Pork Shoulder Stew

Braising is one of the best ways to get great value out of inexpensive cuts of meat. Beef chuck and chicken leg quarters are great for this, but my favorite is the ever-versatile pork shoulder. I've gone a few different directions with this over the years, from a Mexican-style pulled pork to the Chinese hongshao style. This time, braised the pork in the classic French way, with a mirepoix base, white wine, mustard, and herbs. It's the kind of thing I imagine might be eaten in the French countryside, but given I haven't actually been there, I'm probably just blowing smoke. "Authentic" or not, this dish was very easy to put together, has phenomenal flavor, and is made completely from basic, staple ingredients.

I broke down the pork shoulder (a Boston butt from Sam's Club) in my usual way, ending up with a bit of fat saved, four pounds of strips for char siu, and the two pounds of pork chunks and bone for this recipe. I usually save the bones to make pork stock, but since I just made some a few days ago, I decided to throw the bone into the stew. The bone typically has some extra meat on it, which I never let go to waste. This also helps to infuse the braising liquid with even more flavor.

The recipe itself is pretty loose, and I'm confident there are many variations that would work. I had a very large onion (about a pound) and carrots and celery adding up to about 10 ounces, but use what's available. From this base recipe, one could easily add some smoked meats, like bacon or sausage. More vegetables, such as tomato or cabbage, would be interesting additions. I always like some kind of starch with a stew. We had mashed potatoes, but crusty bread, egg noodles, rice, or just boiled potatoes would all do nicely. Whatever the choices, a hearty stew like this is a perfect dinner for a chilly February. 

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. pork shoulder
• Pork shoulder blade bone (with some meat attached)
• 1 large onion
• 3 carrots
• 3 celery ribs
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 Tbs. flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups chicken stock or water
• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. herbes de Provence
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Dice the onion. Slice the celery on a bias into small pieces. Peel the carrots and cut into coins. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut the pork into cubes, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches on each side. Pat dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat some olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Brown the pork pieces on both sides. Work in batches to avoid crowding the pan. Brown the bone meat. Set all the meat aside.

Lower the meat to medium high. Add more oil as needed and cook the onion, carrot, and celery for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape up the fond from the pan as the vegetables cook. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add the flour and cook a few minutes more, stirring to coat the vegetables. 

Deglaze the pan with wine and scrape up any flour stuck to the pan. Add the stock or water, then return the pork to the pan, including the bone. Add more liquid as necessary to cover the meat. Add mustard, bay leaves, and herbs. Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Braise for 2 hours, checking occasionally to turn the bone over and taste the liquid.

At this point, the meat on the bone should pull easily away from the bone. Uncover and turn the heat up a little to allow the stew to gently boil and reduce for about 30 more minutes. Use this time to prepare a side. I served with mashed potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.