Pork Stew by any other name

If you didn't know before, you would know now, BH and I are the biggest pork fans. We love our pork. Be it fried, steamed, braised, roasted....ribs, belly, leg, loin. You get the idea.

I came across a recipe for Pork Vindaloo on Cooks Illustrated and decided to give it whirl. It was really easy and took about 30 mins prep time and 2 hours in the oven to cook. I have posted the recipe here for anyone who wants to give it a try.

It was AMAZING. Tender, aromatic and so so so tasty. The spices were subtle but fragrant and gave this Pork Stew the most delicate layering of flavours. We had it on Friday with rice and on Saturday with Spaghetti. It is really versatile and I can imagine it making a baked rice with it. I half expected it to have very strong curry flavours because it was called a Vindaloo, but it wasn't.

The only change I made in the recipe is that I used whole spices. I used 4 whole cloves and 3 whole cardamom pods. I also swapped out the cayenne and sweet paprika for 1 tbs of chilli powder for extra kick.

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated Published January 2, 2008.   Web Exclusive.

Ingredients

1	3-pound boneless pork butt (Boston butt) (see related Ask Cook's), trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
3	medium onions , chopped coarse (about 5 cups)
9	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 3 tablespoons)
3	tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1	tablespoon chilli powder
3/4	teaspoon ground cumin
1/2	teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4	teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2	cups low-sodium chicken broth
1	(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2	tablespoons red wine vinegar
1	tablespoon mustard seeds
2	bay leaves
1	teaspoon sugar
1/4	cup minced fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Season meat generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add half of meat to pot so that individual pieces are close together but not touching. Cook, not moving pieces until sides touching pot are well browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn each piece and continue cooking until most sides are well browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer meat to medium bowl, add another tablespoon oil to pot, and swirl to coat pan bottom. Brown remaining meat; transfer meat to bowl and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add remaining tablespoon oil to empty Dutch oven, and swirl to coat pan bottom. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently and vigorously, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, and cloves. Stir until onions are evenly coated and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Gradually add broth, scraping pan bottom and edges with wooden spoon to loosen remaining browned bits and dissolve flour. Add tomatoes, vinegar, mustard seeds, bay leaves, and sugar and bring to simmer. Add browned pork and accumulated juices, submerging meat under liquid. Return to simmer, cover, and place in oven. Cook for 2 hours.
4. Remove pot from oven. If serving immediately, spoon off any accumulated fat at surface. (Stew can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Spoon off congealed fat and bring back to simmer over medium-low heat.) Remove bay leaves, stir in cilantro, and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.
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