Pork Stew with Kabocha Japanese Squash Pressure Cooker Recipe

Pork Stew With Kabocha Japanese Squash Pressure Cooker Recipe

Ingredients

SERVES 4 to 5 – Cooker: 6- to 8-quart – Time: 20 minutes for stew, 3 minutes for squash at HIGH pressure

• 2 to 2½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or rice flour
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow or white onion, cut in half and thinly sliced into half moons (about 2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ¾ cup dry red wine
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, undrained
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (3- to 4-pound) kabocha squash or about 2 pounds butternut squash pieces
• 2 cups frozen edamame or baby lima beans, thawed
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar

Method

1. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and spread the chunks on a large piece of parchment or waxed paper
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, paprika, a generous pinch of salt, and several grindings of pepper
3. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the meat and toss to coat
4. Set aside for an hour at room temperature or up to overnight, covered, in the refrigerator
5. In a 6- to 8-quart pressure cooker, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat until very hot
6. Brown the meat in batches in a single layer on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes per batch, adding more of the oil as needed
7. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the browned meat to a plate
8. Add the onion and cook, stirring a few times, until soft, about 3 minutes
9. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds
10. Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the pot
11. Add the broth, wine, tomatoes with their juice, and bay leaf
12. Stir well
13. Close and lock the lid
14. Set the burner heat to high
15. When the cooker reaches HIGH pressure, reduce the burner heat as low as you can and still maintain HIGH pressure
16. Set a timer to cook for 20 minutes
17. Meanwhile, with a large, heavy knife, cut the kabocha in half through the stem end
18. Scoop out and discard the seeds and strings
19. Cut into chunks, then, with a small sharp knife, pare off the peel
20. Cut the flesh into 1½-inch cubes
21. You will have about 3 cups
22. Remove the pot from the heat
23. Open the cooker with the Quick Release method
24. Be careful of the steam as you remove the lid
25. Add the squash
26. Relock the cooker, bring back up to HIGH pressure, and cook for 3 minutes
27. Remove the pot from the heat
28. Open the cooker with the Natural Release method; let stand for 15 minutes
29. Taste for seasoning and stir in the vinegar and edamame
30. Simmer gently over medium heat 5 to 10 minutes
31. If the sauce is too thin, remove the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and bring the liquid to a boil
32. Simmer until the sauce is reduced to the consistency you prefer

KABOCHA SQUASH

1. The kabocha, also known as the Japanese pumpkin, is a winter squash and a newcomer to most produce sections
2. You can substitute butternut squash for the kabocha, but not regular pumpkin, which is too watery
3. Here’s a tip for cutting up an uber-hard 3- to 4-pound kabocha
4. Microwave the whole squash for 1 to 3 minutes, until the nearly impenetrable exterior softens enough so that you can get a cleaver or the tip of a sharp, heavy-duty chef’s knife into it without much trouble

Full List of Stew Recipes
Full List of Pork Recipes