Ukrainians traditionally cook vereshchaka.

This is a pork stew.

They cook pork in kvass.

Kvass is a low-alcohol fermented drink.

It is made from beet or bread.

Finding kvass outside Ukraine can be hard.

Making your own takes time.

Yevhen Klopotenko suggests replacing the kvass with beer.

His recipe is Beer-Braised Roast Pork.

It comes from his cookbook "The Authentic Ukrainian Kitchen."

He says cooking meat in beer is popular in several European countries.

The flavor will be a little different.

You won't get the beet or bread flavor.

But overall it will be similar to the traditional recipe.

Klopotenko recommends using only dark beer.

He says the darker the beer, the better it will taste.

The recipe serves 4 to 6 people.

It takes 2 hours 30 minutes from start to finish.

It calls for 2 to 2 ½ pounds of pork shoulder.

It also calls for garlic, sunflower oil, and dried oregano.

It needs 3 cups of dark beer or kvass.

A sauce is made from butter, flour, and the beer left in the frying pan.

Breadcrumbs and parsley go on top.

The pork is cut into chunks.

It is seasoned and seared until brown.

Then it bakes with the oregano and most of the beer.

The oven is at 375 F.

It bakes for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Klopotenko is a Ukrainian chef, restaurateur, and social activist.

He promotes authentic Ukrainian cuisine on his website, klopotenko.com.