½ cup finely chopped celery plus ¼ cup finely chopped celery leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 quart chicken stock, fresh or canned
2 fresh parsley sprigs, preferably the flat-leaf Italian variety
How To Cook:
1. Pat the chunks of pork loin completely dry with paper towels and season them on all sides with the red pepper and salt. One at a time, roll the pork chunks in the flour to coat them lightly all over, and vigorously shake off the excess flour.
2. In a heavy 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the pork and brown the chunks, turning them frequently with kitchen tongs or a metal spatula and regulating the heat so that they color deeply and evenly without burning. Transfer the browned pork chunks to a heavy 8-quart casserole.
3. Discard all but about ½ cup of the fat remaining in the skillet, and add the onions, the chopped celery (but not the leaves) and the garlic. Stirring from time to time, cook over moderate heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are lightly browned.
4. Pour in about ½ cup of the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile scraping in the brown particles that cling to the bottom and sides of the skillet.
5. Pour the entire contents of the skillet over the pork, add the remaining 3½ cups of chicken stock, the chopped celery leaves and the parsley and bring the casserole to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours, or until the pork is tender and shows no resistance when pierced with the point of a small sharp knife.
6. With a large spoon, skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the stew. Taste for seasoning and serve the backbone stew at once, directly from the casserole or from a heated bowl.
