Quick Pork Stew - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

FAQs

What cut of pork is best for stew? ›

TENDERLOIN AND LEG

Both of these cuts are commonly diced and used in casseroles and stews as they provide lean, well-textured meat which retains its shape during cooking.

The flour helps to thicken a stew as it cooks. Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil.

Best Pork for Stew: If your pork is destined for low and slow, look for pork shoulder or pork sirloin (the latter is also known as pork butte). Both shoulder and sirloin tend to be tougher, flavorful and well-marbled with fat. They turn succulent and fork-tender in the slow cooker.

Muscle fibers contract and push out moisture as meat cooks. It first starts to happen when the internal temperature reaches 104℉ (40℃) and greatly increases once you hit 140℉ (60℃). This is why ribeyes, chicken breasts, and pork chops turn dry and chewy when you cook them for too long.

Although many people think that beef is healthier than pork, we must look at this conclusion from a few perspectives. When looking at the base nutrients such as protein and fats they are nearly identical. If we compare fatty cuts of pork and fatty cuts of beef, the pork has larger amounts of healthy fats.

Unlike the more lean tenderloin and chops, pork shoulder is an incredibly forgiving cut of meat. It becomes more tender as it cooks and benefits from a lengthy cook time, so even if it stays on the heat a few minutes too long, you won't suddenly end up with something dry or rubbery.

It absolutely overcooks it if you cook it too long. You don't want to cook your stew for half a day, because it will end up with very dry meat. Good stew meat has a lot of connective tissue. When you cook it, the connective tissue starts to break down, the most easily-reached first.

Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much cornstarch to thicken. To thicken hot liquids, first mix cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended.

Incorporate potatoes.

Carbohydrates like potato starch are natural thickening agents, so try to use a particularly starchy potato, like a russet potato or a Yukon Gold potato, and make sure to use raw potatoes rather than already cooked potatoes.

Ossabaw. The Ossabaw is a unique breed of pig that offers a dark red meat and is known for having the healthiest fat.

What is the tastiest pig part? ›

Roasted pork loin is probably one of the best parts of the pig.

If you're looking for the best pork in the world, then you need to try Ibérico pork. Ibérico pigs are native to Spain, and they are known for their high-quality meat. Ibérico pigs are fed a diet of acorns, which gives their meat a unique flavor that is unlike any other pork in the world.

How do you make pork soft and tender? Soak your pork in a salt-based brine before cooking it using your desired method. Pork chops need to soak between 12–24 hours, an entire pork tenderloin needs to soak for 6–12 hours, and an entire pork loin requires 2–4 days of soaking.

Pork Stew Tips

You tenderize pork by lightly pounding the meat with a meat mallet evenly across the surface, being careful not to damage the meat. Marinating the pork in acidic ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar prior to cooking adds flavor and breaks down tough proteins.

However, remember that going above 160 degrees Fahrenheit may dry up your meat, taking away from some of its natural flavor and juiciness. First, estimate how long you'll need to cook pork using the instructions on your product's package.

Next time you're shopping for stew beef, look at your options and see what cuts of meat will work best for your recipe. For example, chuck is a lean and tender cut of beef that works well in stew. However, if you would prefer a thicker and more flavorful stew, short ribs or oxtail may be better choices for you.

Pork shoulder is ideal for pulling purposes. It has an optimum fat content that yields to create tender, melty meat, but it's essential you cook it slowly to allow the protein to break down properly. Take it out of the oven too early and you may as well dine on a pair of wellies.

Since pork butt has more fat marbling throughout the meat and a more uniform shape, it's the best cut for stewing and braising as well as for making fall-apart-tender pulled pork for a barbecue or for tacos. If a recipe calls for a choice between pork shoulder and pork butt, we highly recommend choosing pork butt.

Pork Tenderloin: Pork tenderloin, the muscle that runs down either side of the backbone, is lean, mild, and, yes, tender—in fact, it's the single most tender part of the pig. We like to sear tenderloins and then finish them either in the oven or on the cooler part of the grill.