Pork Braised In Banana Leaves with Manchamantel Sauce

Banana leaves add a tea-like herbal note to the pork. The accompanying sauce, called manchamantel (or “tablecloth stainer”), is a specialty of Oaxaca, Mexico, and combines the sweetness of banana with smoky chiles, earthy pine nuts, and fragrant spices. Serve this pork as a taco filling along with tortillas, queso fresco, and avocados, or use it in pulled-pork sandwiches.

Serves 12

FOR THE PORK

1 Tbs. cumin seeds

1 Tbs. dried oregano, preferably Mexican

1 Tbs. sweet paprika

1 tsp. black peppercorns

1 bay leaf, preferably fresh

2 Tbs. packed light or dark brown sugar

Kosher salt

4½ lb. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 16 pieces (2½- to 3½-inch cubes)

2 fresh or thawed frozen banana leaves

1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes

5 medium cloves garlic, minced (about ¼ cup)

FOR THE MANCHAMANTEL SAUCE

1 8-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained

½ large white onion, cut into chunks (about 1 cup)

2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeds removed, plus 1 Tbs. adobo sauce

1 medium clove garlic

1 Tbs. smoked sweet paprika

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Pinch ground cloves

Kosher salt

1½ Tbs. bacon fat, peanut oil, or corn oil

1 small ripe banana, cut into chunks

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

1 tsp. fresh lime juice; more to taste

BRAISE THE PORK

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Toast the cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant; let cool. In a spice grinder, finely grind the cumin seeds, oregano, paprika, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Transfer the spices to a small bowl and stir in the brown sugar and 1 Tbs. salt. In a large bowl, toss the meat with the spice mixture to coat.

Rinse the banana leaves and pat dry. If using fresh stiff leaves, use tongs to briefly hold the leaves over a gas stove burner on medium heat, or under the broiler, moving them around constantly to avoid singeing, until they are flexible, 15 to 30 seconds. (If using frozen, this step is not necessary.)

Line a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven with one of the banana leaves, allowing the excess to hang over the edge of the pot. Cross the second banana leaf over the first, again allowing the excess to hang over the edge. Spoon the pork onto the banana leaves.

Place a sieve over a medium bowl and drain the tomatoes, pressing them to extract the juice. Pour 1½ cups of the tomato juice over the pork. Reserve the tomatoes for the sauce and discard or save the remaining juice for another use.

Sprinkle the pork with the garlic. Cover the meat with the overhanging banana leaves and then cover the pot with its lid.

Braise the pork in the oven, basting occasionally with juices from the bottom of the pan, until fork-tender, 2½ to 3 hours.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a colander set in a bowl and let drain for 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the banana leaves and pour the pan juices into a fat separator or large measuring cup. Add any juice that drained from the meat and let sit until the fat rises to the top. Separate the fat from the juice and discard it. If there is more than 1 cup of juice, reduce it in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat to just about 1 cup; transfer to a heatproof container. Shred the pork into the Dutch oven; keep warm.

MAKE THE SAUCE

In a blender, puree the reserved tomato pieces, pineapple, onion, chipotles and adobo sauce, garlic, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, and ¼ tsp. salt until smooth. Heat the bacon fat in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the puree, cover, and simmer rapidly over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and darkens slightly, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly; then return the mixture to the blender. Add the banana, pine nuts, and lime juice and puree until smooth. Add the reserved meat juices and more lime juice to taste. Add the sauce to the shredded pork, toss to coat, and reheat if necessary before serving.

 

It is a quote. Fine Cooking Magazine February / March 2011