“…Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful…” I know, some of you think it’s a bit early for Christmas Carols. But is it? It’s already November! The leaves have fallen and the weather is getting wintry. Tis’ the season (I just can’t help myself!) for stews, soups, casseroles and, you know, winter comfort foods. Many dishes during winter time are cooked slow and low. One of my favorite methods of cooking is braising. So this week, we will be making a Braised Moroccan Pork Wings.
This past weekend was Halloween and we, as a family, had such a ball. Dev is one of the biggest fans of Halloween. So, Rue is giving her an excuse to keep trick-or-treating for who knows how many more years. We are totally reaping the benefits from his spoils. His little pail was filled to the brim with all sorts of candies. Some more questionable than others. Every year, some families will still try to pass off homemade treats that make you question the intentions of humanity. You keep those poisonous apples for Snow White and I will take the Reese’s, (unless the homemade goodie is some Braised Morrocan Pork Wings) thanks!
November has been GOOD! Why? Well, this past weekend was not only Halloween, but this past Sunday has become another historical day for Kansas City. The Royals won the World Series! Holy guacamole! I couldn’t believe it. Dev and I was in total disbelief, not because I didn’t believe in the Royals, but after 30 years, we finally won. It was truly remarkable. I can go on about how excited I am but enough of my rambling and let’s get to these Braised Moroccan Pork Wings, shall we?
Braised Moroccan Pork Wings:
4 Pieces – Pork Shanks
1 ½ Cups – Chopped Carrots
2 – Medium Sweet Potato (Diced)
1 – Yellow Onion (Diced)
8 Cloves – Garlic (Crushed)
1/4 Cup – Fresh Cilantro (Chopped)
4 Cups – Free Range Organic Chicken Stock
1/4 Cup – Kasandrino’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup – Otto’s Natural Cassava Flour
1 Tbsp – Coriander Seeds (Crushed)
1 Tbsp – Cumin Seeds (Crushed)
2 Tsp – Black Peppercorn (Crushed)
1/2 Tsp – Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp – Toasted Onion Powder
1 Tbsp – Curry Powder
1/2 Tsp – Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 Tbsp – Fresh Lemon Zest
Coarse Sea Salt – To Taste
By now, you know I love talking about ingredients and cooking methods. Well, anything related to food in general is of interest to me. That’s why I started this blog. This is an outlet for my want to create food memories and help the world expand their food horizon.
Before we start the Braised Moroccan Pork Wings, let’s start by talking about the pork wings. You are probably thinking, piggies don’t have wings. I can totally see an image of little piglets flying about. Pork wings is another word for pork shanks. It is often a cut of meat that gets overlooked. The best way to cook them to slow and low. Most good butchers will have them, or can find them for you. If you can’t find pork shanks, you can substitute with either lamb shanks or with pork shoulders.
To begin the Braised Moroccan Pork Wings, we need to marinate the shanks. Put the shanks a large bowl or plastic bag, and lightly coat them with Kasandrino’s EVOO and rub them down with both crushed black peppercorn, coriander and cumin seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, and a teaspoon of coarse sea salt. Set them aside and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes. You can also put them in the fridge and marinate them overnight. While the shanks are marinating, we can prep the veggies.
In a braise or any slow cooked dish, you want to cut your produce into large chunks, so they don’t just dissolve and disappear. So cut your carrots, sweet potatoes, and yellow onion into large chunks. After the shanks are done marinating, we can start cooking the Braised Moroccan Pork Wings!
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Place a large oven-safe dish, such as a dutch oven or a LeCruset Braiser (Still on my Christmas list, I’ve been a pretty good kid this year), on the stove on medium high heat. Pour enough olive oil in the dutch oven to coat the entire bottom. While the oil heats close to smoke point, dredge the shanks in cassava flour (I love using it as a substitute to regular flour) and set them in the heated oil. Your purpose here is to brown the shanks on all sides (a few minutes per side). You do not want to overcrowd the dish, so if you have to brown them in two batches, definitely do so. The Braised Moroccan Pork Wings require a little bit of work, but the outcome is definitely worth the work, trust me!
After the shanks are nice and brown, remove them from the dutch oven. Now, with the remaining oil, throw in the carrots, onions and sweet potatoes. Cook them covered for 5-7 minutes until they are slightly brown and soft. Now, mix in half the curry powder (I used Penzy’s Sweet Curry Powder), crushed garlic cloves, fresh thyme and lemon zest to the vegetables and continue to cook for a few minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan, and here is a pretty important step in this Braised Moroccan Pork Wings recipe.
De-glaze the dutch oven. Pour in 2 cups of chicken stock, the remaining curry powder for de-glazing. Use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits. Now cook the liquid until it is slightly reduced. Place your shanks into the braising liquid and fill in the rest of the space with the vegetables. You do not want to submerge the shanks in the braising liquid. We are braising and not boiling. It should cover about half the height of the shanks. If there is not enough liquid, add more chicken stock and bring it to a boil.
Now, cover and put it in the preheated oven for 2½-3 hours turning the shanks over every 30 minutes. Also, check on the liquid levels. If you need to add liquid, add in warmed chicken stock. Adding in cold liquid can reduce the temperature too much and if you are using a ceramic dish, the fluctuation in temperature can crack them. My friend also recommended cooking it stove top so it is easier to watch the liquid levels. But if you are busy, go ahead and pop the Braised Moroccan Pork Wings in the oven.
After 2½ hours, check to see how tender the shanks are, if they are tender, remove the Braised Moroccan Pork Wings from the oven. Here are extra steps you can take, but it is totally optional. You can let the shanks sit overnight and serve the next day, which allows the shanks to soak in all the flavor. You can also remove the shanks from the braising liquid and roast them in the oven at 450°F to crisp them up. If the braising liquid is not thick, you can reduce it down on the stove top. The Braised Moroccan Pork Wings can be served with mashed potatoes, cauliflower mash (Recipe Here), cauliflower risotto (Recipe Here) or jasmine rice. There you have it, Braised Moroccan Pork Wings, and until next time, eat up my friends!
