Braised Pork with Spicy Potatoes

By jedrew_52

For this Uproot pairing I wanted to come out with a more assertive main course, but I think this is still a good match of wine and meat. As an added bonus, this works really well when prepared in a slow cooker provided that the meat is browned first in hot fat. The inspiration is a Neapolitan-style ragu. The pork shoulder can be cooked as an entire piece or cut up into pieces of about 2 inches as for a stew. The Spanish riff comes in with the potatoes which finish up almost like "patatas bravas". You could serve the finished sauce separately over pasta

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 1 1/2
• pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 1 1
• large russett potato
• 1 1
• cup chopped sweet onion
• 5 5
• cloves garlic, minced
• 24 24
• ounces tomato purée*
• 2 2
• ounces salt pork cut into small dice (or substitute thick pancetta)
• 1 1
• teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 to 2 1 to 2
• jarred roasted red peppers ("piquillo" in Spain) (optional)
• 2 2
• bay leaves
• 1 1
• cup meat or poultry stock
• 2 2
• tablespoons lard or olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

Step 1

In a large skillet heat the lard or oil to just short of smoking.

Brown the meat on all sides, either whole or in chunks -- your choice.**

Wash the potato and cut into cubes.

Transfer the meat to your slow cooker or braising pot

In the same pan you used for browning your pork, quickly sauté the garlic and onion.

Add that mix to the pot followed by pepper flakes, roasted peppers if using, and bay leaves.

salt and pepper.

Add the tomato purée, potatoes, and stock to your pot.

For a good braise, the liquid should not quite cover the meat. In a slow cooker, set to low; this should now take about 5 hours.