Harvest Pork and Apple Stew

Fall and Slow Cookers go together like peas and carrots – perfect.  Taking a few minutes at the beginning of the day and then being rewarded at the end with the sweet smell of stew (or your meal of choice) wafting through the house is just beyond delightful. By the time you sit down to eat you have long forgotten the 15-20 minutes it took to throw everything in a walk away.

A place set for Geoff - lunch is ready.

This Harvest Pork Stew is one that is in frequent rotation in my kitchen.  I love the balance of flavor with savory meeting sweet.  I first enjoyed this at my cousin’s dinner table and have since made it my own. You can really use any combination of vegetables (turnip, carrot, parsnip, etc); even throw in a few green peas at the end for color.  But the real wonder of this stew is the addition of apples. It adds an amazing flavor pairing with the pork.

The recipe below gives instructions for cooking this in a Dutch oven on the stove, but I will normally brown the pork and sauté the onions and garlic to caramelize and soften then throw it all in the crock pot for the day.

Harvest Pork and Apple Stew

2 tbsp	Butter or oil
1 ½ lb	Boneless pork, cut into ½ inch cubes
2 cloves	Garlic, minced
1 med	Onion, chopped
3 cups	Chicken stock
½ tsp	Salt
¼ tsp	Dried rosemary
¼ tsp	Sage
1	Bay leaf
3 cups	Cubed butternut squash, or turnip, or parsnip
2	MacIntosh apples, cored and cubed (Mac’s work the best as they will dissolve but any apple will do)
2 large	Potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups	Carrots, peeled and cubed

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until lightly browned on all sides. Stir in the garlic and onion, and continue to cook until the onion has softened, and the pork is firm, and no longer pink, about 5 minutes,



Just waiting for some crusty bread to dip.



Place the pork and onions into a large saucepan. Pour in the chicken broth, and season with salt, rosemary, sage, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the butternut squash, apples, potatoes, and carrots. Return to a simmer, then cook, uncovered until the squash and apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and serve,

ENJOY!