Stew pork follows the same Trinidad method as stew chicken and stew beef: seasoned meat, sugar caramelised in hot oil until nearly black, then a slow simmer until the gravy is thick and glossy.
Pork shoulder is the best cut. It has enough fat to stay juicy through the stewing; trim off any thick pieces of fat but leave the rest.
It cooks faster than beef, in about an hour, and the gravy turns rich on its own as the fat renders.
The recipe
Stew Pork
Prep
20 min
Cook
1 hr 30 min
Seasoning the meat
1 hr
Total
2 hr 50 min
Serves
6
Times and quantities are our best estimates. This recipe is still being kitchen-tested, so trust your eyes and taste as you go.
Servings
Ingredient amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pot size may need adjusting too.
Ingredients
Tick items off as you gather them.
For the pork
For the pot
Method
Season the pork
Rinse the pork in cold water with the juice of the lime, then drain well.
Mix in the green seasoning, onion, garlic, tomato, salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Brown the pork
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sugar and leave it to melt without stirring. When it bubbles and turns very dark amber, almost black at the edges, go straight to the next step. This takes 2 to 4 minutes; don't walk away.
Lift the pork out of its seasoning and add it to the pot carefully, as it will spit. Keep the seasoning in the bowl. Stir to coat every piece in the caramel.
Cook, stirring now and then, for 10 minutes until the pork is well browned.
Simmer until tender
Add the seasoning left in the bowl, the ketchup, 1 cup (240 ml) of the hot water and the whole pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 60 to 75 minutes, stirring now and then and adding more hot water when the gravy gets low.
The pork is ready when it is tender enough to cut with a spoon. Skim off any excess fat from the top, and simmer uncovered for a few minutes if the gravy is thin.
Taste for salt, lift out the pepper without bursting it, and stir in the chadon beni.
Serve it with
Rice and peas or plain white rice
Provisions and a fresh salad
Substitutions
Bone-in pork: chops or bone-in shoulder pieces work; allow an extra 15 minutes.
Browning sauce: 1 to 2 tbsp ready-made browning can replace the sugar step, with less caramel flavour.
Storing and reheating
Refrigerate in a covered container and eat within 3 days.
Reheat covered with a splash of water until piping hot all the way through.
Cook's notes
Lean cuts such as loin dry out in a stew; shoulder is worth looking for.
If the sugar burns black and smells acrid, start again; burnt browning makes the whole pot bitter.
