Eigensinn Farm Roasted Piglet Chop With Maple Roasted Vegetables, Dandelion Greens And Wild Leek Dressing

by Chef Michael Stadtländer

Let the season dictate the ingredients you use. In the springtime our piglets become succulent, the wild leeks are shooting up in the forest and the dandelion greens are coming up all over the farm. The garden has thawed enough for us to dig up fall carrots and Jerusalem artichokes and local maple syrup is available at farmers markets. If you can not get a piglet rack, you can also try using a small rack of pork.

Chef Stadtländer’s instructions for the roasted pig:

Salt and pepper the piglet rack and rub with 1 tablespoon crushed caraway seeds, 1 teaspoon peppercorns and 1 teaspoon crushed juniper berries.

Roast in a 375 F oven, skin side down, in a tablespoon of pork fat until the crust is nice and crunchy. A piglet rack will take about half an hour. A rack of pork should take about an hour or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 F.

Recipes for vegetable sides:
1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound Jerusalem artichokes, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons duck fat or olive oil
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Greens:
1 bunch cleaned wild leeks (about 1 cup chopped)
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons black current or other fruit vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 small bunch dandelion greens

Combine carrots and Jerusalem artichokes in a small roasting tin, toss with duck fat and season with salt to taste. Roast at 450 F for 30 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, or until vegetables are tender and browned. Add maple syrup to vegetables and toss to coat.

Place chopped leeks and olive oil in a food processor or blender and process until leeks are puréed. Add vinegar and maple syrup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss dandelion greens with leek dressing.

Put a small mound of dressed greens on a plate, top with caramelized vegetables and place sliced piglet chop on top to finish.

Wine pairing by Beppi Crosariol:

The general temptation is to pair pork with a red wine, despite the best efforts of commercial pork producers to get us loving “the other white meat.” Chef Stadtländer’s non-commercial pork tends to have much darker and more succulent meat, yet this tantalizing spring recipe, with sweetness from maple syrup and sour-bitterness from the lively greens, is a match made in riesling heaven. The chef is among the Ontario pioneers of local sourcing for his fine-dining menus, so the emotional favourite here would be a Niagara riesling. But you can’t go wrong with fine versions from Alsace or Germany. International choices: Dr. Loosen Dr. L Riesling from Germany ($14); Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Turckheim from France ($37). Canadian choice: Flat Rock Cellars Riesling from Niagara ($17).