Name: Belgian Pork Braised in Cherry Beer
Cuisine: Belgium
Ingredients: ½ cup Belgian kriek lambic or American cherry beer; 3 tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries dried in cherry juice; 3 ounces small white mushrooms, wiped, trimmed, and sliced; Leaves from 1 large sprig fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried; 2 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil, divided; 6−8 pearl onions, or use frozen pearl onions; 1 clove garlic, minced; ½ cup chicken broth; ⅓ cup finely chopped onion; 1 small bay leaf; 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus additional parsley to garnish; ⅓ cup finely chopped celery; 10−12 ounces boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt, trimmed of large pieces of fat, cut into 1½-inch pieces, blotted dry; Kosher salt or coarse sea salt; 1 tablespoon heavy cream (optional); ½ cup defrosted baby peas (optional); All-purpose flour, for dredging; Freshly ground black pepper; ⅓ cup finely chopped carrot

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Cast-Iron Cooking for Two

By Joanna Pruess

Published 2019

About

Throughout Belgium, many dishes are cooked with local beers, of which there are hundreds of varieties. This robust pork stew is simmered in kriek lambic, their famous cherry beer, along with mushrooms, pearl onions, and dried cherries. It’s an inviting way to relax with a homey meal on a chilly evening.

I suggest using pork shoulder or pork butt, as the fat in these tougher, less expensive cuts of meat melts to add a delicious richness to the dish. A tablespoon of cream stirred in j