Recipe Of The Season: Autumn Pork Stew

The other day when we had a cold morning my wife and I talked about autumn recipes and how we need to get a slow cooker to prepare hearty delicious meals without putting in too much time and effort.

Slow cooked meals are also great to take on your motorhome adventure and simple to reheat in a pot or if you are staying connected to power, they are also an easy meal to prepare at lunchtime for dinner.

​Enjoy it!!! 

Ingredients
​
• 1.5kg New Zealand pork shoulder, cut into 5cm chunks
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 250g New Zealand thick cut bacon, chopped into 2cm pieces
• 2 cups onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1.5 cups white wine
• 2-3 large carrots, sliced into thick rounds
• 2 cored red apples (firmer varieties work best, like Gala)
• ½ cup maple syrup or honey
• 1L chicken stock
• 3 bay leaves
• 250g kumara (firmer varieties like purple skin is best), peeled and
chopped into 4cm cubes
• 250g Agria potatoes, peeled and chopped into 4cm cubes

Method - Slow Cook
​
1. Fry the bacon base

Place a large, lidded casserole dish on the stove over a medium-high heat. Add
the olive oil and bacon pieces and fry for 8-10 minutes until the bacon is crispy.
Add the onions and lower the heat. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Remove the mixture from the heat
and set aside, ensuring some of the juices are left in the pot.

2. Brown the pork

Season the pork well with salt and pepper. Turn the heat up to medium-high and
add the pork to the pot in 3-4 batches, being careful not to overcrowd it. Sear
the meat on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.

3. Add it together

Put the bacon and onion mixture and browned pork back into the pot and add
white wine. Bring to the boil, stirring the contents to scrape the tasty bits off the
bottom of the pot.

Add the carrots, apples, maple syrup or honey, chicken stock and bay leaves.
Bring to the boil and reduce to a gentle simmer. Place the lid so it partially
covers the pot and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the root veggies

After 2 hours, add the kumara and potatoes and check the liquid levels. If it
looks too dry, add 1 cup of water. Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes until the
pork is tender and falling apart and the vegetables are cooked through.

5. Serve

Serve in bowls with a side of steamed greens like beans, broccolini or broccoli.