The Chew: Braised Pork Shoulder with Olives and Couscous Recipe

The Chew: Michael Symon Slow Cooker Recipe

Michael Symon whipped up a delicious Braised Pork Shoulder with Olives and Couscous recipe for The Chew’s special Slow Jams episode, a recipe he made almost completely in the slow cooker.

Michael said it’s possible to cook a high-end braising recipe from your favorite cookbook in the slow cooker. The secret is to just use only one third of the liquid your recipe uses. So if the recipe calls for 3 cups wine, for instance, you’d only use 1. The reason is because there’s very little liquid reduction in the slow cooker. At the end of your recipe, the same amount of liquid you initially used will still be there. Cutting down the amount of liquid from the beginning will ensure you have the same succulent, delicious tender meat that you want without it being too liquidy.

Check out my attempt to reproduce Michael Symon’s Braised Pork Shoulder with Olives and Couscous recipe below!

The Chew: Michael Symon Braised Pork Shoulder with Olives and Couscous Recipe Ingredients

• 1 Pound Pork Shoulder (Diced into 2 Inch Pieces)
• Olive Oil
• 2 Red Onion (Diced)
• 2 Sliced Fresno Chilies (Diced)
• 2 Cloves Garlic (Diced)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 Sprigs Thyme & 2 Sprigs Oregano (Tied Together into a Spice Bundle with Butcher’s Twine)
• Zest of 1 Orange
• 1 Cup White Wine
• 1 Cup Orange Juice
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 1/4 Cup Moroccan Olives
• 1 Package Couscous
• Toasted Almonds (For Topping)
• Flat Leaf Parsley (For Topping)

Michael Symon: The Chew Braised Pork Shoulder with Olives and Couscous Recipe Directions

1. Add a drizzle of olive oil to a saute pan and brown the pork shoulder on all sides until nicely golden and slightly caramelized, then add the pork shoulder to the slow cooker. Many slow cookers don’t have the ability to brown the meat like this, so it’s important to brown it well. If your slow cooker does have the ability to brown the meat, then brown it there.
2. Add a pinch of salt, a drizzle of olive oil Fresno chilies, and garlic. Let it sweat in the slow cooker for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the spice bundle, zest of 1 orange, white wine, orange juice, honey, olives, and another pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 hours in the slow cooker.
4. Meanwhile, cook the couscous to package directions.
5. Serve the stew on top of a bed of couscous and garnish with toasted almonds and flat leaf parsley.
6. Enjoy!