This recipe is a Sunday afternoon kind of recipe. It was quite labor intensive and oh my word, LOTS of dirty dishes. The serving was very hearty and the pork melts in your mouth!vThe flavor was great, but I’m not sure it’s one I’d repeat just because of the time it took. I served it with pasta as suggested, but I think it would be better over polenta, mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

CL Comments: Red wine, red peppers, and tomatoes join in this glorious Mediterranean mélange. Pasta or polenta would be welcome accompaniments. Prepare this stew up to three days ahead, refrigerate, and reheat to serve. You can also freeze it for up to a month.

Source: Cooking Light Magazine, January/February 2009
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup pasta and about 3/4 cup pork mixture)

Ingredients

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into (2-inch) cubes
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups shiraz or other hearty red wine, divided
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut in strips (about 4 1/2 cups)
3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 red bell peppers, cut in thin strips
4 cups hot cooked rigatoni pasta

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; sprinkle evenly over pork. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add half of pork to pan; sauté 4 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove pork from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil and pork. Reduce heat to medium. Add flour to pan; sauté 1 minute or until flour browns, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return pork to pan. Stir in broth; bring to a boil.

3. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until pork crushes easily between your finger and thumb, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Remove pork from broth mixture using a slotted spoon. Bring broth mixture to a boil over high heat; cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups (about 15 minutes). Return pork to broth mixture, and cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

4. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until starting to brown, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, tomatoes, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf; bring to a simmer. Cook 30 minutes or until the mixture is thick, stirring occasionally.

5. Heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers to pan; sauté 10 minutes or until wilted, stirring frequently. Increase heat to high. Add remaining 1 cup wine, and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half (about 7 minutes). Add tomato mixture to bell pepper mixture. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Discard parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir sauce into pork mixture, and simmer an additional 10 minutes so flavors blend. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired. Serve over pasta.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 543, Fat: 21.9g (sat 4.8g,mono 12g,poly 3.4g), Protein: 39.1g, Carbohydrate: 48.3g, Fiber: 5.9g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Iron: 4.7mg, Sodium: 567mg, Calcium: 65mg