Bourbon Cranberry Pork Stew
There is something about pork that just makes people shamefully happy. This delicious fall recipe reminds me of my grandmother. I would visit her in Detroit when I was a kid and it seemed like she was always boiling sticks of cinnamon with cranberries, filling the house with the loveliest scent. I cherish those comforting memories and warm smells, but as an adult, had to add my own twist. I couldn’t ignore bourbon begging to be part of this flavor profile, and thus bourbon cranberry pork stew was born. It’s savory, sweet, and tangy, and tastes even better the next day.
Ingredients
Time: 1 hour and 30 mins, Servings: 4
1 medium orange
1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
1 cup fresh cranberries
4 cups hot cooked long-grain brown rice
2 tablespoons diagonally sliced green onions
½ cup bourbon
1 cup fresh peas
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Peel and section orange over a bowl; squeeze membranes to extract juice. Set
sections aside; reserve juice.
3. Pour cranberries and bourbon into saucepan and simmer over medium heat
4. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
6. Add oil to pan
7. Place pork in pan and salt
8. Cook the pork it is golden brown
9. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion to pan
10. Add garlic
11. Stir in the remaining ingredients
12. Cover; bake at 325° for 1 hour.
13. Stir in cranberries.
14. Bake, covered, at 325° for an additional 30 minutes or until pork is fork-tender.
15. Serve over rice
16. Eat up!
