Moroccan Coconut Pork Stew

I found this recipe on Chef Stephanie Izard's Instagram. It featured her Little Goat Went to Morocco spice blend. Unfortunately, her line of spices has been discontinued, but now I make it with a traditional Moroccan Ras el Hanout spice, which you can either buy or find a recipe for online. This dish is bright, creamy, warm, and delicious. It's equally enjoyable in warm or cold weather, and the preparation isn't that hard.

The Cooking Experience: I've prepared this dish many times. I used to pickle my own red onions and fresnos, but now I simply purchase them in jars for convenience. If pork shoulder isn't available, most supermarkets offer cubed pork for stews, which is an excellent alternative. Additionally, any pork dish can be substituted with chicken. The most challenging aspect of this recipe is resisting the incredible aroma it releases while cooking. I really wish Chef Izard would bring back her Little Goat Spice mixes.

Ingredients

for pork:

- 5 lb. boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cubed

- ¼ cup kosher salt

- 3 tbsp Ras el hanout

- 3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

- 3 (14.5-ounce) cans coconut cream

- 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

for sauce:

- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomato (I prefer Red Gold brand), drained

- ⅔ cup pickled red onion (store-bought or homemade)

- ¼ cup pickled fresnos (store bought)

- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 -2 fresh Thai chilis ( if you can't find Thai, substitute serrano chilis)

- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Directions

Season the pork on all sides with Ras el Hanout spice and salt. (Lots of salt, like way more than you think you need.)

In a blender, combine the canned tomatoes, pickled red onion, pickled Fresno peppers, olive oil, Thai chili, and lime juice. Blend until smooth.

Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat and coat with a drizzle of cooking oil. Working in batches, sear the pork until golden brown on all sides. Transfer the meat to a clean plate and repeat with the remaining pork, adding more oil as necessary until all of the meat has been browned.

Add your onions to the pot used to cook the pork and season with a pinch of salt. Deglaze the pot with the onions, scraping up any browned bits. Continue cooking the onions, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.

Return all of the pork to the pot containing the onions. Add in your tomato sauce mixture, coconut cream, and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let simmer, uncovered, for about 2-3 hours, until the meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened. Add more stock, as necessary, if your sauce becomes too dry. Serve over a pile of masa chips, rice, or just on its own!