I selected this recipe specifically for the Don Manuel Villafañe Reserve Malbec 2008 featured from the winery of the week at Campbell Station Wine and Spirits. I served it at our last dinner party and it was a hit. The stew is prepared in a slow cooker making it easy for a party or a busy night. The richness of the dish pairs wonderfully with the dark fruit and chocolate flavors of the Malbec wine.
Ingredients:
Serves 8
2 cups dried black beans
4 slices smoked bacon
1 pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground and divided
3 bone-in beef short ribs, trimmed
3 cups onions, finely chopped
1 ¼ cups fat free, lower sodium chicken broth
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (9-ounce) smoked ham hock
1 tablespoon white vinegar
8 orange slices
Instructions:
The day before you prepare the dish, place the beans in a medium saucepan: cover with cold water, cover and soak overnight, drain the next morning.
To prepare the dish, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan, crumble and set aside. Sprinkle the pork evenly with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to medium high. Add onions to bacon drippings and sauté. Remove onions and add a little more oil if necessary, add pork and sauté until brown on all sides. Transfer onions and pork to a 6 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle ribs evenly with salt and pepper. Add ribs to the skillet and cook until browned. Place ribs in slow cooker. Add drained beans, salt to taste, chicken broth, garlic and ham hock to slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until beans and meat are tender. Remove ribs from slow cooker, cool. Remove meat from bones, shred and discard the bones. Discard ham hock. Return beef to slow cooker. Stir in vinegar and crumbled bacon. Serve with orange slices.
Recipe: From Cooking Light Magazine, 2011