PORK CRÉPINETTES WITH SPINACH

SOURCE: ALICE WATERS. CHEZ PANISSE CAFÉ COOKBOOK.

Crépinettes derive from the French word, crépine, or pork caul because the flattened meat stuffing cures inside an envelope of netted membrane instead of a tubular casing. Threads of caul fat do not just clothe the uncooked sausage mixture with a cloak of beautiful lacy designs but they render out of the transparent sheet spacings under intense heat and char the crépinette skin into a thin crunchy crust.

Ingredients

2 pounds/900 grams ground pork shoulder with at least 20% fat

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon/1 gram cayenne pepper

2 cups/104 grams finely diced onions

2 tablespoons/30 mL olive oil

1/4 pound/120 grams baby spinach, washed, drained, and trimmed

1 teaspoon/3 grams finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon/1 gram chopped thyme, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results

2 tablespoons/8 grams chopped flat-leaf parsley, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results

1 pound/500 grams pork caul fat

Specific Equipment

Large mixing bowl

Sauté pan

Medium-sized pot

Colander or strainer

Parchment paper or baking sheet

Large knife

Marble pastry board

Paring knife

Tray

Serves 4 to 6

Instructions

1. Season the ground pork in a large mixing bowl with 1 tablespoon/18 grams salt, a generous amount of pepper, and cayenne pepper, and stir until well-blended. Set aside in a refrigerator.

2. Sauté the onions with olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the onions are soft and lightly browned. Set the onions aside to cool.

3. Blanch the spinach in a medium-sized pot of boiling salted water for about 20 seconds. Drain the spinach thoroughly over a colander or strainer. Spread the spinach leaves over a parchment paper or baking sheet to cool. Squeeze the water out of the spinach and chop the leaves coarsely.

4. Stir the onions, spinach, garlic, thyme, and parsley into the ground pork with a wooden sppon until well-blended. Adjust the seasoning according to personal preference by frying a piece of the mixture and sampling whether the pork mixture is tasty and sweet.

5. Spread the pork caul fat over a marble pastry board. Divide the mixture to 12 equal portions and roll each portion into little balls. Space the pork balls on the caul fat about 3 inches/7.62 cm apart, avoiding any thick and veiny parts of the caul.

6. Flatten each ball into a patty. Cut the caul halfway between the space of each pork patty with a paring knife, so each caul piece will form a square. Wrap each patty within the square of its caul fat and press lightly to seal.

7. Transfer each crépinette to a tray and cover the tray with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight to cure. Serve the crépinettes after grilling them over hot coals or pan-frying them for 5 minutes on each side or until the pork has turned well-browned and thoroughly cooked.