Pork Drunk: Match Made in Heaven: Pork & Mustard

Tender, succulent pork and grainy mustard, oh yeah, so nice.....Add it to a slow-simmering pot of stew and yes, you have a match made in heaven.

I love cooking stews. Mostly my stews of the past have had chunks of potatoes and beef but this recipe aims higher highlighting mustard paired with pork.

All the classic ingredients are involved: carrots, celery, onions, garlic....Slowly-simmered in the oven, this stew comes together and just blasts your tastes buds. It also contains a few surprises as well.

Mustard Pork Stew

pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
kosher salt, grated black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
8 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 large onion, medium dice
2 medium carrots, medium dice
2 ribs celery, medium dice
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2-2 cups white wine, I usually use Sauvignon Blanc
4 cups beef broth
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup pitted green olives, halved lengthwise, cut in three wedges
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Use a large, heavy-bottomed ovenproof stew pot over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Brown meat on all sides. Remove meat and reserve.

Add another 1 tablespoon oil to pot. Add mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes until brown. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove and add to reserved pork.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to pot. Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute for 4 minutes until light brown. Add flour and dry mustard and stir for 30 seconds. Add red wine vinegar, wine, and bring to a boil. Whisk up the beautiful, tasty browned bits on the bottom of pot. (so lovely)

Cook 3 to 4 minutes to reduce liquid by half. Add broths and reserved pork and mushrooms and bring to a simmer.

Place pan in oven and cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours until pork is tender.

Stupid me to open the oven and uncover my pot, all the heat is escaping but the smell was fantastic!

After 1.5 to 2 hours, remove from oven. Strain the the sauce from stew, and reduce it to 2.5 to 3 cups liquid. Add olives and dijon mustard. Return meat and vegatables to sauce. Serve.

The stew is filled with vegatable and pork while oozing in mustard flavor. Look at all those stewy guts!

Served with an Amber beer, the Mustard Pork stew is a true tasy meal. The olives add a briny note while the mushrooms, mustard, and herbs add the earthy tones. The cuts of pork shoulder were stewed to fine tenderness. A lot of prep work but what do you expect from a stew? It is a total exercise in cooking incorporating the techniques of a knife, browning meats, braising, slow-cooking, and seasoning.

Mustard is a great companion to pork. I couldn't contain myself as I ate most, but not all, of the stew from my pot.