This is one of those late-August dishes that help transition your mind from Summer to Fall. It’s hearty in the sense that it includes components that evoke cooler weather, like crispy pork and warm gravy. But it’s light and pretty vegetable-forward, so it won’t have you skipping out on your summertime outdoor chores.
The hog shank is first seared and braised in a flavorful stock, then crisped up a little more under the broiler before being served. While I have this version served over rice, you can turn it into a true Fall-weather dish by swapping the rice for a creamy risotto loaded with Parmesan cheese.
More Recipes with Pork
Tomato Gravy with Pork Shanks
This tomato gravy is served with browned pork shanks that are cooked until fork-tender. It's one of my favorite Southern classic dishes to eat in the summer with fresh tomatoes.
Ingredients
FOR THE PORK SHANK
- 4 Pork or wild boar shanks
- salt
- 2 tablespoon peanut oil
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoons juniper berries
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 large onion chopped
- pork or chicken stock, enough to cover the meat
FOR THE TOMATO GRAY
- 2 cups preserved or whole canned tomatoes (with juices)
- 3/4 pound of fresh okra
- 5 strips of smoked bacon, (roughly chopped)
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, (diced)
- 1 garlic clove, (minced)
- 1/4 cup sweet onion, (minced)
- 3 tablespoons diced celery
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Instructions
- STEP ONE: Start on the shanks
- Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Season the shanks with salt. Heat a pan over medium high heat and add your peanut oil. Once the oil starts to smoke add the shanks and brown on all sides. Remove the pork from the pot and place into a high sided backing dish. Cover the pork about 3/4 with the stock. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and bake for 2-2.5 hours or until fork tender. While your pork is cooking in the oven, lets move on to the tomato gravy.
- STEP TWO: Start on the stew
- In a medium sized pot cook the chopped bacon over medium high heat until it is crisp and the fat has rendered. Transfer the cooked bacon onto paper towels and leave the bacon fat in the pot. Save the crispy bacon for garnishing.
- Add the bell pepper, onion and celery to the pot and cook until they are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the okra and cook until is soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add the flour to the pot, gently stir constantly while cooking for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and hot sauce, stir to incorporate. After the mixture has come to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes. The okra should be tender and the tomatoes fallen apart.
- Season the tomato gravy to taste with salt and black pepper.
NOTES
- Brown the shanks hard first. Season them with salt and sear them on all sides before braising so the meat and braising liquid pick up more flavor.
- Cover only partway. Add enough stock to come about three-quarters of the way up the shanks, not over the top. This keeps them braised instead of boiled.
- Cook until fork-tender. Bake covered at 325 F for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, but go by texture more than the clock.
- Cook the bacon first. Crisp the bacon, save it for garnish, and leave the rendered fat in the pot to build the gravy base.
- Cook the okra before simmering. Let the bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic, and okra soften before adding the flour, tomatoes, paprika, and hot sauce so the gravy cooks down more smoothly.
- Simmer the gravy uncovered. Once everything is in the pot, cook it on low for 20 to 30 minutes until the okra is tender and the tomatoes have broken down.
- Season the gravy last. Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper right before serving
Nutrition
Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 443mg | Potassium: 808mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1531IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
Make this recipe?Mention @Larry__White or tag #WildGameGourmet!
