Soup, Chili, Stew and Dumpling Recipes
Hearty Pork Stew with Walnut Breadcrumb Topping
Stews taste even better the next day which offers a great excuse for cooking a large batch to serve later in the week. It's also easy to double the recipe and freeze some. You can use thick-cut, boneless, loin chops, trimmed of all the fat for a dish elegant enough for a dinner party.
Ingredients
Stew
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound lean, well-trimmed pork shoulder, butt or loin, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage (2 teaspoons dried sage)
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 cups canned unsalted chicken broth
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced or cut into quarters
- 8 ounces blanched green beans, cut into 2 inch lengths
Toasted Bread Crumb and Walnut Topping
- 1 cup toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup toasted, coarse, whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon finely minced lemon zest
Instructions
Stew
- In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until well-browned on all sides. Transfer browned pork to plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, sage, and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
- Add the broth, wine, tomato paste, salt and pepper.
- Return the browned pork and any juices that have accumulated. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the pork is very tender when pierced with fork, approximately 1 hour. (Alternatively, you can place the covered pot in a preheated 325 degrees F oven for 1 hour.)
- Add the mushrooms and cook for another 20 minutes.
- Add the green beans and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Toasted Bread Crumb and Walnut Topping
- In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, breadcrumbs, parsley, sage, and lemon zest. Sprinkle over stew just before serving.
Attribution
Recipe and photo used with permission from:
California Walnuts