Catalan Braised Pork Shoulder With Dried Fruit Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Rinse and dry pork roast. Season all sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add roast to the hot skillet; turn and sear until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer roast to a large lidded baking dish, leaving pan drippings in the skillet.
• Add carrots, onion, shallot, and garlic to the hot skillet and reduce heat to medium. Saute in the pan drippings until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes; do not overcook.
• Pour red wine, beef broth, and tomato puree over the roast in the baking dish. Add sauteed vegetables, parsley, and thyme.
• Cover and bake in the preheated oven until meat pulls apart easily, 2 to 3 hours.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325º.
• Using kitchen string, tie the pork shoulder crosswise, spacing the ties 1 inch apart. Rub the pork generously with salt and pepper and the garlic.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 5 to 6 quart flameproof casserole or Dutch oven over high heat until almost smoking. Add the pork and cook until richly browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Add the remaining oil while the pork browns, if the casserole looks too dry. Transfer the pork to a bowl. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and pearl onions to the casserole and brown well, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the kirsch and cook over high heat until it is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 1 minute. Add the wine, beef stock, cherries, apricots, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and rosemary sprigs and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the casserole to dislodge the brown bits. Season the sauce with salt to taste.
• Return the pork to the casserole. Cover tightly and transfer it to the oven. Bake the pork, turning it once or twice, until it is very tender and an instant-read thermometer registers 165º, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Transfer the pork to a plate and cover it with foil to keep warm. Remove and discard the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and rosemary sprigs.
• Transfer the casserole to the stove top and cook the sauce over high heat until it is slightly syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the string from the pork and discard it. Cut the pork into slices and arrange on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the pork and serve.

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the pork shoulder on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
• Preheat a medium Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and swirl to coat. Add the pork shoulder and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and add the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until softened, 3 minutes. Add the dried oregano, garlic, chiles de arbol and bay leaf and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the pork shoulder back to the pot fat-side up, then add the chicken stock, lime juice and orange juice, adding more stock or water if necessary to reach halfway up the meat. Bring to a simmer and cover the pot. Transfer to the oven and braise, basting with liquid every hour, until the pork shoulder is very tender and falling apart, 4 to 6 hours.
• Remove the pork from the braising liquid and shred into large bite-sized pieces. Skim the fat from the braising liquid, then cook to reduce over medium-high heat to about 1 1/2 cups. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper. Return the pork to the liquid, toss to combine, and keep warm.
• Combine the mayonnaise and honey mustard in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Split the rolls, then spread each with a scant 3 tablespoons of the mayonnaise mixture. Divide the Swiss cheese among the top and bottom rolls. Top the bottom rolls with the pickled red onions, pulled pork and ham. Close the sandwiches.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet over low heat. In batches, transfer the rolls to the skillet and place another skillet on top. Cook until the bottom portions of cheese are melted, then flip the sandwiches and continue to cook until heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve.