Maiale alla spagnola nella slow cooker

Ingredienti

• 1 kg pork shoulder (diced)
• 100 g chorizo (or you can use bacon)
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 onions (peeled and sliced)
• 1/2 head celery (chopped)
• 5 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)
• 3 bell peppers (sliced, discard the seeds)
• 450 ml chicken stock
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 orange - zest

Preparazione

1. 1

   If not already prepared, trim any large pieces of fat from the pork and cut into 1" / 2.5cm cubes.

2. 2

   Cut the chorizo into chunky slices, then into quarters. Remove the skin.

3. 3

   Heat the oil in a pan on a medium heat, add the pork and chorizo (or bacon) and fry until lightly browned. It is best to do this in stages - leave some space around the meat as it cooks, you want to lightly brown it, not steam it.

4. 4

   Transfer the meat to your slow cooker.

5. 5

   Add the sliced onion, celery, peppers and garlic to the pan. Add a pinch of salt and the paprika. Fry until softened. You can skip this step, but frying off the onion gives a far better final flavour.

6. 6

   Add the onion, celery and garlic to your slow cooker.

7. 7

   If needed deglaze the frying pan by adding a little of the stock, give the pan a good scrape to get all the little flavour filled bits up from the bottom of the pan. Add to the slow cooker.

8. 8

   Add the rest of the ingredients and give a good stir. Season with salt and pepper. At this point you can put everything in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

9. 9

   Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for an hour then 4 hours on slow. If reheating from chilled put the slow cooker on high for an hour and a half, then turn to low.

10. 10

    Half an hour before serving check the consistency. If needed you can thicken the casserole with a little cornflour.Put two teaspoons of the cornflour into a small bowl or ramekin. Scoop out a spoon of liquid from the casserole add to the cornflour and stir to make a thin paste. Add this paste into the casserole and stir, initially it will look milky white, but will rapidly thicken and clear.

11. 11

    --- How to Cook in the Oven ---

12. 12

    Cook in a slow oven for up to 3 hours.

13. 13

    Serve the casserole with green vegetables and mashed potatoes, or with beans and crusty bread.