Pork Risotto

Most risotto involves a lot of stirring. A. Lot. As in I-think-my-arm's-about-to-fall-off a lot. Technically, this is a rice casserole. But it's tasty, so who cares.

PORK RISOTTO
2 lb. lean fresh pork shoulder, cut in 1" cubes
4 large onions, chopped
2 1 lb. cans tomatoes
2 cups celery, chopped
1 4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, undrained
1 T. sugar
2 t. salt
¼ t. pepper
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat in large frying pan. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, brown onions until soft. Stir in tomatoes, meat, celery, mushrooms, sugar, salt and pepper and heat to a boil. Layer about ⅓ of the meat mixture into a 12-cup baking dish. Top with half the uncooked rice and half the cheese. Repeat, making a second layer of each. Spoon remaining meat mixture over the top and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 2 hours until pork is tender and liquid is absorbed, adding water as needed to keep moist.

Variation: You can make Beef Risotto by using beef cubes instead of the pork.

Makes 8 generous servings.

Contributor: Norma Eriksson