Russian Ragout

Many good ideas are the result of serendipity or happy accidents. Such is the case with this recipe. I started out wanting to make a veal goulash but, through lack of one key ingredient, laziness to go to the store (I'm sure you can relate), and the need to get dinner on the table, I got creative. Now the creative process for me with food goes either one way or the other--stunning success or miserable failure. There are rarely moments in between. Needless to say, I feel this came out on the success side of my creative spectrum. Granted, this dish leans more to the Hungarian style goulash and probably could be called a goulash instead of a ragout. Semantics aside, Russian Ragout slides off the tongue more easily. I hope you enjoy this dish. I would serve it with or over potatoes, sauerkraut, or even in a sourdough bread bowl. Yum!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 2 pounds cubed pork (use boneless pork chops--better value)
• 14 ounces sliced yellow onions (about two small or one large sliced in 1/4" slices from stem to root)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic (3 to 4 cloves)
• 6 peeled and seeded ripe vine tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup vodka
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups mushroom broth (recommend Better Than Bouillon Mushroom Base)
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (crushed using a mortar and pestle or chopped)
• 2 teaspoons paprika 
• 1 cup full-fat sour cream
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsely 

Method

1. First, soak the porcini mushrooms in the boiling water for at least 15 minutes (don't boil the mushrooms, though). Save the water.
2. Heat the butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat.
3. Working in batches, brown the pork in the butter. Add salt and pepper to taste as you go.
4. Add the onions to the meat and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the vodka to deglaze the pot.
6. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
7. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms with liquid, broth, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
9. Remove the meat from the pot (Really? YES! I know it's a pain but it keeps the meat from getting tough) with a slotted spoon and set aside.
10. Bring sauce to a boil and reduce by half (about 15 - 20 minutes).
11. Reduce heat to medium and using a large whisk, mix in the sour cream to the sauce.
12. Add the meat back to the pot along with the fennel seeds and paprika.
13. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for another 20 minutes.
14. Serve in bowls, over sauerkraut, or over potatoes with chopped parseley.

Serves six to eight.