Santa Fe Pork and Black Bean Stew

Summer has finally decided to vacate the premises and the cool weather has set in here in Northern California. I don’t know about you, but I look forward to the cooler days, especially when they bring rain (which we desperately need right about now). Things slow down, not as much needs tending to, and I can curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and a blanket and read a book without any guilt over taking it easy.

Most of the garden has given up its fruit, it won’t need any tending until the new year. A few jalapeños and poblanos remain, clinging on to catch what rays of light they can of the rapidly shortening days. I picked a couple a few days ago to include in this pork and black bean stew.

This stew is decidedly southwestern in ingredients and flavor (hence the name “Santa Fe”). Chunks of pork shoulder are browned and then slowly cooked with onions, garlic, red bell peppers, jalapeños, molasses, and a spice mix with cinnamon, cumin, and oregano. We include some corn meal to help thicken the stew. Black beans are added near the end of cooking, and the stew is served with cilantro and splashes of lime juice.

Just writing about it makes me want to make it and eat it all over again! (It’s really good.)

Santa Fe Pork and Black Bean Stew Recipe

We are using canned black beans in this recipe, but you could easily use dry beans, if you cooked them ahead. See our recommendations for good brands of canned black beans, and instructions on how to cook dry beans on our Black Bean Burrito Bowl recipe.

This recipe makes a relatively small batch for a stew (serves 4). You can easily double the recipe to make a larger batch.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 pounds of pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1-2 jalapeño chili peppers, less or more to taste, seeded, stems removed
• 2 Tbsp cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (less or more to taste)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 red bell pepper, diced, about 3/4 cup
• 2 long 1-inch wide strips of orange zest (optional)
• 1 cup water
• 1 15-ounce can black beans (we recommend Bush's or S&W premium), liquid included
• More salt to taste
• 1 to 2 limes
• Cilantro for garnish

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