Transcendent Pork, Fruity Nutty Cauliflower

Last night we had chops from our recent pork purchase. We bought half a gorgeous Berkshire that was lovingly nurtured by Mark Pasternak at Devil’s Gulch in Nicasio, who feeds his animals ridiculously high-quality fare and gives them lavish digs on some of the most beautiful farmland  in California. The difference in taste between pork like this and what’s available at supermarkets can’t be overemphasized; it’s just marvelous. I encourage everyone in the SF Bay area to try it. It’s easy — just call him up and tell him you want some pork. You may or may not need a few friends to split it with you; he’ll either sell you a whole animal or part of one, depending on what he’s got.  It’s then sent off for butchering, wrapping, and freezing. You pick up your bags of frozen/labeled cuts when it’s ready. You can order the same way with Doug Stonebreaker of Prather Ranch, whose pork has been known to make poets of mere mortals! I am a huge fan of both of these guys and their ranching philosophies. But I’m sure there are many others like them throughout the country. Check out the Eat Well Guide: just type in your zip code and watch what happens.

I also had a head of cauliflower that beckoned, so it dawned on me to make a kind of cauliflower chutney to go with the pork. Here’s how I did it:

• 1 cup of mix dried fruit; I used persimmon, crystallized ginger, fig, date, apricot, and cranberries + about a cup of plum wine
• Chop up the fruit, transfer to a shallow saucepan, and pour in the plum wine.
• Roast the olive-oil-drizzled cauliflower florets in a 400 degree oven till browned, roughly 30 minutes
• While the cauliflower cooks, heat up the fruit mixture. Add a dab of butter if you’re feeling generous.
• While the fruits heats up, roughly chop up a half cup of mixed nuts. I used pistachios, almonds, and pine nuts, but you could use anything, including macadamia, walnut, or pecan.
• Toast them in a dry cast iron skillet and set aside.
• Add the roasted cauliflower to the fruit mixture, mix well, andcontinue to cook on the stovetop for a few minutes. Top with the nuts, and maybe a tablespoon of chopped herb. I used oregano.

It’s a remarkable dish with pork; the sweetness of the fruit melds perfectly with the meat, yet the cauliflower provides savory goodness and some bite.

A keeper!