Pork in Cider - A fridge clear out my gran would be proud of
My dad always used to say that my grandma could make a great meal out of an onion and a dishcloth. It’s a bit of a weird thing to say—and no, she didn’t make us eat a dishcloth lol.
She went through two World Wars, and wasting food simply wasn't an option. Back then, using every scrap of food was a necessity. Creativity and a little bit of this and a dash of that would go into a stew to make a hearty meal. A clever way to use up stale bread is to use it to thicken a stew!
Most of my meals are the same, a bit of this and that, and no recipe. I found a can of cider which takes this stew up a notch - it’s gastro pub worthy!
I often stretch a roast into a few meals, and I got 14 servings from a 4-lb boneless Berkshire leg roast. Half of it I cut up into 2” cubes for this stew, the rest went to stir-fry, and into Tonkatsu!
Ingredients
Yield: 6 servings | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 1-2 hours
2lb cubed pork ( patted dry)
A lone can of Strongbow,
a stale slice of bread,
a leek
a handful of mushrooms, quartered.
an onion
a couple of tablespoons of mustard
leftover bacon fat
butter and lard
salt and pepper
Instructions
A Quick Tip: I cooked my pork in cider and pork stock, but you can use leftover gravy. I also find stews always taste better the next day; I like to make mine ahead and let the meat cool in the gravy to keep it juicy.
Sear the Berkshire Pork: Heat a large casserole pan with a knob of lard. Add the cubed pork and brown on all sides.
The Onions: Add the onion and sauté until just beginning to brown.
Add Liquid: Pour in the can of Strongbow and enough water or stock (or leftover gravy!) to just cover the meat.
Season & Thicken: Season with a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Spread the mustard on your slice of stale bread and place it on top of the stew, mustard-side down.
Simmer: Cook on medium heat for 1 to 2 hours until the pork is tender.
The Vegetables: While the pork is cooking, sauté the mushrooms in bacon fat and the leeks in butter in a separate pan.
Serve: When you are ready to serve, add the leeks and mushrooms to the pot and reheat everything together. Season to taste.
Enjoy!