Pork Agrodolce ==== ========= Ingredients ----------- * 1 Tbsp olive oil * 2 Tbsp tomato paste * 1/3 C aged balsamic vinegar * 1/4 C white vinegar * 2 Tbsp honey * 1 C dry white wine * 3/4 C brown sugar * 3 anchovy fillets, mashed * 1/3 C finely chopped green onions * 3 cloves garlic, minced * 3 sprigs fresh thyme, minced * 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced * 1 Tbsp salt * 1 tsp red pepper flakes * 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper * 1 tsp smoked paprika * 1 tsp black pepper * 3½ lb boneless pork shoulder * 1 Tbsp fresh sage Procedure --------- 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Brush a baking dish with 1 tsp olive oil. 2. Whisk tomato paste, vinegar, honey, wine, brown sugar, mashed anchovy, green onions (reserve a few of the dark green ends), garlic, rosemary, salt, red pepper flakes, cayenne, paprika, and black pepper together in a large bowl to make the agrodolce. 3. Cut pork shoulder into roughly 3-inch pieces. Add to the bowl of agrodolce and mix by hand until coated. Transfer pork and sauce to the prepared baking dish. 4. Bake in the preheated oven, flipping pieces over halfway through, until pork is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Add a splash of water if pork appears too dry. Skim off fat as desired. 5. Quickly fry a dozen or so sage leaves in olive oil until crisp (a few seconds). Serve pork over polenta or mashed potatoes, garnished with thinly sliced dark green ends of the onions, and the fried sage leaves.