by Leanne Smoliak
Autumn is the best time of the year to have impromptu casual dinner parties. The larder is full, at least ours is.
We will have spent much of August canning tomatoes, tomato sauce and cherries, pickling carrots, beets and cucumbers, making mustard pickle and freezing broad beans.
When the sun starts setting earlier our appetites increase. Instead of a quick grill of chicken or fish that has managed to sustain us though the summer we are craving big hunks of roasted or slow braised meat, fresh bread, perhaps a pie. All the better when we can share this with friends. It’s time to send the invites out.
To purchase a dinner party-worthy piece of beef we now need to take out a loan, so we tend to go for pork or chicken. Brad and I love to cook with pork, it lends itself to any flavour combo. Whether Brad is going to roast a stunning porchetta or make a flavourful Penang curry or adobo, pork is a stunner. A big fat roast chicken is also a beautiful thing to behold. The freshly harvested garden will provide all the traditional trimmings. Nothing is better. We usually don’t go any further than Acme Meat Market for either of these proteins.
While these dinner parties are impromptu and never big, usually four or six—sometimes invites go out day of—I still like to set a table. We own the fine china, and yes, I put it in the dishwasher, along with the vintage silver collected from rummage sales. Cloth napkins, Riedel wine glasses and candles finish the table. If you have the stuff, use the stuff. Dishwashers usually have a fine china setting now and even if they don’t, I kinda like standing over the sink when everyone is gone, reflecting back over the evening. We have fabulous friends, the conversation is always fun and illuminating.
Brad and I never want our guests to bring anything (but they always do). We have enough stuff and we certainly have enough wine. We will never get through the wine we have collected over the years. We want to share it. We are now drinking all the good stuff. What were we saving it for anyway? For that special occasion? Today is that special occasion.
Philippine Pork Stew (Adobo)
Adobo is ideal for a dinner party. This recipe can easily be doubled and the pork can be switched out with chicken thighs for another option. It is a sweet dish so we recommend that you complement it with a leafy salad dressed with a bright citrusy vinaigrette.
Part A
| 2 Tc | oil |
| 2 lbc | pork shoulder 1½” cubed |
| 1 lgc | onion, finely diced |
| 1 cc | red wine vinegar |
| ½ cc | soy sauce |
| 2c | bay leaves |
| 6 clovesc | garlic, crushed |
| 1 cc | chicken stock |
| 1 Tc | cracked black pepper |
Part B
| 1 canc | coconut milk |
| 2 Tc | honey |
| 1 cc | diced dates |
In a heavy-bottomed pot, sauté the pork until light golden brown. (Don’t skip this step, it’s important to brown the pork as this helps to develop the flavour of the stew.) Remove the pork from the pot and drain all of the fat. Add the onions, then deglaze with red wine vinegar and add the rest of part A. Mix well, add the pork back to the pot, cover and allow to gently simmer for 1½ hours. Remove the lid, take out the pork and keep warm, add part B and reduce the sauce to the consistency you would like, approximately 20-30 minutes. Add the pork pieces back to the pot and stir to cover with the sauce. Serve over steamed basmati or jasmine rice.
Serves 4 generously.