In many families, heat is the great divide — as in “spicy hot,” not “hot hot.” But there is at least one meal to which everyone can happily sit down: chicken cacciatore, or chicken “hunter’s style.”
This dish is deliciously spiced without being hot. It’s the perfect meal to bring to a friend who is on the mend and feeling too peppy for clear broth but not quite up to Three-Alarm Chili, or to a new mother who is avoiding spice for the baby’s sake. It’s special enough to serve to company, yet easy enough for a weeknight. It freezes beautifully. And, perhaps best of all, it is a champion slow-cooker meal.
Author Michele Scicolone includes a recipe for Pork Ribs Hunter’s Style in her newest volume, “The French Slow Cooker” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012). This variation on the more traditional chicken is richer and perhaps even tastier.
“Cacciatore” (which means “hunter” in Italian) is essentially campfire cooking. Back in the day, hunters likely foraged wild mushrooms and onions and carried seasonings to cook with their game.
Cacciatore today has been tamed for the table, but it retains a rustic appeal. It can be served simply with a loaf of crusty bread or with polenta or egg noodles. Pork Ribs Hunter’s Style is also delicious with garlicky mashed potatoes.
PORK RIBS HUNTER’S STYLE
Yield: 6 servings
• 3 pounds country pork ribs, cut into individual ribs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1⁄2 teaspoon herbes de Provence
• Pinch of ground allspice
• 8 to 10 ounces white button mushrooms, halved or quartered
• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Pat ribs dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add as many ribs as will fit in the pan without touching. Cook them in batches, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 20 minutes total. Place in a large slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add onions to skillet and cook 10 minutes, or until tender. Stir in tomato puree, garlic, tomato paste, herbes de Provence and allspice. Bring to a simmer, stirring well.
Scrape mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 8 hours, until the meat is tender and pulling away from the bones. When ribs are almost ready, add mushrooms; cover and cook 30 minutes more. Discard any loose bones and skim off the fat. Serve, sprinkled with parsley.