Tom’s Cookbook Library: Silverton’s pork stew recipe a winner

Nancy Silverton’s latest cookbook, “Mozza at Home” (Alfred A. Knopf), is hot off the presses, and it’s a dandy.

After what amounted to a lengthy hiatus from her home kitchen in order to concentrate on restaurant properties she co-owns in Los Angeles, Silverton spent some time in Italy on the Umbria-Tuscany border rediscovering what initially attracted her to cooking.

Her book, subtitled “More than 150 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes for Relaxed, Family-Style Entertaining,” represents a reawakening of her love of seasonal ingredients and simple family-style dishes served to gatherings of kin and friends.

In this well-researched volume the restaurateur, chef and prolific cookbook author offers menus for 19 straightforward, prepare-in-advance meals, including (below) Spicy Pork Stew with Butternut Squash and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa.

Silverton has a stake in Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza, Chi Spacca and Mozza2Go. She also is the founder of La Brea Bakery.

SPICY PORK STEW WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

(Serves 6 to 8 – Makes about 3 quarts)

For the pork:

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 pounds cubed boneless pork shoulder (from a 3 1/2-pound pork shoulder, trimmed of the fat and cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch cubes)

For the stew:

1 1/4 pounds butternut squash (or another winter squash, such as kabocha or acorn), peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1 1/2- inch cubes (about 3 cups)

2 bunches collard greens.

6 tablespoons olive oil

1-3/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 medium yellow Spanish onion, peeled, root and trimmed and discarded and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 cups)

3 celery stalks, sliced 1/2 inch thick on an extreme bias (about one heaping cup)

1 cup dry white wine

3 cups chicken stock or sodium-free store-bought stock), or as needed

1 bunch fresh cilantro

2 Arbol chile pods

2 bay leaves (preferably fresh)

Roasted tomatillo salsa (homemade or store-bought)

To prepare the pork, roast the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds in a small sauté pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until the seeds are fragrant and golden brown, shaking the pan often so they don't burn. Transfer the seeds to a plate to cool to room temperature; grind the seeds in a spice grinder or use a mortar and a pestle and transfer to a small bowl. Add the salt, black pepper and cayenne and stir to combine.

Put the pork in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the spice mixture, toss gently and massage the spices into the pork with your hands to coat the pieces evenly. Set aside for the pork to come to room temperature – while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, or for up to two hours.

To male the stew, adjust the oven racks so none are near the oven floor; you will be putting the baking sheet directly on the oven floor. If you are using an electric oven or another oven where you can't put anything on the floor, adjust the oven racks so that one is closest to the floor and put a pizza stone on it, if you have one. Preheat the oven to 500°F.

Put the squash cubes on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and toss to coat the squash. Spread the squash out into a single layer. Put the baking sheet on the oven floor or the lowest rack and roast the squash until it is fork-tender and caramelized around the edges, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the baking sheet from front to back once and shaking it halfway through the cooking time so the squash browns evenly. (When cooking vegetables on the oven floor as you do in this recipe, a lot of steam is produced from the water released as a result of the vegetables cooking so quickly, so just be careful of the steam that will arise when you open the oven door.) Remove the squash from the oven. (If you are making the stew in advance, cook the squash the same day you are serving the stew.)

Decrease the oven temperature to 350°F.

Pull the collard leaves from the ribs. Trim and discard the very ends of the ribs and slice the ribs 1/2 inch thick on an extreme bias. Tear the collard leaves into three-inch pieces.

Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into a large Dutch oven or other high-sided heavy-bottomed pot, and heat the oil over medium-high heat until it slides easily in the pan and the oil around the edges of the pot just begins to smoke, 2 to 3 minutes. Add half of the pork, increase the heat to high, and sear the pork for 6 to 8 minutes, turning the pieces to brown all sides. Remove the pork chunks with tongs as they are done and put them on a baking sheet. When you have removed all of the pork, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and heat until it begins to smoke around the edges of the pan. Add the remaining pork and sear it in the same way as you did the first batch. Remove the second batch of pork from the pot and add it to the first batch.

Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the collard green stems, onion and celery. Season the vegetables with one teaspoon of the remaining salt and cook them, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the collard stems and onion are tender. Add the white wine and cook it over high heat until it has reduced by half, about two minutes. Add the collard leaves and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine the leaves with the rest of the ingredients and cook for about two minutes, until the leaves are wilted. Return the pork, including any juices that have collected on the baking sheet it was resting on, to the pot. Add the 3 cups chicken stock, or enough to come just to the top of the pork, with some of the top edges of pork peeking out of the stock. Add the cilantro bunch, chile pods and bay leaves and bring the stock to a boil over high heat. Turn off the heat. Put the lid on the pot or cover the pot with heavy-duty aluminum foil and put the stew in the oven to cook until the pork is fall-apart tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the stew from the oven. (The stew can be made to this point, up to three days in advance. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate, covered, until you're ready to finish and serve.)

Increase the oven temperature to 500°F.

Remove the lid or foil from the pot, add the butternut squash and gently stir to distribute the squash throughout the stew. Return the stew to the oven, uncovered, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the squash is warmed through, and the stew has a slightly browned, glazed look. Remove the stew from the oven. Fish out and discard the chile pods, bay leaves and cilantro. Set the stew aside to rest for at least 15 minutes and up to several hours before serving it.

Just before serving, bring the stew to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the salsa, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the stew is a thick, saucy consistency.

Serve the stew on the stovetop in the pot it was cooked in, with a long ladle and a stack of bowls, so guests can gather in the kitchen and serve themselves. You know, the kitchen is where they want to be anyway.

Journalist Tom Witom, who lives in Elgin, has written extensively for years about food and the food industry. Contact him at editorial@kcchronicle.com.