Dutch Oven Pork Stew

Square front shot of a bowl of pork stew on a dinner table

Print Pin

5 from 4 votes

A simple, hearty, and nourishing pork stew is perfect cool-weather comfort food!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword pork stew, pork stew in a Dutch oven, pork stew recipe, recipe pork stew

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 20

Total Time 2 35

Servings - 8 people (about 11 cups total)

Calories 414kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
4 slices bacon, chopped
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup apple cider or white wine
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon minced or pressed fresh garlic cloves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary)
Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon paprika
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth or chicken stock, plus more as needed
1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 (16 ounce) cans beans, drained and rinsed (such as pinto beans or cannellini beans)
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley, rosemary, or thyme

Instructions

In a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, sauté bacon in butter over medium heat until crisp and browned (about 3-5 minutes). Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Pat pork shoulder dry with a paper towel.
Place the flour in a bowl or large Ziploc bag and season with about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Add the pork shoulder and toss to coat well. Remove coated pork from the bowl and discard any extra flour.
Sear pork shoulder in the butter/bacon fat until browned on all sides (about 5 minutes). Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to work in batches so that the pork can brown without overcrowding.
Remove the pork from the pot with a slotted spoon.
Add the sausage to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon.
Add the wine (or apple cider) and vinegar. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
Add the bacon, pork, and sausage back to the pot, along with the tomato paste, garlic, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, paprika, and broth. Stir well to completely combine. Bring to a boil; then reduce to a low simmer.
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender, about 1 - 1 ½ hours. You can tell the pork is ready when it’s tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
Add the onion, carrots, and celery and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Add the beans and mushrooms and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 30-40 more minutes. Add more broth at the end to thin the stew, if necessary. Discard bay leaf; season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Notes

Instead of the canned beans, add 3 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into ¾-inch cubes, at the same time that you add the mushrooms. If using red potatoes or gold potatoes instead of russets, you do not need to peel them.
If you don't care for mushrooms, you can substitute with frozen peas or corn.
The apple cider gives the dish so much flavor; however, you can also use wine to deglaze the pan if that's what you prefer.
Apple cider vinegar pairs nicely with the cider and pork, but balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar are also good alternatives.
In lieu of butter, brown the bacon and pork in olive oil or vegetable oil.

Nutrition