Fall of the Bone Tender Portuguese Pressure Cooker Pork Neck Stew

This recipe is practically zero work to prepare and the end result is absolutely wonderful, you will get super tender meat, incredibly flavorful, with an intense sauce that’s ready to devour, hehehe 😀

And its leftovers are perfect for croquettes, patties, rissoles, sandwiches, it’s one of those things I don’t understand why it isn’t in every family’s recipe repertoire. Even grandpa won’t need his dentures for this one hahahaha! This is a fantastic way to cook pork neck until its super tender, and it works brilliantly with other less noble cuts of pork too. It’s also a great way to create tender, re-usable cooked meat for thousands of dishes ;D

The ideal method is using a pressure cooker just to be faster and more practical, but you can make it in a regular pot without problems, it’ll take double the time, and you’ll need to keep an eye on it to add more liquid if necessary. But other than that, it’s really just throwing everything in the pot and cooking. Let’s get to the recipe then! Oh, and at the end of the recipe I’ll add more tips and variations, let’s do this!

Fall of the Bone Tender Portuguese Pressure Cooker Pork Neck Stew

Servings: 8
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Easy
Rating: ★★★★★
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This an amazing recipe if you are on the look for fall of the bone delicious tender pork, perfect for any family meal with plenty of leftovers.

Ingredients

Pork – +/- 2 kg Pork Neck
Onions – 2 Large
Carrots – 2 Large
Garlic – 4 Cloves
White Wine – 250 ml
Paprika Paste – 1 Tablespoon (Massa de Pimentão)
Olive Oil – A Drizzle
Paprika – A Pinch
Pepper – A Pinch
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Start by peeling and slicing the onion into thick rings, place them in the bottom of the pressure cooker, followed by the peeled carrots cut into large chunks and the peeled garlic cloves with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, then place on the heat without putting the lid on, just to fry a bit of the veggies.

Season the pork neck with the paprika paste (portuguese massa de pimentão), paprika, pepper, and salt, rub the meat so that it is well covered, and then add it to the pressure cooker, let the meat just caramelize a bit.
Add the white wine, bring to a boil over high heat, then close the pressure cooker (if your cooker has an adjustment setting, set it to the position for cooking meat).
Allow the pressure to build up (when it starts to whistle), lower to medium/low heat and cook for about 30 minutes (if it is less than 2 kg or if it is a longer and less thick piece of meat) to 40 minutes (if it is a piece like mine, very round and thick).
When the time is up, turn off the heat and start releasing the pressure by moving the adjustment to the position below until no more steam comes out, then moving to the next position, repeating until the last position. Only then open the pressure cooker. If your pressure cooker is an older model, use an oven mitt to remove the valve. I don’t like techniques that try to lower the temperature of the cooker quickly by putting it in cold water or under running cold water. I think it works, but you risk making mistakes or dropping the cooker (still in pressure) or forgetting steps. The safest thing is always to turn off the heat and let all the pressure out before touching the cooker.

Taste the sauce and meat to see if it needs more seasoning and if the meat is tender. If it is, bon appétit! If not, it’s no problem if the meat is almost done, then put it back on the heat without raising the pressure. If the meat is still quite tough, then put the lid back on, raise the pressure, and cook it a little longer under pressure until it is tender. Bon appétit!

Notes: Paprika Paste or Massa de Pimentão is a Portuguese pepper paste that adds incredible depth of flavour. In Portugal its everywhere, abroad, you can find it in Portuguese speciality stores or substitute with a mix of sweet paprika and tomato paste.

You can swap the white wine for beer, as long as it’s a light beer, or if you don’t have any, use the same amount of water with a beef or chicken bouillon cube.

Since the kids were going to eat this, I was conservative with the seasonings, but you can add cayenne pepper, piri-piri sauce, sriracha, or others! Even hot peppers or a heavier hand with the black pepper can give an even more aromatic touch without being spicy.

You can also take advantage of the sauce and some leftover vegetables and meat to make a fantastic and aromatic pork rice, or shred the meat in the sauce for a fantastic “pulled pork” sandwich filling.

This recipe for Fall of the Bone Tender Portuguese Pressure Cooker Pork Neck Stew was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Cachaço de Porco Estufado na Panela de Pressão foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.