Tender pork braised in a rich tomato sauce flavored with olives and orange a top silky noodles.

Tomato and Olive Braised Pork

Serves 4 - 6

A richly flavored, chunky tomato sauce flavored with olives and orange and tender braised pork on top of pasta. I made turmeric pasta that i “fried” in a little brown butter before serving the pork and sauce on top but, packaged egg noodles will work as well.

Ingredients

Spice Mix

1.25 t ground cumin

1 t ground coriander

1 t garlic powder

0.75 t onion powder

0.75 t ground black pepper

0.75 t kosher salt

0.50 t MSG – optional

0.25 t ground ginger

0.25 t ground allspice

1/8 t ground cinnamon 

Sauce

908g (2 lbs) pork shoulder, cut into 1 in thick 3 – 4 in long “steaks”

1 T olive oil

300g (1 large) onion, cut 0.25 in thick with the grain

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

0.75 t dried oregano

0.25 t dried thyme

2 T soy sauce

2 T gochujang

2 T mirin

794g (28 oz can) whole tomatoes, crushed

75g (0.50 c) stuffed green olives, sliced

3g piece (1 – 1.5 in piece) dashima

1.5 T orange zest, minced

1 T capers, minced

2 t honey or maple syrup

Recipe Know-how

1.      In a small bowl combine the spice mix ingredients being sure to mix well.

• Using about 1/3 of the spice mix, season both sides of each of the pork shoulder “steaks”.

• Allow to sit for 15 – 20 mins at room temperature before making the sauce.

Sauce

2.      In a large deep saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high.

• Brown the pork until golden brown on both sides, about 3 – 4 minutes per side.

• Remove from the pan and set aside.

• Lower the heat to medium.

• Add the onions, garlic, bay, oregano, thyme and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If the onions are beginning to burn, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking.

• Add all of the remaining spice mix and cook for 30 seconds.

• Deglaze the pan with the soy sauce scraping up the fond.

• Add the gochujang and cook for 1.5 – 2 minutes or until the gochujang begins to stick slightly to the bottom of the pan.

• Deglaze with the mirin, scraping up the fond from the pan.

• Add the remaining sauce ingredients, stirring well then add the pork and all of the accumulated juices from the pork.

• Bring to a boil covered. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

• Remove the dashima and continue to cook until the pork is tender, 25 – 35 minutes longer.

Depending on how thick your pork is, it may take a little more or a little less time that what is listed.

Begin testing for doneness after 45 minutes of simmering (25 minutes after the dashima has been removed).

Tender meat will show no resistance when a knife is inserted and will begin to shred slightly.

You do not want the meat to fully fall apart for this dish.

• Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

3.      Serve over pasta or rice.