Pork Stew has tender chunks of pork and vegetables in a thick and hearty broth. It’s so flavorful and rich, you’ll have the whole family reaching for another bowl!
Warm your body and soul this winter with a hearty bowl of our delicious pork stew. Or try some of our other easy recipes for your favorite comfort food, like Creamy Chicken Casserole, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, or Easy Alfredo Chicken Lasagna.
Using pork instead of beef for stew
Pork shoulder or pork butt (sometimes known as Boston butt) is a great choice for making stew. Both cuts are dense, fatty cuts and are perfect for the “low and slow” style of cooking. It’s the same cut of meat I use for my BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders, Pulled Pork Chili and Slow Cooker Carnitas.
Best cuts of pork for stew: For a tender and flavorful pork stew meat, look for boneless pork shoulder or pork butt. Sometimes you can find pork stew meat already c1. ut up, like they do with beef, but I prefer to purchase the whole roast. The chunks you find packaged up are discards and scraps from other pieces of meat put together by the butcher. They are often a mish-mash of different cuts and don’t always cook evenly, resulting in some chewy, not tender, pieces.
How to Make Pork Stew
This recipe is similar to my Beef Stew Recipe. It has tender cuts of meat, vegetables and herbs all simmed together in a thick, hearty and incredibly flavorful broth. The potatoes thicken it a bit, but to thicken even more you can use a simple cornstarch slurry.
- Cook pork and onions until browned.
- Add seasonings, herbs, broth and tomatoes. Simmer for 1 hour.
- Add potatoes, celery and carrots and simmer 20 minutes.
- Add green beans and thicken (see below). Simmer additional 10 minutes.
- Serve.
How to thicken stew: If you want your pork stew broth to be thicker, you’ll need to add a cornstarch slurry. This is just cornstarch mixed with water that is poured into the stew and simmered for about 10 minutes. I like to use the actual broth instead of water to keep the flavor strong.
How to Serve Pork Stew
Garnish bowls of pork stew with fresh minced parsley for freshness and color, or stir some right into the soup pot. Stew is a hearty one pot meal, so it doesn’t require a lot of extra dishes on the side. Serve with a crusty bread or crackers and call it good.
Storage and Freezing
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Freezer: Pork Stew freezes exceptionally well. Store in freezer containers, leaving about an inch of space at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Comfort Food Recipes to love
- Chicken Stew
- Turkey Tetrazzini Casserole
- Tortellini Soup
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Easy One Pan Buttered Noodles
Pork Stew
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt diced into chunks
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups yukon potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 ribs celery roughly chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 15- ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen green beans
- 2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley cup
Instructions
- Cut pork into 1-inch chunks (or a little larger).
- Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon each oil and butter. Add pork, onions and celery and brown for several minutes on all sides; pork does not have to be cooked all the way through.
- Add spices and bay leaves and cook for about a minute, then add broth and tomatoes (with the juice). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour or until pork is tender.
- Add potatoes, carrots, and green beans to the stew and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low again and cover. Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender and broth is slightly thickened.
- If using, stir in the cornstarch slurry (optional, below) simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. Stir in fresh minced parsley.
Notes
- The starch from the potatoes will help to thicken the stew, but if you want it thicker: Whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a half cup of the broth from the stew and add with the green beans. Simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened.
- Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Pork Stew freezes exceptionally well. Store in freezer containers, leaving about an inch of space at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
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