I made some changes to the recipe in seasoning and other ingredient amounts and in adding kidney beans and chopped plum tomatoes. But the big change was to forget the slow cooker approach and simply do this one stovetop in a large pot. I did save slow cooker directions below for the 9 to 5 slaves, but you can cut the time in half via stovetop. Simply substitute the words large pot for slow cooker.
This stew is the same as other stews when it comes to optimum timing for taste. That means the flavors are well blended, and the stew is at its very best, the day after the stew is made. I also found that I like to break apart the cubes of pork with a fork before eating the stew. Whatever you do, you are bound to enjoy this fine pork stew.
Ingredients:
3 pounds of pork (pork loin, Boston Butt Roast, or sirloin roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1" cubes)
2 teaspoons of sea salt (divided)
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper (divided)
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons of canola oil
1 cup of red wine (do not use a sweet wine ... use a wine like Merlot)
3 tablespoons of butter
1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
5 large cloves of garlic minced
1 tablespoon of ground sage
5 cups of beef broth
4 medium large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 cup of celery, diced
1 large fresh jalapeno pepper, cleaned of seeds and membrane, and diced
1 1/2 pounds red skin potatoes, washed and cut into quarters lengthwise, then cut into slices 1/4" thick
1 cup of frozen peas
1, 15 to 19 ounce can of kidney beans
1, 28 ounce can of peeled plum tomatoes and juice (chop the tomatoes into 4 pieces each)
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley (lightly pressed) as a garnish
Cornstarch Mix:
3 tablespoons of cornstarch
4 tablespoons of water
Directions: (These slow cooker directions can easily be done stovetop in a large pot, saving three to four hours of cooking time.)
Place the pork cubes into a large bowl, and sprinkle them with the flour, half of the salt, and half of the black pepper. Toss using two meat forks and coat them evenly.
Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add the 4 tablespoons of canola oil. Once the oil is hot, add the meat in one layer, and work in batches if needed.
Brown the meat on all sides, for about 5 minutes per batch. Once it is done cooking, transfer the meat to the slow cooker (or pot).
Add the wine to the skillet to deglaze it, then scrape any bits from the bottom and add the wine to the slow cooker (or pot).
Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet. Once it is melted add the onion and cook for 2 minutes with stirring, or until the onion is translucent, then add the garlic and cook for two minutes with stirring. Put the contents into the slow cooker or pot.
Add 1 cup of the beef broth to deglaze the skillet, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape any bits of onion or garlic that are stuck to it.
Transfer the broth mixture to the slow cooker or pot on top of the meat.
Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, kidney beans, diced jalapeno pepper, chopped tomatoes and juice, and frozen peas.
Pour the remaining beef broth on top.
Add the bay leaves and season the stew with the sage, the remaining half of the salt and the remaining half of the pepper.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 7 hours (or on very low heat, stovetop in the pot, for 4 hours, stirring once every half hour, scraping the bottom with the spoon or a spatula, to keep any ingredients from sticking to the inside bottom of the pot).
Taste and then adjust the stew with additional salt and pepper (I added 1 tsp. of sea salt and 1/2 tsp. of ground black pepper).
If you prefer the stew to be thicker (you likely will), make and add the cornstarch mix as described next; otherwise simply cook the stew for an additional 30 minutes if using a slow cooker.
Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until fully combined. Add the mixture to the cooker or the pot and stir it in for a minute, then put the lid on for a final 15 minutes of cooking.
Garnish the stew with the freshly chopped parsley and serve it hot in wide pre-warmed soup bowls.
Enjoy!