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Pork Stew with Sage and Thyme

Pork Stew with Sage and Thyme. A good old fashioned stick to your ribs recipe, for a perfect comfort food meal.

Close up of Pork Stew for featured image

Pork Stew with Sage and Thyme.

This stew recipe was one that I’ve been meaning to post for a while now. We have had a couple of recent requests for it as well.

Just this week someone asked again if I had a pork stew recipe. Like the others who inquired, I told her basically how I would go about making one.

Finished Pot of pork stew with herbs on the side

Fresh out of the oven.

My basic approach would be as simple as possible. Much like the same way I make our Chicken Stew.

The cornbread dumplings in that recipe would work well here too, I’ll bet.

Then, when I saw that pork shoulder was on sale, I thought, “no time like the present. I picked up a roast, grabbed some veggies, stock and fresh herbs and I was on my way.

Pork Shoulder roast trimmed and cut into cubes

Diced pork shoulder roast.

Fresh herbs vs dried.

The herbs were available in the supermarket at the time but you could easily use dried as well. My general rule with any recipe is to use half the amount of fresh herbs. 

Photo of fresh sage and thyme on a white background

Fresh Sage and Thyme.

Dried tend to be stronger in many instances, particularly with sage and rosemary. Better to taste as you go and add more if you like.

You can always add more, but you cannot take it out. Always good advice.

Pork Stew in a white bowl with pot of stew in the background

Pork Stew, back to basics.

A stew, by its nature, is meant to be a budget friendly meal, particularly if you are serving a crowd. Like our chicken stew, this one is as well.

The pork shoulder was only $2.99 a pound, much like the chicken thighs I use in chicken stew. A few pounds of pork will go a long way.

Beginning to brown the pork

Beginning to brown the pork.

I make this stew like practically every other one I do. As I have written quite a few times, browning the meat is the first way to start building the layers of flavour.

It is probably the most important step in getting a rich, flavourful stew. Make sure your meat is well browned.

Pork when it is completely browned

Finished browning the pork.

This time around I caramelized the onions and garlic a little  first. Building extra flavour in there is a tasty boost too.

Make it your own.

The recipe is just a basic starting point. I say use the veggies you have on hand if you can as a first rule in keeping it an economical meal too.

You could add parsnip coins or cubes of turnip too, if that’s what you have. The frozen veggies added at the end can vary as well and also help keep it economical.

Frozen chopped green beans, brussel sprouts or even okra can all be used if you like.

A final tip for your pork stew.

One final tip applies if you buy a bone-in roast, which is often cheaper anyway. Don’t throw out the bones!

Do one of two things. Save the bones in the freezer, adding to stash of bones until you have enough to make an amazing pork stock.

Pork Stew going into the oven

Ready for the oven.

Learn how I make stock in the oven here. The method is still the same for pork.

If not freezing the bones, add them to the pot! Bones hold a lot of flavour and better that flavour be in your stew than the garbage bin!

The friends we shared this great comfort food meal with gave it a big thumbs up too. Let me know what you think if you decide to make it.

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Close up of Pork Stew for featured image
Yield: 6 large servings

Pork Stew with Sage and Thyme

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Pork Stew with Sage and Thyme. A good old fashioned stick to your ribs recipe, for a perfect comfort food meal.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs pork shoulder or sirloin, cut in about 1 inch cubes.
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • pinch salt and pepper to season
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 large white onion
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 cups pork stock (or vegetable stock or chicken stock) 5 cups in total will be needed
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 4 tbsp chopped fresh sage
  • 4 carrots, sliced into coins
  • 6 large potatoes cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
  • 4 rounded tbsp flour
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions

  1. Over medium high heat add the olive oil to the bottom of a heavy bottom dutch oven.
  2. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft and partly caramelized. Remove from pot and set aside.
  3. You may or may not need to add another tbsp of olive oil at this point.
  4. Add the pork to the heated pan, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, tossing often until the pork has well browned.
  5. To the hot pot, add the celery and caramelized onions and garlic.
  6. Add the sage and thyme plus  2 cups of the pork stock. The stock should be boiling hot to speed up the cooking time of this recipe.
  7. Stir together, cover and place in a 350 degree oven for about an hour .
  8. Taste the broth and add more salt and pepper as needed. I like a peppery stew.
  9. After the hour minutes add the carrots with the remaining 3 cups of hot stock. 
  10. Return to the oven for a 20 minutes before adding the potatoes.
  11. Return to the oven for another 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
  12. Move the stew to the stovetop and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
  13. Slowly add a thickening slurry made by whisking together the flour and water until no lumps are left. Stir constantly as you add the slurry to stew, to avoid lumps
  14. Simmer for a minute or two and serve.

Notes





Note: A nice finishing touch is to stir in some extra chopped fresh thyme and sage while thickening the stew. It gives the stew a little fresh boost of flavour.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 1050Total Fat 69gSaturated Fat 23gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 39gCholesterol 284mgSodium 287mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 5gSugar 6gProtein 81g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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Lori S.

Sunday 7th of February 2021

Made this for dinner last night - it was delicious!! I used a small pork tenderloin as it was all I had and was concerned it might be a bit dry but it was perfect!! Thank you for this recipe - it will be a keeper in our house!!

Beverly

Monday 31st of August 2020

I don't eat pork but this recipe screams "chicken" as a replacement!

debbie donnelly

Monday 31st of August 2020

Just wondering now with this pandemic price of meat & everything has skyrocketed ,& Pork loin seems to be the most reasonable pork here in Manitoba ,. Do you think this would work well or not ,may be to lean & dry ? Thank you for this wonderful site ,Glad I happened upon it ,its my go to everytime .

Barry C. Parsons

Monday 31st of August 2020

I think you are right. Pork loin is too dry to braise. Pork shoulder or butt should actually be cheaper and better.

Jan

Wednesday 5th of February 2020

Have been making a recipe like this for many years. I add an apple and a good splash of brandy. A nice hunk of homemade bread or buns on the side. If I have any stuffing left over I make stuffing balls and add them to the stew after the thickening is added just long enough to warm through.. You site is my first go to when I check my email. Never have I been disappointed. I left Nfld. 45 yrs. ago. Miss the wonderful people and he food.

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