Slow Cooking for Friends

As a thank-you for giving us a jumpstart when our battery died (we left the lights on and only discovered it the day before we had to move the car because of alternate-side parking) I made dinner for a couple of friends. I finally tried something from The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen; I'll be doing that again.

I made pork stew with prunes and onions; the pork turns out nice and tender and kind of sweet. There are about five layers of flavor in the stew, only one of which I was less than happy with (the pearl onions could've been better, I just have to figure out how). I started prepping this the night before by cutting an X in the root end of 12 pearl onions, blanching them for 2 minutes, then cooling them and popping off the skin.

The next morning I butchered a pig. (It only felt like I butchered a pig; I actually cut up a boneless pork shoulder I had ordered for $1.99 a pound from Fresh Direct as part of my new efforts to grocery shop more economically. It took about 45 minutes and involved removing the meat from a huge, freckly flap of pig skin. Cracklins anyone?) I cut about 1/4 of it into cubes for the stew, then tossed them with 2 tablespoons of oil seasoned with cinnamon, pepper, rosemary and thyme and put that in the fridge.

Six hours later (and 2 hours before dinner) I cooked the pork in a deep skillet (no extra fat) with the lid on for 5 minutes, then with the lid off until all the moisture had boiled off and the meat was browned, about 10 minutes. Took the pork out of the pan and added 1 cup diced onion and cooked until browned, then added that to the pork. Combined 1 tablespoon each red wine and mustard and 1/2 cup dry white wine in the pan and reduced to a glaze, then added another 1/2 cup wine. Reduced, then added the last 1/2 cup wine and reduced that. Added 3 peeled garlic cloves, 12 baby carrots and a bay leaf to the pan, then poured in 1 3/4 cup chicken broth and added the pork and onions back in. Set on a back burner on low, covered, for 45 minutes.

During that time I soaked 12 prunes in hot water and put out olives, warmed pita and a strained-yogurt dip, and carmelized the onions. The recipe's technique was to boil, covered, 1/4 cup water, a teaspoon of sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and the onions in a skillet for five minutes, then cook uncovered for 10. I don't feel like the onions got cooked enough and will probably try cooking them lower for a longer time the next time I try them (or maybe roasting?). Anyway, after the 45 minutes I added the prunes and onions to the pork and cooked for 15 more mintues with the lid off (the recipe called for it on, but I wanted to get rid of some of the liquid).

I made couscous during the last 15 minutes because my new favorite serving method is a big pile of couscous with a well in it, into which I dump some long-simmering stew (so forgiving timewise, which is great when there are guests) that I top with something green (usually flat-leaf parsley). It's a nice-looking presentation.