Stews such as beef heart stew, okra stew, and fish stew are among my favorite comfort foods. Many stew recipes require a lot of work, but this pork stew is easy to make. It’s ready in 40 minutes! The leftovers are excellent, so sometimes I double the recipe to ensure I have tasty leftovers.
Ingredients
Instructions
Recipe Card
Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. Another tasty option is to use ghee. Pork tenderloin: You’ll need two of them, each weighing around 1 ¼ pounds. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut them into 1-inch cubes. Minced fresh garlic: I use a full tablespoon, which may seem like a lot. But it adds great flavor to the stew. To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, and dried thyme. Since we add 2 teaspoons of paprika, which is quite a bit, you should ensure it’s fresh. Chicken broth: I typically use a low-sodium broth by Pacific Natural. This enables me to better control the saltiness of the stew. Canned tomato sauce: I usually use the Whole Foods brand. Dried bay leaf: Adds an extra layer of flavor to the stew. It’s not strictly needed here, so don’t buy it especially, but it does make a difference in the dish’s flavor profile. Cornstarch: Acts as a thickener. Parsley: Used for garnish. You can skip it if you don’t have any on hand.
Change the spices: Sometimes, I use smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika. It adds a nice smoky flavor to the dish. You can use a heaping teaspoon of garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic, or add a ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to add some heat to the dish. Add veggies: During the last 5 minutes of simmering the stew, mix in two cups of chopped vegetables such as small broccoli or cauliflower florets. Other (higher carb) options include baby carrots or peas. You can also add a 5-ounce bag of raw baby spinach leaves to the stew once it’s done. Add the spinach in batches, allowing each handful to slightly wilt before adding the next. Cube the pork tenderloins. They’ll probably have a small amount of fat attached to them. It’s okay to leave it on. There’s no need to trim it. Season the pork cubes with salt and pepper. Cook them in olive oil on all sides. Add the garlic (or garlic powder), paprika, and thyme, and cook them briefly. Then add the tomato sauce and bay leaf. You can add small broccoli or cauliflower florets five minutes before the stew is done or add baby spinach leaves at the end of cooking. According to the USDA, pork (except for ground pork) can be cooked to medium. There’s no need for it to be cooked until it’s well done. If I didn’t add any veggies to the stew (and sometimes even if I did), I like to add a side such as roasted cauliflower (shown below), roasted green beans, roasted asparagus, or steamed broccoli. This stew is also excellent on spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, shirataki noodles, or sauteed spinach.
