with foil. Roast pork 1 hour.
8. Addbroth to pan. Arrange potatoes and fennelwedges around pork. Cover pan againand roast until thermometer inserted intothickest part of pork registers 190°F to200°F, about 2 1/2 hours longer.
9. Using slotted spoon, transfer fennelwedges to processor; blend to almost-smoothpuree.
10. Transfer potatoes to largemicrowave-safe bowl; mash until smooth.
11. Mix fennel puree and extra-virgin olive oilinto potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
12. Spoon pan juices from roasting pan intosmall saucepan. Spoon off fat and reserve.
13. Increase oven temperature to 375°F.Return pork to oven. Roast until top browns,about 20 minutes.
14. Let rest 15 minutes.Meanwhile, rewarm vegetable pureein microwave; transfer puree to servingbowl. Rewarm pan juices; season to tastewith salt and pepper.
15. Slice pork and arrange on platter.Spoon some pan juices over.
16. Garnish platterwith fennel fronds.
17. Serve pork with puree,passing pan juices.
18. With the pork, pour aSangiovese. Try the smooth, medium-bodied
19. Tenuta di Sesta 2007 Rosso diMontalcino (Italy, $17). The wine's fruit andmineral flavors can stand up to the meat.
20. This recipe calls for fennelfronds, the green leafy tops of the fennelbulb. Look for fennel with the fronds stillattached at some farmers' markets or askthe produce manager at your supermarketto set some aside for you.
21. Bon Appétit