Succulent Braised Pork

I watched the series on Food Network: "The Next Food Network Star" and fell in love with Melissa D'Arabian.  To my great surprise she won.  I made her Cafe Green Salad in the past and loved the flavor that her dressing had.  Today, I slow roasted her recipe of Succulent Braised Pork.  Once again, the flavor was a winner, my husband eagerly headed in for a second helping.  Always a good sign.  I think I will use the leftovers to make my Shepherd's Pie next time!  The flavors of the gravy are wonderful.  I served them with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Mixed Vegetables to round out the meal.  The one change I did make to her recipe is that I used more than one carrot.  My family loves roasted carrots, so I put in about 7 large carrots and it cooked up just fine!  Once again Melissa -- a great recipe.  You can also find the recipe at the Food Network website.


Succulent Braised Pork - Melissa D Arabian Food Network

Ingredients
2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 6 large chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups beef stock or broth
1 bunch parsley stems, tied with string
2 bay leaves
1 cup water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and working in batches brown the meat on all sides until a golden crust forms. Transfer the pork to a plate. To the pan add the onion, celery, and carrot and sweat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes to cook off the raw flavor and caramelize it. Sprinkle with the flour and cook another 2 minutes to cook off its raw flavor. Whisk in the wine and reduce it by half. Return the pork to the Dutch oven, then stir in the beef stock, parsley stems, and bay leaves. Add the water if liquid does not come up to the top of the pork. Do not cover the pork with liquid. Cover the pan and place it in the oven to braise until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hours. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 3 hr 30 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 4 servings plus leftovers