“Pineapple Express” Hawaiian BBQ Pork Stew

Seared pork stewed with veggies, peppers, and pineapple in a sweet and savory broth enhanced by coconut milk, brown sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, and rum with citrusy tarragon. Throw in some tangy BBQ sauce and some chopped bacon for good measure, and you've got the "Pineapple Express"!

Meteorologists say it's the natural phenomenon that occurs when the warm, bold flavors and scents of Hawaiian BBQ reach way up into the atmosphere and drift all the way to the West Coast, pouring down a river of delicious!

Total cook time: roughly 2 hours

3 – 3.5 lbs. pork sirloin with bone (cut in 6 - 8 proportionate pieces)
10 - 12 strips of thick bacon (chopped)
Freshly grounded salt (1-2 tsp)
Freshly grounded black pepper (1-2 tsp)
Chicken stock (4 - 5 cups)
Tangy BBQ sauce (2 cups divided – use more if needed; 1 cup for marinating pork and 1 cup for stew; I recommend Best Damn BBQ Sauce’s West Coast Tang or Noh’s Hawaiian BBQ Sauce)
Sriracha chili sauce (2 tbsp)
Brown sugar (2-3 tbsp)
Cayenne (1 tsp)
Cumin (1 tsp)
Cinnamon (1 tbsp)
Cloves (½ tsp)
Butter (3 tbsp)
12-16 Pineapple slices (canned or fresh)
Pineapple juice (preserve juice from canned slices)
Carrots (2 large carrots, sliced)
12-14 small Yukon potatoes (cut in halves or quarters; you can substitute sweet potatoes if preferred)
1 large white onion (diced)
1 red bell pepper (diced; remove seeds)
1 lime
Tomato paste (1 tsp)
Red curry paste (1 tsp)
Jalapeno (2) – sliced (seed if you prefer milder version of stew)
Fresh ginger (1 tsp, minced)
Low sodium soy sauce (1 cup)
8-10 cloves of fresh peeled garlic
Honey (1 tbsp)
Coconut milk (1 cup)
1 beef tomato diced (or 1 can whole peeled tomatoes)
Avocado oil (2-3 tbsp)
Olive oil (1-2 tbsp)
Red wine vinegar (½ cup)
2 bay leaves
5-6 sprigs tarragon divided (use 2-3 whole for stew simmer; garnish with remainder finely diced)
Black rum (2-3 tbsp)
Kale (2 cups chopped; optional)

Equipment:
6.5 qt Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot
10 - 12" skillet