Recipe: Creole-Style Pork Stew

CREOLE-STYLE PORK STEW

1/2 cup peanut oil
1/2 cup flour
2 cups chopped onions (about 1 large onion)
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 links andouille smoked sausage, chopped (about 1 pound, 2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced or chopped garlic (about 4 large cloves)
4 cups chicken stock or 1 carton (32 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne), depending on personal taste
2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hot pepper sauce or white vinegar
4 cups cooked long-grain white rice

Make a roux by heating oil in a large, heavy pot over low heat.

Stir in flour; cook and stir over low heat until mixture turns a rich red-brown color (about 20 to 25 minutes).

Remove from heat; carefully stir in onion, celery, bell pepper and about 1 cup chopped sausage. Return pot to heat; cook and stir 5 minutes over medium heat.

Stir in garlic, chicken stock or broth and tomato paste. Add Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, sage, oregano and cayenne pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Add pork pieces and reduce heat to simmer; cook uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours or until pork is tender.

Stir in remaining chopped sausage; cook 5 minutes more to heat through. (At this stage, if you do not want to serve right away, stew may be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Discard bay leaves and skim any visible fat, if desired. Add salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce to taste.

TO SERVE:
Spoon 1/2 cup rice into shallow soup bowls; ladle some of pork mixture over top. Add more hot pepper sauce, if desired.

VARIATION:
Add 1 pound okra cut into 1/2-inch pieces during the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

Servings: 8
Recipe by: Chef Bruce Aidells, author of Bruce Aidells's Complete Book of Pork
Source: National Pork Board