Pork stew is the heartiest of dinners, with tender pork, potatoes, and veggies simmered in an herbed broth. It makes a big batch so you can save some for later!
3 to 4cupschicken broth, divided(low sodium preferred)
1poundbaby potatoes, halved(or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces)
1can(14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained(no salt added preferred)
1sprigfresh rosemary
1sprigfresh thyme
1large bay leaf
2cupsfrozen peas
½cupchopped fresh parsley
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Add pork and toss, coating all sides of pork cubes with flour mixture. Don't discard any leftover flour mixture at the bottom of the bowl.
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add floured meat to pan in a single layer. You will have to do this in batches, trying not to overcrowd the pan. Brown the cubed pork on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Add more oil if needed. Remove the pork from pan and repeat until all the meat is browned. The meat won’t be fully cooked, just nicely browned on the outside.
2 tablespoons oil or ghee
Add carrots, celery, onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to pot and cook, stirring, for 7 to 8 minutes or until onions are translucent.
4 medium carrots, cut into ½-inch slices, 4 stalks celery, cut into ¼-inch slices, 1 large onion, chopped
Add garlic and cook for one minute or until fragrant. Add any leftover flour mixture and stir and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, stirring to combine.
Add broth, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of pan.
3 to 4 cups chicken broth, divided
Add browned pork, potatoes, and tomatoes to pan. Add rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf (you’ll remove and discard these later). Stir to combine. The ingredients should be mostly, but don’t have to be completely submerged. If needed, add a little broth.
1 pound baby potatoes, halved, 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 1 sprig fresh thyme, 1 large bay leaf
Turn heat to high to bring stew to a boil, then reduce to low or medium-low to maintain a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The stew should be gently simmering, not rapidly boiling. If needed, lower the heat.
About 10 minutes before serving, stir in peas (no need to thaw!) and parsley. If the stew seems too thick, add more broth until it's the desired consistency.
2 cups frozen peas, ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Before serving, remove stems of herbs and bay leaf. Taste the stew; season with salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
Pork: I usually use boneless pork shoulder but boneless pork butt (Boston butt) would work fine, too. Another option is boneless country ribs which are another pork shoulder cut.
Pro tip: Chill the pork for about an hour in the freezer before cutting it into chunks. The semi-frozen meat will cut more easily.
Crockpot cooking method: To make pork stew in your slow cooker, refer to my crockpot beef stew, substituting pork for the beef. The ingredients are slightly different but the instructions will be the same.