Did you think I was kidding when proposing you a pineapple brasato? ;)

Surely, I won’t call this a traditional brasato, but rather a sophisticated stew. As discussed in the former post, pineapple contains an enzyme that degrades proteins. That helps with tenderizing the meat prior to cooking. Actually, the pineapple pulp was just part of the marinade, while the rest of the recipe was developed with maple syrup and beer.

The idea of using maple syrup came from my friend Erica who prepares an excellent slow-cooked stew with honey. So, I thought, why not trying maple syrup, instead?

I understand this recipe is not very summery, but rain and cold are back to Ottawa, so a stew is not a bad idea at all! If you are experiencing higher temperatures, you can still keep this recipe for an autumnal rainy Sunday.

BTW, Patrizia, here a recipe for you who were wondering where to put maple syrup, besides pancakes! :)

Maple and beer pork stew

(Doses for 2 persons)

• 300 g of pork tenderloin
• The pulp of 1/2 pineapple
• 340 mL of beer
• 180 mL of water
• 1 table spoon of maple syrup
• 3-4 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 table spoons of flour
• Salt to taste

Blend the pineapple pulp and leave it aside. Chop the pork into thick chunks and place them into a large bowl. Pour the strained pineapple on the top of the meat, so that it will be completely soaked into the juice. Seal the container with a piece of film paper and transfer the meat into the fridge. Let it marinate for about 10h.

After that time, remove the meat from the fridge and wash the marinade away with some running water. Preheat the oven at 180 ˚C.

Flour the pork chunk and leave them aside. Pour the oil in a cast iron pot and warm it up under medium flame. Add the pork chunks and let them fry on both sides, until they turn golden-brown. Add the beer, the syrup, the water and the salt. Bring everything to boil. Cover with the cast iron lid and bake in the oven for about 1h and 30 min.