Pork Stew With Pears and Sweet Potatoes

- Total Time
- 2 hours, plus marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2½pounds boneless or 3 pounds bone-in country-style pork ribs
- 2teaspoons kosher salt
- 2teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
- 2onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 2bulbs fennel, fronds removed, bulb cored and thinly sliced
- ½cup dry white wine
- 2large or 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2tablespoons caraway seeds
- 1teaspoon ground allspice
- 2bay leaves
- 2 to 3cups chicken stock
- 3pears of your choice, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2tablespoons lemon juice
- Grainy mustard for serving (optional)
Preparation
- Step 1
If using bone-in ribs, cut away the bones and set aside. Cut pork into 1-inch cubes, sprinkle the ribs evenly with the salt and allow to stand, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour and no more than 12 hours. Move oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Step 2
Dry pork cubes well and sprinkle generously with pepper. Heat oil over medium-high heat in Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the pork well (including bones if you have them), transferring to a platter as browned, adding more oil in between batches if needed.
- Step 3
Add the onions and fennel to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are transparent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve any fond on the bottom of the pot. Add the pork (and bones if you have them), sweet potatoes, caraway seeds, allspice, bay leaves and enough chicken stock to just cover the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in oven for 1 hour. Add the pears to the pot, then continue to cook until meat is very tender, about 30 to 45 minutes more.
- Step 4
Remove bones from pot, stir in lemon juice, then serve stew in bowls, passing mustard separately so people can put a dollop on their stew if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
Follow the recipe as written through the second sentence of Step 3 (except omit preheating the oven). Then transfer the contents of the pot as well as everything else (pork, bones, sweet potatoes, caraway seeds, allspice, bay leaves, chicken stock) including the pears to a slow cooker and cook on high for about 4 hours or on low for about 6 hours. Then finish as described in Step 4.
How would you adapt this recipe for a slow cooker?
I just made this in my Instant Pot and it is delicious!!! I used the sauté function on medium for browning the pork, then the onions and fennel. After adding back the wine, pork, sweet potatoes, spices, and chicken broth, I turned on the pressure cooker for 25 minutes, let the pressure drop naturally for 25 minutes, then added the pears and used the warm setting on High to finish it all off. Worked beautifully!
I found this so disappointing. The sweet potatoes disintegrated, and the caraway overpowered all other flavors. Just no complexity to the taste -- bleh!
These notes are based on cooking with this recipe many times: In step 3, bring to simmer before adding the sweet potatoes (otherwise the sweet potatoes disintegrate); place in oven 45 minutes; add pears and cook 20 minutes. Following these notes the sweet potatoes and pears are well cooked and have not disintegrated. Your preference may vary, but we prefer this result. Great recipe.
Used two leeks instead of onions because I had them; otherwise prepared as directed. Delicious, with an unusual combination of flavors.