Pork and Cider Stew
by Jay Wadams
Pork and Cider Stew, rich with chopped apples and pungent with aromatic sage, is an absolute winner. Meltingly tender pork coated in a thick and flavoursome sauce will warm even the most wintery of hearts. Best of all, it is minimum effort for maximum flavour.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg boneless pork neck / pork collar
- 1-2 Tbsp neutral oil
- 2 large brown onions peeled, halved and sliced from root to tip
- 200 g celeriac or celery roughly diced
- 2 parsnips sliced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
- 2 slices streaky bacon chopped
- 2 apples peeled, cored and roughly chopped, (Braeburn, Bramley or similar)
- 2 Tbsp plain flour
- 250 ml cider
- 500 ml chicken stock made with 1 stock cube
- small bunch of sage ca. 25g, leaves roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp Dijon or whole seed mustard
- salt & black pepper
to serve:
- crusty bread mash, steamed greens, etc.
Scan the QR Code to view the online recipe with detailed instructions, photos, hints, tips and more at daysofjay.com
Instructions
- PREPARE: Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Using a sharp knife, cut the pork into cubes of roughly 5cm. No need to get your ruler out, just eyeball it. Dry the cubes with some paper towel, then season generously with salt and pepper.
- BROWN MEAT: Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, heavy-based pot over a medium-high flame. I use an enamelled cast iron pot similar to a Le Creuset, but any sturdy pot will do. When the oil is hot, brown the meat in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pot, and ensuring that it gets properly browned. Use a long pair of tongs as the oil can spit a little bit. As each batch is browned, remove to a plate, let the oil heat up for a few seconds and start on the next one. When the meat first comes in contact with the pan, it will stick a little, leave it to brown for a couple of minutes and it will come away from the pan easier.
- SOFTEN VEGETABLES: When the meat is browned, add the remaining oil and onions to the pot then cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the celeriac or celery, parsnip, garlic and bacon to the pan and continue cooking for another couple of minutes.
- DEGLAZE PAN: Stir in the flour, cook another 2 minutes, then pour in the cider to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spatula to scrape up all the delicious browned on flavour on the bottom of the pan. Pour in the chicken stock, then add the apples and the sage. Stir in the mustard, then bring to the boil.
- COOK IN OVEN: Remove from the heat, cover with a tightly fitting lid, and cook in the preheated oven for 2 hours. I like to get it out at the 1-hour mark, check that it is not drying out (if your lid is not heavy or tightly fitting this is important), give it all a stir and put it back in the oven.
- CHECK THE MEAT: After 2 hours, remove from the oven, carefully take off the lid, give it another stir and enjoy the incredible aromas. Check that the meat is tender by using two forks to shred a few pieces (I shred about half and leave the rest dramatically whole) season if necessary with a little salt and pepper and serve. If the meat is still not tender, give it an extra half an hour in the oven, however, it should be fine.
- SERVE: I tend to serve this with big hunks of crusty bread and plenty of steamed greens - it’s great too with lots of creamy mashed potato and other similar rib stickers. If you like, fry a few sage leaves in a little oil until crispy (this takes under a minute) leave to drain on a paper towel and use it as a garnish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 1330kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 117g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 40g | Cholesterol: 360mg | Sodium: 943mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 25g