Pork Collioure Stew
Submitted by nickerson
Pork Collioure stew braises pork shoulder in white wine and tarragon vinegar, then finishes with horseradish, mustard, cream, and parsnips. A French Catalan Mediterranean stew with a sharp, mustardy-creamy final pour.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
2 hrsCollioure is a fishing village on the French Catalan coast, and this pork stew nods to the region’s love of bright, acidic cooking. Pork shoulder sears in a Dutch oven, then braises slowly in dry white wine and tarragon vinegar with bay and thyme for an hour and a quarter until just barely tender.
What makes this stew different is the finish. The sauce gets strained smooth, then the pork returns to the pot with grated horseradish, prepared mustard, heavy cream, lemon juice, and peeled parsnips. That second short braise builds a sharp, tangy-creamy sauce that coats the meat without burying the brightness of the wine and vinegar.
Pro Tips
- Brown the pork in batches without crowding. A crowded pan drops in temperature and the meat will gray steam instead of searing, which loses most of the stew’s flavor before it starts.
- Strain the sauce as directed. Skipping this step leaves onions and spent herbs in the pot, and the final sauce will be chunky rather than silky.
- Add the cream off the boil if possible. Heavy cream can break if boiled hard, especially with this much acid in the sauce. A gentle simmer is enough.
- Peel and cube the parsnips just before adding. Parsnips brown like potatoes once cut, and the discoloration carries through to the finished dish.
Variations
- Swap the parsnips for celery root or turnips for a similarly sweet-earthy root vegetable.
- Use Riesling or Gewurztraminer instead of a standard dry white for a more perfumed, aromatic braise.
- Stir in a spoonful of capers with the mustard for extra briny kick.
Ingredients
Directions
PREHEAT OVEN TO 375℉ (190℃).
Pat the pork dry with paper towels and sprinkle with desired salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat on top of the stove.
Add the pork, without crowding, and brown well on all sides.
You may have to perform this operation in batches.
Remove the pieces to a plate as they are brown.
Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons fat.
Reduce heat to low and replace the pot on the stove.
Add the onion and cook 5 minutes, scraping up any brown bits that cling to the pan.
Add the flour and cook another minute, stirring.
Add the wine, vinegar and broth and bring to a boil.
Return the pork to the pot with any juices on the plate and add bay leaves and thyme.
Cover tightly and transfer the pot to the oven.
Cook for 1¼ hours, or until meat is barely tender.
Remove the casserole from the oven and, using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from sauce and set aside.
Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a container and discard onions and herbs.
Replace the meat in the pot, add horseradish, mustard, cream, lemon juice and parsnips.
Cover and replace in oven for 20-to-30 minutes or until meat is tender and parsnips are cooked.
Remove from oven and serve with boiled potatoes or buttered noodles.
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