Slow-Braised Pork Shoulder with Mustard Greens

From the garden

• 2 bunchs mustard greens, tough stems stripped, leaves washed well and roughly chopped · about 1 1/2 pounds; it looks like far too much and cooks down
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped

From the pantry

• 2½ lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of the thickest fat, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1½ cups long-grain rice · cooked, for serving
• hot sauce · for the table
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Pat the pork dry and season it well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high and brown the chunks in two batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply colored. Crowding the pot steams instead of browns, so give the pieces room. Set the browned pork aside.
2. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion with a pinch of salt, and cook 5 minutes until soft, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, and pepper flakes for 30 seconds.
3. Return the pork with its juices. Add the stock, vinegar, brown sugar, and bay leaves; the liquid should come about two-thirds up the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook at the barest bubble, either on the stovetop over low heat or in a 300°F oven, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until a fork twists easily into a chunk. Skim any fat pooling on top.
4. Stir the mustard greens into the pot in batches, pushing each handful under the liquid as it wilts. Cover and simmer 20–25 minutes more, until the greens are fully tender and have lost their raw bite. Well-cooked mustard greens should be soft and mellow, not chewy.
5. Fish out the bay leaves. Taste the broth: it should be smoky, savory, and clearly tangy. Adjust with salt, a splash more vinegar, or a pinch of sugar. Break up the pork slightly with a spoon if you like it shredded.
6. Serve in bowls over rice with plenty of the pot likker, and pass the hot sauce.