I love making stews in winter. They’re easy, hands-off, and they make the house warm AND delicious-smelling. What’s not to like?

While back in Seattle we ran across a brand of heirloom beans called Rancho Gordo. I used their Rebosero beans (a Mexican variety that is sort of a cross between red and black beans) for this recipe, and they worked great. (I prefer the texture of freshly cooked beans, but you could easily substitute canned for this recipe if you’re short on time.) What I really liked about this recipe was the use of molasses and orange zest, which provided a complex sweetness that wasn’t overpowering or cloying. You can adjust the heat to taste by raising/lowering the amount of cayenne or jalapenos. Rice/tortillas and guacamole make fine accompaniments for this hearty one-pot meal.

Southwest Pork and Bean Stew

Adapted from Simply Recipes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 pounds of pork shoulder or butt, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1-2 jalapeños, more or less to taste, seeded, stems removed
• 2 Tbsp cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 1/2 tablespoons molasses (I used blackstrap)
• 2 long 1-inch wide strips of orange zest
• 1 cup water
• 1 15-ounce can black or red beans, liquid included OR ~2 cups cooked beans + 1/2 cup water or bean broth
• More salt to taste
• Juice from 1 – 2 limes
• Cilantro for garnish

Method

1. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt over the pork pieces and let sit while you prep the other ingredients.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a thick-bottomed stew pot on medium high heat. Add the pork pieces to the pot and brown them on all sides.
3. Once the pork pieces have browned, add the chopped onions to the pot with the pork. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the onions are translucent, about 7-10 minutes more.
4. As the onions are cooking, work on the garlic spice mixture. Place the garlic and the jalapeños in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until minced. Then add the oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, and cornmeal and pulse everything until ground.
5. Once the onions are cooked, add the spice mixture to the pork and onions. Add the molasses, orange zest, and water to the pot. Bring it to a simmer and then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover and let cook until the pork is completely tender, about 2 hours. Stir occasionally and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
6. When pork is tender, remove the orange zest and add the beans to the pot and cook for 20 minutes more on low heat. (Note: if using freshly cooked beans, add ~1/2 c. water or bean broth.)
7. Remove from heat, and stir in the lime juice. Add more salt to taste.
8. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro. Great with rice and fresh guacamole.