Spiced Pork Stew with Polenta, Root Vegetables, and Gremolata
When you live in Southern California it’s hard not to be influenced by the spicy, vibrant flavors of Mexican food. People might imagine chefs spending their few and precious nights out wining and dining on five-course meals, but in reality you’re far more likely to find me at the sushi bar, Korean barbecue house, or my favorite taqueria. This spiced pork stew satisfies my cravings for the spicy, robust flavors of ethnic food. I start with some of the Mexican spices I love so much—cumin, cayenne, coriander, and chile—tossing them with chunks of fatty and flavorful pork shoulder and braising it into this succulent pork stew. Pork shoulder is one of my favorite cuts to cook with. As an added bonus, it’s one of the few meats that are still pretty inexpensive. People go crazy for this tender, slow-cooked pork bathed in its own spicy sauce, but don’t worry—it’s so impressive, they’ll never know you did it on the cheap.
You can make the polenta a little ahead of time; cover the pot with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Right before serving, stir in a little more water if necessary. Roast the vegetables and make the gremolata in the afternoon if you like. The pork
Ingredients
Roasted root vegetables with gremolata
Preparation
Step 1
Toast the cumin seeds a few minutes in a small pan over medium heat, until they release their aroma and are lightly browned. Pound them coarsely in a mortar. Repeat (separately) with the coriander and fennel seeds.
Step 2
Place the pork in a large bowl with the cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, cayenne, smashed garlic, oregano leaves, and thyme. Using your hands, toss the pork and spices together to coat well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Step 3
Take the meat out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking. After 15 minutes, season it on all sides with 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt and some black pepper. Reserve the garlic and any excess herbs and spices.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Step 5
Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat for 3 minutes. Pour in the olive oil and wait a minute or two, until the pan is very hot and almost smoking. Place the meat in the pan, being careful not to crowd it. (You will most likely need to cook the meat in batches.) Sear the meat until well browned and caramelized on all sides; this will probably take at least 15 minutes. As the batches of meat brown, transfer them to a baking sheet.
Step 6
Turn the heat down to medium, and add the onion, carrot, and fennel. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up all the tasty crusty bits left in the pan. Stir in the bay leaves, crumbled chile, and reserved garlic and spices. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables start to caramelize.
Step 7
Pour in the white wine and reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stocks and bring to a boil.
Step 8
Use a vegetable peeler to pull long strips of zest from the lemon.
Step 9
Turn off the heat, and add the pork to the pot. Tuck the cilantro, oregano sprigs, and lemon zest around the meat. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and a tight-fitting lid if you have one. Braise in the oven about 2 1/2 hours.
Step 10
To check the meat for doneness, remove the lid and foil, being careful of the hot steam. Spoon a piece of meat out of the pan, and press it with your thumb or a spoon. If it’s ready, it will yield easily to a knife and almost fall apart. Taste it!
Step 11
Turn the oven up to 400°F.
Step 12
Ladle most of the braising juices and vegetables into a strainer set over a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables with the ladle to extract all the juices. Discard any remaining herb sprigs from the braising pan.
Step 13
Return the pork to the oven for about 15 minutes to caramelize the meat.
Step 14
Skim the fat from the braising juices. If necessary, reduce the broth over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, to thicken it slightly. Taste for seasoning.
Step 15
Pour the hot broth over the browned meat, and stir to coat well. Transfer the stew to a large warm platter. Scatter the warm gremolata-coated root vegetables over the stew. Serve with the bowl of hot polenta. Tell your guests to spoon the polenta onto their plates and top with the pork and vegetables, making sure to get lots of the delicious braising juices. (You may need to serve more braising juices on the side if your platter is too shallow to hold them all.)
Roasted root vegetables with gremolata
Step 16
Place the lemon zest on a cutting board and chop it coarsely. Place the garlic and parsley on top, and chop the whole mixture together until very fine. This mixture is called gremolata.
Step 17
Slice the carrots and parsnips in half lengthwise, leaving the stems attached. If they are on the bigger side then slice each half lengthwise again, into long quarters. Clean the turnips, cut off the tails, and trim the stems, leaving 1/4 inch of the stems. Cut small turnips in halves or quarters; if they’re larger, cut them in half and then into 1/2-inch wedges.
Step 18
Heat 2 large sauté pans over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in the olive oil and wait 1 minute. Divide the carrots, parsnips, and turnips between the pans and season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the thyme. Cook 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables just start to caramelize.
Step 19
Add the butter and sauté another 5 minutes, tossing them often. Add the shallots and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook another 5 minutes or so, until the shallots and all the vegetables are tender and nicely caramelized. If you’re serving dinner soon, turn off the heat and hold them in the pan. Rewarm if necessary. Toss with the gremolata just before serving.
Note
Step 20
You can make the polenta a little ahead of time; cover the pot with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Right before serving, stir in a little more water if necessary. Roast the vegetables and make the gremolata in the afternoon if you like. The pork, of course, can be braised a day or even two ahead.
