SILKY PORK AND CUMIN STEW

Silky Pork and Cumin Stew image

You know what takes a lot of time? Standing over the stove and browning every cube of stew meat on all sides and in batches. That's why we brown the pork shoulder whole, which develops a ton of flavor with a fraction of the time and effort.

Provided by Claire Saffitz

Categories Bon Appétit Dinner Winter Stew Soup/Stew Pork Avocado Cabbage Garlic Onion Hominy/Cornmeal/Masa Chile Pepper Cumin

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

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Ingredients

Tangy red cabbage:
1/2 small head of red cabbage, very thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Charred avocado:
2 ripe avocados, unpeeled, halved, pits removed
1/2 lime
Kosher salt
Chili powder (for serving)
Stew and assembly:
1 (5-lb.) piece skinless, bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt), patted dry
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium onions, cut into 1"-thick wedges
2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise
1/2 cup fine-grind cornmeal
4 dried chiles de árbol
2 tsp. cumin seeds
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Crushed corn nuts, chicharrones, hot sauce, and/or sour cream (for serving; optional)

Steps:

Tangy red cabbage:
Toss cabbage, vinegar, and sugar in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper and vigorously massage with your hands until cabbage is softened and slightly wilted.
Charred avocado:
Cook avocados, cut side down, in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat, until cut sides are blackened, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
Use a spoon to scoop avocados out of their skins, then cut each half lengthwise into quarters. Transfer to a plate and squeeze lime over top. Season with salt and sprinkle with chili powder.
Stew and assembly:
Season pork generously all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook pork, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 15-18 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool.
Reduce heat to medium and cook onions and garlic, cut side down, in the same pot, tossing onions occasionally, until onions are browned in spots and garlic is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add cornmeal, chiles, and cumin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until cornmeal is toasty smelling and cumin is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar, stirring to release any bits stuck on bottom of pot, then add 8 cups water. Season generously with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, use a knife to slice pork meat from the bone, discarding any large pieces of fat. Cut meat into 2" pieces.
Return pork meat and bone to pot and bring stew back up to a simmer. Cover with a lid, leaving slightly askew so steam can escape, and cook, adjusting heat to maintain a very gentle simmer and skimming foam from surface as needed, until meat is fork-tender, 1 1/2-2 hours. Uncover pot and let stew cool (bone and all) until no longer steaming. Cover pot and chill stew at least 12 hours (you can skip this step, but it will dramatically improve the flavor).
Uncover stew and spoon off half to three-quarters of fat on the surface; discard. Gently reheat stew until barely simmering. Pluck out and discard bone and garlic heads (don't worry about any cloves that may have escaped into stew). Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve with Charred Avocados with Chili Powder, Tangy Red Cabbage, corn nuts, chicharrones, hot sauce, and/or sour cream as desired.
Do Ahead
Stew can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.