Bulgarian Pork Kavarma (Каварма) — Clay-Pot Pepper and Pork Stew

• 700 gpork shoulder (cut into 3 cm cubes)
• 2 tbspsunflower oil
• 2large yellow onions (thinly sliced)
• 1leek (white and pale green parts, sliced)
• 2red bell peppers (cut into strips)
• 1green bell pepper (cut into strips)
• 250 gbutton mushrooms (quartered)
• 4 clovegarlic (minced)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 400 gchopped tomatoes
• 150 mldry red wine
• 2 tspsweet paprika
• 1.5 tspdried chubritsa (Bulgarian summer savory)
• 0.5 tspground cumin
• 2 leafbay leaves
• 8 gfine sea salt
• 0.75 tspblack pepper (freshly ground)
• 250 mlhot water
• 8 sprigflat-leaf parsley (chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Pat the pork shoulder cubes dry with paper towels so they brown rather than steam. Sprinkle the meat evenly with 4 g of the salt and 0.25 tsp of the black pepper, then let it stand at room temperature for 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.

2. 2

   Heat the sunflower oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown the pork in two batches for about 4 minutes per side, transferring each batch to a plate once the edges are deeply golden.

3. 3

   Lower the heat to medium and add the onions and leek to the same pot. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring often and scraping up the browned pork juices, until the onions soften and begin to turn lightly golden.

4. 4

   Add the red peppers, green pepper, mushrooms, and garlic, then cook for 7 minutes until the mushrooms release moisture and the peppers begin to slump. Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, chubritsa, cumin, bay leaves, remaining 4 g salt, and remaining 0.5 tsp black pepper, and cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices without burning them.

5. 5

   Return the browned pork and any accumulated juices to the pot. Pour in the red wine and simmer for 3 minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes and hot water and stir until the sauce is evenly combined.

6. 6

   Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 55 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes so the sauce does not catch on the bottom. The pork should be tender but not falling apart, and the sauce should be thick enough to cling to the vegetables.

7. 7

   Heat the oven to 190 C and transfer the kavarma to one large clay gyuvech or four individual clay pots. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until the top darkens slightly and the sauce bubbles around the edges.

8. 8

   Remove the bay leaves and rest the kavarma for 10 minutes before serving, because the clay pot stays very hot. Scatter the chopped parsley over the top and bring it to the table with bread for scooping up the peppery tomato-wine sauce.