Cooking paella/arborio rice with braising liquid?

The last time I was in Chicago, I had an outrageously good braised pork shoulder at avec. The description was simply "wood-oven roasted pork shoulder with bomba rice, clams, peas and smoked paprika"--kind of like a paella with a huge hunk of pork in it. However, judging by the super moist texture of the pork and the rich, complex flavor of the rice, I suspected that the pork had been braised before being roasted, and the rice had been cooked in the braising liquid. I would love to recreate this technique at home (not necessarily with the same specific flavors as the restaurant dish). Has anyone made something like this before, using braising liquid to cook arborio or paella rice? I'd love to get some feedback before I blindly attempt it for a dinner party on Wednesday!

ChristineB
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pierino August 5, 2013
This will work absolutely fine. One cardinal rule though is that once you add the stock DON'T stir any further. Arborio is okay but bomba rice is preferred.
 
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