Braised Chuck Roast in Milk Gravy

This recipe for a classic Italian dish called “Maiale al Latte” (braised in milk), was featured in theNew York Times and was inspired by the late Italian chef Marcella Hazan. Although I could imagine the flavors, the appearance in the recipe photo was less than appetizing, as the milk curdles as it cooks. In today’s world with modern appliances, I knew that could be rectified. My modifications will give you a nice, silky milk gravy that you will want to pour on just about everything! You can find the NYT recipe here.

Author

Jill O’Brien

Ingredients

• 1 - 3 pound Wild Idea Buffalo Chuck Roast
• 1 - tablespoon salt
• 4 - tablespoons olive oil
• 2 - leeks, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only) 
• 10 - garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 - tablespoon black pepper
• 4 - sprigs fresh thyme 
• 4 - sprigs fresh sage 
• 2 - sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only 
• 5 - cups whole milk 
• 3 - strips fresh lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving
• Asparagus and peas, steamed, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cut the chuck roast into 8 pieces and season with the salt.
3. In a heavy pot over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Swirl the pot to coat and add 4 pieces of the roast, snugging the pieces up to the edges of the pot. Brown, turning once, then remove pieces and place in a deep-sided baking dish. Repeat with the remaining oil and meat.
4. Add the leeks, garlic, and black pepper to the pot and stir, scrapping up the meat bits from the bottom.
5. Add the fresh herbs and the milk and bring to a light boil, stirring occasionally.
6. Pour the hot milk mixture over the meat, add the lemon zest, and cover the baking dish tightly with either a lid or foil.
7. Place in the hot pre-heated oven and braise for 2.5 hours.
8. Remove from the oven and turn the meat so that the top is now immersed in the curdled milk. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
9. Remove roast pieces from the milk and transfer to a deep sided serving dish. Cover.
10. Drag a slotted spoon through the milk a few times, removing the leeks, garlic & herb sprigs and set aside. Pour the milk back into the heavy pot you started with and place over medium-high heat. Bring the milk to a low boil and stir occasionally for about 20 minutes. This will caramelize the milk a bit as well as reduce it.
11. When you’ve achieved the caramelized color you like, pour the hot milk along with the leeks, garlic and herbs into a blender. Put the top on the blender, leaving the top spout open and covering it with a thin dish towel. This will allow the heat to escape when blending. Pulse blend (start/stop) until you have a smooth gravy.
12. Cut the 8 pieces of braised meat in half and arrange in the center of the serving dish. Place the steamed asparagus and peas around the edges and pour the hot gravy over the top.
13. Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh herbs. Serve immediately with crusty bread.