When we think about Fat Tuesday, New Orleans’ Â Mardi Gras is the first event that comes to mind. The Big Easy seems to grab most of the attention, but many countries and cultures celebrate the last day before Lent and spend several days or even a week or two to get ready to tighten their belts for the forty days until Easter.
Italy is no exception. Carnevale is celebrated throughout Italy. It shares many of the same trappings as Mardi Gras, but as with many things Italian, with a little more elegance. The exquisite maschere  (masks) and fancy balls lend a more sophisticated air to the celebration. Carnevale is not just fancy clothes, it has its share of merrymaking and tomfoolery. In fact, the prevalent attitude, “A carnevale ogni sherzo vale” (anything goes at carnevale) is easily aligned with “Laissez les bon temps rouler” (let the good times roll) in New Orleans.
Food and eating is a large part of every celebration and there are certain foods that are traditionally served. These foods tend to be rich, hearty and meat laden, again to make going into the Lenten season of fasting and abstinence from meat less painful. This recipe from Naples is typical of Carnevale celebration food. It has a Fat and Sodium content that will likely require the next forty days for your system to recover. The ingredients are simple;
Polenta, Salami, Italian Cheeses, and Lard.
Yes, lard. It is responsible for the almost creamy texture of this savory cake. I made a large round, thick cake, but baking it in a small sheet pan would allow cutting into bite-size squares that would be perfect for a Fat Tuesday Party. Just remember to adjust the baking time by a few minutes so it doesn’t dry out.
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Traditional food for Italian Carnevale. Super rich and tasty. Just the thing to have before the Lenten season.
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Traditional food for Italian Carnevale. Super rich and tasty. Just the thing to have before the Lenten season.
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Instructions
Bring 6 cups of water up to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the lard. Stir until the lard melts.
Add the polenta a little at a time, stirring constantly to keep the mixture smooth. Once all of the polenta has been added continue to cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture is very thick. remove from heat and allow to cool.
Once the polenta is cool, add the salame and cheeses. Mix to incorporate all the ingredients. Use a very sturdy spoon or your hands.
Spray or brush a 10 inch spring-form pan with olive oil. Pack the polenta mixture firmly into the pan.
Melt butter in a small pan and add the bread crumbs. toss to moisten the crumbs. Lightly sprinkle over the cake.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. The cake should be lightly browned with slightly darker brown edges.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes or so. Remove the sides of the pan and place on a large platter.
This can be served warm or at room temperature.
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This is a hearty and flavorful dish that reminds me of my father’s Sunday Gravy. He often put pork neck bones in his gravy. The flavor they imparted was huge and though an acquired  taste, sucking on the bones is truly wonderful.
I recently made an enormous pot of his gravy filled with homemade meatballs and some good Italian sausage. I packaged the sauce in various containers including several that were just gravy. I thought plain gravy would make a great blank canvas.
I started thinking about pork and how it made gravy taste amazing.  I didn’t have any neck bones, but I did have a good size package of country pork ribs in the freezer. It seemed like a  workable swap . After browning the ribs, I opted to braise them in the sauce. I added some extra onions and garlic along with some fennel seed and red pepper flakes.
In less than 2 hours I had tender falling off the bone pork and a sauce that had incredible depth of flavor. Served with rigatoni lightly coated with some of the sauce and a generous grating of Parmesan, it was heaven.
No Sunday gravy on hand? I won’t think any less of you if you opt for your own Marinara or even sauce from a jar. Bone in ribs give the most flavor, but boneless will work in a pinch.You could also add extra veggies to the sauce. Fennel bulb, Peppers, Zucchini, or Eggplant would fit right in.
Braised Pork Ribs with Rigatoni
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Braised Pork Ribs with Rigatoni
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Instructions
Season pork ribs on all sides with the Italian Herb Blend. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven, Add the pork and brown on all sides. This should take 10 minutes or so. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside.
Add the onions, garlic, pepper flakes and fennel seed. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions begin to soften and the garlic is fragrant.
Add the vermouth and cook and stir over medium high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Add the tomato gravy and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to boil. Lay the pork ribs on top of the sauce, cover and put in a 325 degree oven.
Braise for about one hour. Check the ribs for tenderness. You will probably need to continue the braising for another 30 -60 minutes. (this depends on density of the ribs).
As the ribs finish cooking, boil the pasta. Drain and return to the pan. Once the ribs are done, toss the pasta with some of the sauce. Serve the pasta topped with a good amount of grated Parmesan and serve the ribs alond side.
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