Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Hearty Pork Stew

"Bowled Over", the theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). This week we are cooking bowls of either soup, stews or chilli. I've made Ellie's, Hearty Beef Stew, but I have replaced the beef with pork. The picture in the book looks really good, and it was one of the very first recipe that I've bookmarked to make when I first bought the book ages ago.



I've made a few minor changes. Did not have any rutabaga or turnip, so I have replaced with daikon. Recipe uses beef, but I have replaced with pork, as not everyone in my house eats beef. I used double the amount of tomato paste and about a quarter cup more of the red wine. You may need to add a little more salt and pepper to taste. As for the potatoes, I've added them in during the last 30 minutes of braising time, instead of adding them in at the beginning. I like them very soft but not so mushy that it makes the stew really thick. 



This stew is delicious. We love it. Thumbs up from the family, and a request to cook this again. The pork pieces are very tender, full of flavour from the red wine and all the other ingredients. The veggies are soft tender and I thought the green peas makes the bowl of stew looks even better with its fresh green colour. We had this stew with some homemade bread, and it was a satisfying dinner.


Hearty Beef Stew
(adapted from "Comfort Food Fix", Ellie Krieger)
Makes 4 servings
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 pound lean stew beef (round or chuck shoulder), cut into cubes (I use pork stewing meat)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small rutabaga or turnip, peeled and cubed (about 10 ounces) (I use 1 medium daikon)
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large russet potato, cubed (about 12 ounces)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
2 cups green peas

Place the flour, salt, black pepper, and paprika in a large sealable plastic bag. Add the beef and shake to coat well. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large (at least 6-quart) saucepan or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer the meat to a plate leaving the juices in the saucepan.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the rutabaga, carrot, and potato and cook until the vegetables soften slightly, about 10 minutes. (I added the daikon and carrots but not the potatoes). Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute more. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and reduce for 3 minutes. Add the beef broth (and the pork),  return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1 hour  and 20 minutes (I added in the potatoes after the meat has simmered for one hour and continue to simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes). Add the peas and cook 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.


I'm linking this post with IHCC, theme for this week "Bowled Over".


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13 comments:

  1. Joyce, I'm definitely bowled over by your pork stew. It looks so good especially on a cold day just to warm the tummy. I love it!

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  2. Hi Joyce, Your pork stew looks yummylicious. This is the kind of comfort food that I would like to have during a rainy day. Thumbs up from me too! :)

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  3. Hi Joyce,
    I'm with you ... to dip some bread to a bowl of your delish beef stew :)

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  4. Joyce, your pork stew looks delicious! I have always cooked beef stew and never thought of using pork.

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  5. This looks so good! I have never made stew with pork before, so I may give it a try.

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  6. I love how colorful this stew looks.

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  7. Oh Joyce, this stew looks so wonderful! I've never thought to replace the beef for pork, but it is a genius idea. My family would love this version you've created. I bet this was hearty and succulent!

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  8. Joyce, I want to cook this stew soon! Thanks for the recipe. :)

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  9. This dish is called hearty stew for a reason. Can't beat it, especially when potatoes and tomatoes show up together.

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  10. Love the colors in your stew Joyce and it's the perfect comfort food dinner. Thanks for linking it up with Souper Sundays too. ;-)

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  11. I always think that pork adds so much more flavor to a stew than beef. And this was already a good stew to begin with. Nice job.

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