WINE & FOOD AFFAIR RECIPES

Main Dish


Auntie Ann’s Pork, Monterey Jack and Chard Raviolis

Zialena Winery

21112 River Road
Geyserville, CA 95441
zialena.com

  • RECIPE YEAR: 2019
  • RECIPE BY: Mark Mazzoni
  • YIELD: Serves 1200
  • PAIRS WELL WITH: Zinfandel 2016

The Cloverdale Altar Society made and sold these raviolis as a fund-raiser back in the 1940s. This is the recipe of the late Livio Giuntoli, a restaurateur who specialized in Genovese Italian cooking.

Chicken Stock and Beef

Ingredients:
  • 2 medium chickens
  • 1 head celery, diced
  • 1 bunch carrots, diced
  • 3 large yellow onions, diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 2 pounds bone-in stewing beef
  • 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
Directions:
To prepare the stock, in a large stockpot, combine the chickens and half each of the celery, carrots and onions. Add water to cover and simmer for at least 3 hours. Add the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large roasting pan, combine the beef and the remaining celery, carrots and onions. Add the tomatoes and water to cover. Transfer to the oven and cook for at least 3 hours. 

Remove both the chickens and the beef from the heat and let cool slightly. Remove the chickens from the stock and place in a bowl; cover and refrigerate. Strain the stock, discarding the solids, and return the stock to the stockpot; cover and refrigerate. 

Remove the beef from the stock. Remove and discard the bones and any membrane. Tear or cut the beef into chunks; cover and refrigerate. Discard the beef stock. 

Ravioli Filling

Ingredients:
  • 1 small pork shoulder roast
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 large bunch Swiss chard
  • 6 large yellow onions
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 3 fresh sage sprigs
  • 1 large handful fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 loaves sweet French bread
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 1/2 cups grated dry Monterey jack cheese
  • 20 eggs, lightly beaten
Directions:
The next day, prepare the ravioli filling: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Remove the fat from the top of the chicken stock and place the fat in a large roasting pan. In a large saucepan, warm the stock slightly on the stovetop; do not boil. 

Cut the pork shoulder roast into 1/2-inch slices and season with salt and pepper. Rub the pork slices into the chicken fat in the roasting pan, transfer to the oven and roast until the pork is cooked through, about 45 minutes. 

Strip the chard leaves from the stems, put the leaves in a pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender. Drain the chard and squeeze dry. 

In a food processor, finely mince the onions and garlic. Remove the leaves from the rosemary, sage and thyme sprigs and finely mince the leaves. 

Using a sharp knife, cut the bread into very thin slices and toast the bread. Soak the bread in the warm chicken stock until moist but not soggy. Transfer the bread to a large bowl, leaving the stock in the pan.

Remove the pork from the roasting pan and set the pan on the stovetop. Add the onions and garlic to the leftover chicken fat and cook until reduced. Add the chard, herbs, cinnamon and allspice, then stir the onion mixture into the bowl with the bread mixture. 

Remove the meat from the chickens, discarding the skin and bones. Finely grind the chicken, pork and beef separately at room temperature or at slightly less than room temperature. Add the meats, one at a time, to the bowl with the bread mixture. Add the cheese and eggs, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Refrigerate the filling until ready to assemble the raviolis. 

Pasta Dough and Assembly

Ingredients:
  • 10 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups olive oil, plus more for cooking
  • 30 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • 7 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more for cooking
  • 7 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  • Rice flour as needed
Directions:
To prepare the pasta, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs and olive oil. Make a well in the flour and add the egg mixture, mixing well with your hands. In another bowl, dissolve the salt in the lukewarm water. Gradually add the water mixture to the dough. 

Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, knead the dough until it looks smooth and satiny. Using half rice and half all-purpose flour on the board, roll out both pieces of dough until they are paper-thin. 

Working with 1 piece of rolled-out dough at a time, spread the ravioli filling on one-half of the dough and using a spatula, fold over the other half. Using a ravioli cutter, cut out the raviolis. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. This makes at least 1,200 raviolis. 

Fill a large pot with water and add some olive oil and salt. Bring to a slow boil. Working in batches, add the raviolis and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not overcook or the raviolis may split open and fall apart.

Zialena Winery

21112 River Road
Geyserville, CA 95441
zialena.com