Beer-Braised Pork with Confit Shallots and Potato Purée

By Culiora

Tender chunks of pork shoulder braised slowly in malty amber ale until meltingly soft, paired with sweet confit shallots. Served over buttery, velvet-smooth mashed potatoes that soak up the rich, savory pan sauce.

• Servings: 4
• Prep time: 30 min
• Cook time: 120 min
• Total time: 150 min

Ingredients

• 1 kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4-5 cm chunks
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 2 pcs fresh thyme, sprigs
• 1 pcs bay leaf
• 500 ml amber ale or Belgian blonde beer
• 250 ml chicken or beef stock
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 400 g shallots, peeled and left whole
• 25 g butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 kg floury potatoes (such as Russet, Maris Piper, or Bintje), peeled and cut into chunks
• 80 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 150 ml whole milk, warm
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Pat the pork cubes dry with paper towels and season thoroughly with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed casserole over medium-high heat.
2. Brown the pork in batches for 6-8 minutes per batch until deeply caramelized on all sides, then transfer to a plate. Do not crowd the pan.
3. Lower heat to medium, stir the minced garlic into the rendered fat for 30 seconds until fragrant, then sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste.
4. Pour in the beer and scrape up all browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the stock, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Return the pork and its resting juices to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover tightly with a lid, and braise on low heat for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the confit shallots: heat 25 g butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the whole peeled shallots and roll them around until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tsp sugar, cover with a lid or a round of parchment paper, and cook on very low heat for 25-30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until completely tender and deeply golden. Set aside.
6. For the mashed potatoes, place the cut potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 18-20 minutes until easily pierced with a fork. Drain well, then return to the hot, empty pot over low heat for 1 minute to dry off excess moisture.
7. Pass the hot potatoes through a potato ricer or mash thoroughly. Vigorously beat in the cold cubed butter piece by piece until fully melted and emulsified, then slowly stir in the warm milk until glossy and smooth. Season with salt to taste and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Keep covered and warm.
8. After the pork has braised for 1 hour and 15 minutes, uncover the Dutch oven and gently fold in the confit shallots. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for an additional 15-20 minutes until the pork is spoon-tender and the sauce has thickened to a rich, glossy coating. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
9. To serve, spoon a generous pillow of warm mashed potatoes onto each plate, top with braised pork and glossy whole shallots, and ladle over the rich beer sauce.