MARRANA

A Little Lady with a History
Photo by: Lord-Williams

female swine. When she gives birth, she should have 12 piglets, one for each nibble. The babies suck the same one as long as they breast feed. See cerdo and guarra. [Cerdo. n/d: 42]

The pig in the photo was sent to the slaughter by mistake. No one knew this at the time. When hurling her onto the slaughter block,  she slipped out of the slaughter man's hands in her desperation to live. She showed super woman power, knocking down a metal fence and racing to a river below.

The slaughter man and his assistants chased her and lassoed her on the bank. It took eight of them to drag her to back to her death. When opening the uterus, to their horror, they found 12 piglets.

Everyone was very sorry for her but she did provide sweet and sour meal.

BARBARA SANTICH’S ROAST PORK WITH SWEET-SOUR SAUCE ADAPTED FROM ROSTO IN CISAME BONO E PERFECTO OTIMO (LIBRO PER CUOCO, VENETIAN 14-15 C)

Ingredients

1 boned loin of pork, crackling removed, about 1 k (2 lb)

10 dates (preserved, but not the seeded and compressed kind)

2 tbsp currants

½ c muscat or cream sherry

½ c wine vinegar

1 tsp ginger

good grinding black pepper

1 egg

1 tbsp pine nuts

Preparation

An Excellent Sauce for a Tender Lady
Photo by: Lord-Williams

Roast pork at 200ºC (400ºF) for about 1 hour or until cooked through (cooking time will depend on the thickness of the meat). Allow to rest in warming oven while preparing sauce.

Remove stones from dates and chop roughly. Add dates and currants to wine and vinegar and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. The dates will soften and become pulpy. Add ginger and pepper. Take out a few spoons of the liquid and allow to cool. Beat egg thoroughly, then gradually beat in lukewarm wine and vinegar mixture. Return this to the pan, and stir constantly until sauce thickens to the consistency of a thin custard. Remove from heat. Lightly toast the pine nuts, wither under the grill or in a lightly oiled pan, and add to sauce. Carve meat, and offer sauce separately.

Spinach cooked with pancetta and currents (pp 128-129)[1] make a harmonious accompaniment to this dish.

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[1] Recipe – Ingredients: 1 k (2 lb) spinach, 2 tbsp currants, 60 g (2 oz) pancetta. Preparation: Wash spinach and trim stalks. Cook in a large saucepan without Add additional water, turning spinach over from time to time to allow it to cook evenly and prevent it burning on the bottom. Cook for 2-3 minutes after it begins to steam. Drain, cook and squeeze dry.

Meanwhile soak currants for 5 minutes in hot water to cover, roughly chop pancetta and fry in a lightly oiled pan until the fat runs. Roughly chop the spinach, and add to the pan with the drained currants. Toss spinach with pancetta and currants until heated though, and serve. (Recipe adapted by Barbara Santich from Libre del Coch.)