Easy Pork Stew

Time for a delicious dinner with this Easy Pork Stew and vegetables. Searing the pork first means rendering more flavor making your stew more hearty and enjoyable. The potatoes combined with celery, onion, and carrots are perfect for the sauce. The smoked paprika added smokiness that brings the flavor a notch. You can either use a slow cooker or just as I did for this recipe, simmered only for 45 minutes.

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Easy Pork Stew – simmered

If you use pork tenderloin, this cut of the meat is tender and ideal for making stews. It allows shorter cooking time. Remove any silver-white color thin membrane found on pork tenderloin. It doesn’t dissolve when cooked. You’ll end up having a tough and chewy texture, definitely don’t want that. Cut the pork into about an inch cubes (the smaller you cut the meat the faster it’ll cook). Cut the potatoes about the same size as your meat, and add them to the stew 5 minutes before the meat cooks.  

Slow-cooked pork stew

If you’re using a slow cooker, cut your meat thicker and add your vegetables 10 minutes before the meat is completely cooked. The estimated time is four hours on high and 6 hours on low heat (see the manual for your slow cooker). I’ll omit the cornstarch because slow cooking makes the sauce thicker on its own. Also, try to cut the vegetables a bit bigger and make sure they’re the same size. In both techniques whether simmering or slow cooking, I sear the meat first. It renders so much flavor and the brown bits at the bottom of the pot make this dish flavorful. 

Ingredients and substitutions

• For the meat. If you’re using pork tenderloin, run your knife underneath the connective tissue to remove the silver-white membrane that makes the meat tough and chewy. Then cut it into inch cubes. Seasoned with salt and pepper, then sprinkled cornstarch for added texture. 
• For the veggies. Peel and cut the potatoes into inch cubes. Slice the celery, chop the onion, and mince the garlic. For the carrots, depends on the size, if they’re smaller just cut them into inch rounds. If the carrots are medium to large, cut them in half lengthwise and slice in an inch size. Chop parsley for garnish. 
• Diced tomatoes. I used canned diced tomatoes or you can dice one and a half cups of fresh tomatoes. 
• Dried herbs and spices. To flavor the stew, I added dried thyme, smoked paprika (love the smokiness), dried bay leaves, sea salt, and red chili pepper flakes. 
• Brown sugar. I used brown sugar to balance the flavor. The tomatoes contain acid and to balance it I added sugar for a bit of sweetness. 
• Beef broth. You can also use chicken broth.
• For the slurry. I used cornstarch dissolved in water. If you’re cooking in a slow cooker, then no need to add slurry. 

SUBSTITUTIONS:

• Beef – can be used instead of pork meat. Beef needs a longer time to cook. Simmer it for at least 1 1/2 hours.  You can also use bone-in chicken thighs or skinless and boneless chicken breast.  Of course, with chicken, the cooking time is shorter (make sure the internal temperature reaches 165ºF). 
• You can add more veggies like zucchini, bell pepper, green peas, or any veggies you like. 
• You can leave out the slurry (cornstarch and water mixture). 

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How to cook easy pork stew

1. Prep the veggies. Peel and cut the potatoes into inch cubes (place them in a bowl of water to prevent browning while prepping the rest of the veggies). Slice the celery and carrots. Chop one yellow onion, and mince the garlic. Set them aside. 
2. Prep the pork tenderloin. Remove excess fat and silver-white (skin) membrane that runs through the connective tissues. If you’re using pork shoulder or boneless pork chop, you just need to cut them into inch cubes (they don’t have silver-white skin). 
3. Sear the meat. Season the cubed pork with salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Heat a pot with oil. When the oil is hot enough (250ºF-300ºF), add the meat and sear until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pot and set them aside. 
4. Start sauteing. Use the same pot, and add more oil if it starts drying. Add the onion, and saute until tender or translucent. Add the minced garlic, and continue sauteing until aromatic. Add the celery, carrots, and potatoes. Cook them for 2 minutes or until the potatoes start to brown before adding the rest of the ingredients. 
5. Add the seasonings and the rest of the ingredients. Add smoked paprika, dried thyme, sea salt, and red chili pepper flakes, and stir to combine. Add diced tomatoes and brown sugar. Add the pork back into the pot, beef broth, and bay leaves, stir, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 35-45 minutes or until the pork is tender. 
6. Add the slurry. The slurry is a mixture of cornstarch and water. This is to thicken the sauce. Stir constantly until the sauce is thicker. Garnish with chopped parsley 

watch how to make the easy pork stew

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frequently ask questions

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THE STEW?

You can serve it over steamed white or brown rice. I also like to prep a salad, it could be mixed greens with a simple dressing or just oil and vinegar seasoned with salt and pepper. You can toast an Artisan bread or sourdough. Spread a bit of butter and toast for a minute or two. 

HOW TO STORE THE STEW?

Place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days. If you want to freeze it, there are two ways to do it. For an individual serving, place about 2 cups in a freezer bag. This way you’ll only be heating what you need for that day. You can also use some mason jars, they last at least 2-4 months in the freezer. 

HOW TO MAKE A VEGETARIAN STEW?

Add as many veggies as you like. You can also add kidney beans or garbanzo beans for added protein. You can also add fried tofu. 

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