Pork Shoulder Chilli

 

You know my love of Jamie Oliver recipes, well this one was certainly inspired by Jamie's Winter Chilli.  Just watching him make this chilli had us drooling, so I decided on codging the recipe to suit what I had to hand and I was most certainly not disappointed with the results.


Pork Shoulder Chilli
Serves 4' ish less if you are greedy.

Small half pork shoulder, boneless.  Skin cut off, fat remaining.
1 large onion, sliced
1 x 400g can plum tomatoes
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
2 red chilis, finely chopped
1 x 400g can chick peas
20g dried porcini mushrooms, re-hydrated in hot water
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp sugar
75ml Balsamic vinegar

Pre-heat oven to 190oc.  Grind the fennel, coriander and paprika in a mortar & pestle with some S&P.  Rub the pork with oil and the ground spice mixture, then brown in a heavy bottomed pan on all sides with a little more oil.  Remove the meat and add the sliced onions and sugar cook until caramelised.  Add the vinegar and the chopped mushrooms along with the juice, chickpeas, tomatoes, sliced peppers and chilis.  Mix together well, return the pork to the pan and bring up to the boil.  Cover the surface of the dish with greaseproof paper and the pop the lid on.  Place in the oven for around 3 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Once cooked the meat will just pull apart and mix together with the sauce beautifully.  I served over rice with a dollop of natural yoghurt and chopped fresh coriander.  An utter delight, smoky, unctuous, warming and so very fragrant.  I have used the trick of freshly grinding fennel & coriander seeds many times since, it really enhances a dish.