Pork stew might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of stew recipes. Traditional beef stew usually steals the show, but this pork stew recipe, in the most delicious way possible, will make you rethink that assumption.
Tons of tender, juicy pork chunks and bacon ensure meat in every bite, and all of your favorite veggies are here in abundance. This thick, hearty pork stew recipe, together with my slow cooker beef stew, Brunswick stew, and cowboy stew will fill you up on the coldest of winter days.
Let’s head to the kitchen and get cooking!
Jump To…
What I Love About This Recipe
This pork stew recipe has so much going for it. Here are the best parts!
- Thick and hearty
- Lots of veggies and meat
- Lovely depth of flavor
- Makes enough for a crowd
Recipe Notes
There are a lot of versions of pork stew meat with gravy around the world. Both the pork stew recipe Filipino style and pork stew Spanish version use potatoes and bell peppers. The pork stew Jamie Oliver makes uses fatty pork, sage, and cider.
Whatever version it is, they are all certified comfort food!
- The pot- you’ll want a large pot with a heavy bottom to prevent burning. Thin bottomed pans are notorious for hot spots that can burn your stew.
- Deglazing the pan- deglazing pulls off all the little bits of meat and veggies (called the fond) that stuck to the bottom of the pan. The key to it is to use a rigid spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan when you add the wine. As soon as the liquid hits the pan, start scraping and stirring until the bottom is free of any stuck bits.
- Why is this important? Because those little brown bits are flavor gold! They add tremendous flavor to your dish, so don’t skip this step!
- Bacon drippings- Sautéing the veggies in bacon drippings adds lots of flavors. There should be a tablespoon of drippings from the bacon. If you find you have excess bacon grease, drain some before adding the veggies. If you don’t want to use it at all, I suggest olive or vegetable oil instead.
Now, let’s talk about the ingredients in this recipe.
- Wine – If you don’t cook with wine, you can use an extra cup of beef broth.
- The Veggies –Â You can adjust vegetable amounts and types to suit what you like or what you have in the fridge! Turnips, butternut squash, or chunks of tomato are all good ideas.
- Parsnips- This is such an unsung veggie. It’s sweet and earthy tasting. Try to look for parsnips that are less than 2 inches at their largest point. They start to get fibrous which means they’re tougher, as they get bigger. The flavor compliments the pork deliciously.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
Soups and stew hold well in the fridge for 3-4 days, according to the USDA guidelines.
Can You Freeze This?
You can freeze this pork stew recipe, but the veggies might lose a bit of texture after a trip through the deep freeze. To freeze, allow the stew to cool completely before putting it in a freezer container. It should keep for 2-3 months.
Make Ahead Tips
This stew reheats beautifully and, like most soups and stews, tastes better the next day. You can also do a lot of the veggie and meat prep beforehand and then assemble and cook when you’re ready for it.
Serving Recommendations
Pork stew recipe is as good as it gets on a cold winter day. Serve it with a hunk of warm jalapeno cornbread or Bisquick biscuit recipe. It’s sure to be a family favorite!
Recipe Variations
- Cook this in an Instant Pot. For super busy days, you can always rely on the instant pot. Just brown the pork in batches and saute the aromatics, which is similar to how instant pot beef stew and instant pot chicken noodle soup are cooked.
- Use beef instead. Instead of pork, use beef chuck roast to transform this recipe into beef barley soup or beef noodle soup.
- Add beans. Make this into a complete meal by adding beans. You can utilize a ready-to-use 15 bean soup mix as I did in my 15 Bean Soup recipe. Add kidney beans and spices to convert it into Mexican pork stew, or black beans like my Mexican chicken soup. If you add dried beans, you’ll likely need to add water. If you use canned beans make sure you rinse them well and drain them.
- Use ground beef instead of bacon. Saving your last slices of bacon for breakfast? Use ground beef for this instead to add a little extra fat and a beefy undertone. I’d use a 1/4-1/2 pound (see hamburger stew and hamburger soup for inspiration!)
- Use a different cut of pork. Pork shoulder is the ideal cut of pork for stews or any slow cooking recipe. However, other cuts can be used too! Just adjust the cooking time accordingly. For a super tender cut, choose pork tenderloin like in my crock pot pork tenderloin recipe. Pork chops can be tricky and end up dry and overcooked. But I have a secret on how to have tender pork chops all the time! Go and read it in my crock pot pork chops recipe!
More Soup Recipes
Pork Stew
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of visible fat, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- salt
- black pepper
- 2-4 tablespoons vegetable oilÂ
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 cups carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup celery,
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup parsnips, peeled and diced
Garnish (optional)
- 2-3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, toss the pork with the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to coat evenly, shaking off excess.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil, over medium-high heat, in a large pot and brown pork in batches without crowding it, about 7-9 minutes. Add more oil as needed. Transfer browned meat to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside. Remove and discard pan drippings.
- Cook the bacon in the same pot, stirring frequently until crispy. Transfer to bowl with pork.
- Reduce heat to medium and saute onion, garlic, carrots, and celery, in bacon drippings, stirring occasionally, until soft.
- Add wine to the pot, continue to simmer, scraping up brown bits on the bottom of the pot until liquid is almost evaporated.
- Add beef broth, tomato paste, browned pork, bacon, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 45 minutes.
- Stir in prunes, potatoes and parsnips then cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. If you'd like the stew thinner, add more beef broth or water to achieve desired consistency. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into individual bowls, garnish with parsley and serve.
Hi Kathleen – this is such a great stew. Made 2 changes – nix on the prunes and I cooked it in my slow cooker on low for 7 hours. OMG – it is so good. I also used pinot noir that you suggested to another reviewer. Thanks for posting this. Since there is only me and I made the full recipe, I now have 6 bags frozen to reheat and eat later. Thanks again.
Hi Kathi! So glad to hear you enjoyed this stew!