Hearty Pork Stew, Arborio rice and crispy spicy Chorizo.

Stew:
10-12 pork ribs (3-4 inches in length)
1 strip pork belly (cut into 2 inch cubes)
1 large onion, sliced
5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
2 tsp Paprika
1 tbsp all purpose flour
200g canned chopped tomatoes
2 cups water
3-4 bay leaves
1 tbsp Italian herbs
Salt and pepper
Olive oil for cooking

Meatballs:
250g minced pork
1 tbsp fried garlic flakes, crushed
1 tsp Italian herbs
2 tbsp panko bread crumbs
Salt and pepper

Rice:
2 cups Arborio rice / brown rice / Japanese rice
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups of vegetable / chicken stock

2 spicy chorizo sausages, sliced thick

Make the stew:
Pat the rinsed pork ribs and belly dry with a paper towel before seasoning it with paprika, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large pot, add the olive oil and sauté the sliced onions till soft and translucent. Add the seasoned pork ribs and belly, sear them evenly. Once the meats are browned, add the flour and give it a good stir. Make sure flour is incorporated before adding the chopped tomatoes and water. Scrape down all the bits and stir well. Throw in garlic cloves, bay leaves, Italian herbs, salt and pepper. Leave the stew to simmer gently till meats are cooked (about an hour).

While the stew simmers away, cook the rice. I’m going to dump everything in the rice cooker. Washed rice, stock, turmeric and a drizzle of olive oil. Press “Cook”.

Fry the meatballs:
In a bowl, combine the ingredients and form mini meatballs. Pan fry in some olive oil till golden brown. Once the meat in the stew is cooked, add the fried meatballs in. Adding fried meatballs elevate the flavour of the stew. Season to taste.

The crispy pan-fried spicy chorizo can be done on the same pan you used to fry the meatball. Discard whatever excess oil before frying the sausages.

To serve, in a bowl, add the rice, ladle a generous amount of meat and stew, then top with the crispy chorizo slices. Enjoys!