I had a sizeable piece of Ingrid Hoffman
’s delicious Cuban Pernil, which of course I had to cook in order to post. I also had, in abundance, the great-tasting Pigeon Peas and Rice I made as a side. I could hardly get enough of that dish and it re-heats easily and well. But in my experience, roasted pork doesn’t. So out of a nice solid piece of well-seasoned meat, I made stew. It’s an absolute winner and an ideal cold-weather dish. And you can make it even if you don’t have any Pernil lying about. It works as beautifully with fresh pork as it does with cooking.
’s delicious Cuban Pernil, which of course I had to cook in order to post. I also had, in abundance, the great-tasting Pigeon Peas and Rice I made as a side. I could hardly get enough of that dish and it re-heats easily and well. But in my experience, roasted pork doesn’t. So out of a nice solid piece of well-seasoned meat, I made stew. It’s an absolute winner and an ideal cold-weather dish. And you can make it even if you don’t have any Pernil lying about. It works as beautifully with fresh pork as it does with cooking. I found everything I need in the “Goya” section of the supermarket. Now this dish will open your sinuses. It’s not for the faint of heart. But the sauce is tamed when it comes in contact with the Pigeon Peas and Rice. And I served it with a simple green salad which contrasted nicely to the spicy pork. Here goes:
Recipe for Spicy Pork Stew
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into one-inch cubes
2 medium onions, diced
1 (12-ounce) bottle or can beer
3 to 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce plus 3 tablespoons adobo sauce
½ cup Mojo
2 tbsp. Adobo
1 8 oz.can Picante Tomato Sauce
1 8 oz.can Picante Tomato Sauce
1 10 ounce can of Tomatoes with Green Chiles
2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Take the pork off the bone, remove the outer crust and cut the pork into 1 inch dice.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until very hot, about two minutes. Add the oil. Add the pork and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer the pork to a bowl and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the onions, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and slightly browned around the edges, about 10 minutes.
- Add the reserved pork, beer, chipotles, adobo sauce, mojo sauce, adobo, both tomatoes, cumin, salt, and pepper; stir until combined.
- Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
You can actually make this dish with uncooked fresh pork shoulder.
The browning time in step 2 will take just a little longer.