Chef Stephanie Izard - Recipes

Chef Stephanie Izard, Recipe, Girl And The Goat, Chicago, IL, Illinois, American, Top Chef, Girl In The Kitchen: How a Top Chef Cooks, Thinks, Shops, Eats & Drinks, Braised Pork And Coconut Soup

What

Recipe for Braised Pork and Coconut Soup from chef Stephanie Izard of the Girl And The Goat restaurant in Chicago, IL.

Who

Stephanie Izard is the chef/co-owner of Girl and the Goat, a contemporary American restaurant in Chicago.

Why

Chef Stephanie Izard’s accessible food has made her a Chicago favorite. She is also the first and only woman, so far, to win Top Chef (Season 4).

Braised Pork & Coconut Soup

Recipe courtesy of chef Stephanie Izard

This soup came about one afternoon when I was invited to a potluck party on the South Side of Chicago. My friend Giles, the genius cheesemonger behind The Great American Cheese Collection store, gets together with a group of his friends every couple of weeks to cook up a storm, with a different theme for each dinner. My first introduction to the group was the wide-open “Asian Night.” I had some pork shoulder around, and some other staples I usually stock in my pantry, so this soup is what I put together. It’s actually inspired by a coconut soup we made at Vong restaurant back in the day, which was based on the classic Thai soup tom kha gai. The combination and depth of flavors in coconut, chiles, fish sauce, and lime drew me into Southeast Asian cuisine, and I continue to be inspired by that food through travels to that area and by experimenting with these ingredients at home and in the restaurant. The addition of peanut butter to this soup actually happened because I had just done a blind tasting of peanut butters and had about twenty-five jars hanging around, but it stuck because it added a rich roasted saltiness that just can’t be matched.

Yield

Serves 6

Ingredients

- 2½ pounds bone-in pork shoulder

- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar

- 4 garlic cloves, minced, divided into thirds

- Coarse salt

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

- 2 medium onions, finely diced, divided

- 2¼ cups dry red wine, divided

- One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

- ⅓ cup creamy natural peanut butter

- 1 quart chicken broth

- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

- 2 teaspoons fish sauce

- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds

- 2 teaspoons aji chile paste

- ¾ cup canned coconut milk

- Freshly ground black pepper

- 1 small lime, juiced

- ⅓ cup roasted, salted peanuts, chopped

- ½ cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped

Directions

1) Rub the pork with the sugar, one third of the garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt.

2) Place it in a glass bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

3) Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

4) Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

5) Add the pork and brown it on all sides.

6) Remove and set it aside.

7) Add 1 tablespoon more oil to the pot and lower the heat to medium.

8) Add half of the onions and another third of the garlic and sweat by cooking until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

9) Pour in 2 cups of the wine, increase the heat to a simmer, then reduce the liquid by half.

10) Reserve 1 cup of the tomatoes and add the rest to the pot.

11) Add the peanut butter, stirring until it melts into the liquid.

12) Add the broth, vinegar, mustard, fish sauce, fennel seeds, and chili paste.

13) Bring the liquid to a boil, add the pork back in, cover the pot, and transfer it to the oven.

14) Braise the pork until the meat is very tender, 3 to 3 ½ hours.

15) Remove the pork from the liquid and set it aside to cool slightly.

16) Strain the liquid and skim off the fat with a slotted spoon (alternatively, let the liquid cool completely in the refrigerator and skim off the fat cap that forms once it’s cold).

17) Pull the meat away from the fat, discarding the fat. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.

18) Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat.

19) Add the remaining onions and garlic and sweat by cooking them until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

20) Add the remaining 1/4 cup wine, increase the heat to medium-high, then reduce the liquid by half.

21) Add the reserved 1 cup tomatoes and the strained soup liquid.

22) Simmer to reduce by one third, about 15 minutes.

23) Stir in the meat and coconut milk.

24) Simmer the soup for an additional 15 to 20 minutes so the flavors come together.

25) Season with salt and pepper.

26) Divide the soup among bowls, squeeze a bit of lime juice over each serving, and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro.

Drink Tip

This soup packs complex flavors and few beers are as complex as Belgian tripels, which earned their name because traditionally brewers used three times the amount of malt as they would for a “simple.” In both the soup and the beer, you’ll find earthiness, a touch of spice, and a bit of fruity sweetness.