Recipe – Country Pork Stew

This recipe has been traveling worldwide since the 1980’s.  This country pork stew is hearty and perfect for late fall and winter when you want something to warm you from the inside out and stick to your ribs.

Since We usually cook this dish on Sunday during our weekly meal, we skip the cabbage and use one or more air fryers or other vegetable sides. 

Honestly, we eat this year-round when the fancy hits us.

Cooks Notes

• I will add mitted that I make several variations on this dish, including a trimmed downed stir-fry style version, which is buttery and rich, which goes to show just how flexible and tasty the recipe is.
• If you are seeking a leaner version of lean-turkey Italian sausage works just fine in this dish.
• Also, if you like air fryer or baked cabbage, they work fine as opposed to the traditional cooking method.

Ingredients

Country Pork Stew

• 1 kg. onion
• 6 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless pork loin or shoulder (680g)
• 3 sweet Italian sausages
• 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
• 2 Tbsp. salad oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 c. dry white wine (230g) •       1 c. water (230g)

Herb Biscuits

• 2 c. all-purpose flour (240g)
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. chopped parsley (15 g) 
• 1/3 c. shortening (70 g)
• 3/4 c. milk (170g)

Cooked Cabbage

• 1 head cabbage (about 2 lbs.) (1kg)
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Preparation Directions

• To prepare, start by peeling an onion and slicing it.  Next, peel the carrots and cut them into 2 1/2-inch pieces on a diagonal.  Similarly, cut the celery stalks into 2 1/2-inch pieces on a diagonal as well.  After that, wipe the pork with damp paper towels before cutting it into 2-inch pieces.  Lastly, cut the Italian sausages in half crosswise to complete the preparation.
• Begin by heating up butter and oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over high heat.  Once hot, add in the sliced onion, carrot, and celery, and stir for approximately 5 minutes.  Add the pork and sausages to the remaining fat in the pot and use a wooden spoon to turn and stir them until they are well browned on all sides, which should take around 25 minutes.  Next, using a slotted spoon, remove the sautéed vegetables from the pot and set them aside for later use.
• After browning the pork and sausages, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, a bay leaf, and flour to the Dutch oven, and mix everything together well.  Then, pour in the white wine and water, and stir until the mixture is combined.  Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring continuously, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for approximately 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork is fork-tender.  During the last half hour of cooking, add the reserved sautéed vegetables to the pot and stir them in well.  Finally, preheat the oven to 450F to prepare for the next step.
• To make the biscuits, start by sifting the flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt into a bowl.  Add in the chopped parsley and mix it in.  Then, create a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the milk.  Stir the mixture together until it forms a soft dough that begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  Next, cut in the shortening using a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture has a texture resembling coarse cornmeal.
• Once the biscuit dough is ready, turn it onto a lightly floured pastry cloth, and coat it with a bit more flour.  Then, knead the dough eight times before rolling it out to a thickness of 1/2 inch.  Using a floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut down into the dough to make 12 biscuit rounds, placing them on an ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart from each other.  Reroll and cut the remaining dough trimmings to use it all up.  Bake the biscuits in a preheated oven at 375F for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.  The recipe should yield 12 biscuits in total.
• To serve the stew, begin by preparing the cooked cabbage.  Start by removing the outer leaves from the cabbage, washing it, and cutting it into eight wedges.  Bring 1 cup of water and some salt to a boil in a large skillet, then add the cabbage wedges.  Cook the cabbage over medium heat, covered, for about 8 minutes or until it becomes tender, yet crisp.  To serve, arrange the cooked cabbage wedges around the stew on a serving dish, and place the freshly baked biscuits nearby.  This will make for a delicious and hearty meal that is perfect for sharing with family and friends.