Serves 6
Ingredients
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 lbs Pork shoulder (preferably Berkshire), boneless, cut into 1” pieces
- 3 Tbls Vegetable oil
- 1 ea Yellow onion, medium, ½” dice
- 2 ea Garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tbls AP Flour
- 1 quart Pork or chicken stock
- 12 oz Amber or dark colored ale
- 1 Cup Sweet potatoes, 1” dice
- 1 Cup Rutabaga, 1” dice
- 1 Cup Cabbage, 1” dice
- 1 Cup Kale stems removed, cut into 1” wide strips
- 8 sprigs Italian parsley for garnish
- 3 Tbls Italian parsley, fresh, finely chopped
- 1 Tbls Thyme leaves, fresh, finely chopped
Method
Pre heat oven to 300 degrees.
Be sure to have your mice en place ready.
Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Season pork to taste with the salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a 6 qt. Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the oil starts to slightly smoke, add ½ the pork. Cook until the pork browns on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the browned pork to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining pork.
With just the oil in the Dutch oven, add the onions and sauté until fragrant. Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Sprinkle the flour over the aromatics and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes.
Deglaze with the ale; use a wooden spoon to get all the fond of the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the stock and the pork. Bring this mixture to a low boil. Cover well and place on the low middle rack of the 300 degree oven.
Set a timer for 1 hour. When it goes off, add the sweet potatoes and rutabaga to the stew, cover and return to oven.
Set a timer for 30 minutes. When it goes off, stir the cabbage into the stew, cover and return to oven.
Set a timer for 30 minutes. When it goes off, stir the Kale into the stew, cover and return to oven.
Set a timer for 30 minutes. When it goes off, remove the stew from the oven. Stir in the fresh herbs. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning. Turn off the oven and place 6 bowls inside to warm up.
Pour the liquid from the stew into a narrow container. Use a small ladle to skim the fat off the top. Keep the liquid and solid parts of the stew separate.
Plating
- Remove the bowls from the oven, careful, they may be quite hot, using a hot pad or dry towel and place them on the counter.
- Distribute 1/6th of the stew solids into each bowl.
- Pour 1/6th of the stew liquid into each bowl. Top each bowl with a parsley sprig.
- Serve with crusty bread and butter.
Enjoy!
