Brown Stew Pork Shoulder Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Jesse

If you can't find scotch bonnet peppers at your grocer, try a habanero. Jalapeno and serrano peppers are much milder than scotch bonnets, and they are grassy versus fruity, so the habanero is as better choice.

Deb

Is there another milder pepper to replace the Scotch Bonnet without sacrificing the flavor? Too many heat sensitive folks in this house.

Terri H.

I'm allergic to pork specifically, but the flavour profile sounds amazing. Would beef or poultry work well with this?

DIANE

Turned out great in the slow cooker. Seared the meat and cooked the onions/garlic and transferred all to the slow cooker. Cooked for 6 hours (would’ve down 8/low but didn’t have enough time) and turned out great. Only substitution was a jalapeño for the scotch bonnet.

MM

This recipe is hands-down the best I've ever cooked from NYT! I suggest augmenting all spices and alliums: the aroma and flavors were spectacular.

James A

For anyone nervous about the scotch bonnet…. leave it whole so that it flavors but does not raise the heat much. delicious.

Lynne

On tasting this recipe before serving I thought that it needed some tartness. I added a good splash of lime juice and served it over brown rice. Delicious!

Kurt P

I thickened the gravy with 3T corn starch cold water slurry and served with basmati rice.

Pam Tulchinsky

Can I substitute beef for the pork?

Karl H.

Loved it. In the future I'm going to use an herb bag to hold the roughly-chopped thyme. (I was picking twigs out of mouth throughout the meal). I would put the bay leaves and chili in there too. It was also a bit sweet for my taste. I'll probably leave out the brown sugar or the ketchup next time.I like Kurt P.'s idea of thickening the broth. . . that would be a nice touch.

Edith

IMO: yes, it'll work in the IP but I highly recommend doing all the sauteing on the stove - the IP isn't very good for that. I'd set it to 20 minutes, which would effectively be about an hour cooking time. Just remember to halve the liquids when using an IP.

judy

Aji Dulce has the flavor but not the heat

Roberta

8 servings?! Maybe if you’re not too hungry.

Marla

I don't eat pork, beef, veal or lamb. Would cubed chicken or shrimp work here?

MargVT

Great recipe, indeed. But definitely do not brown in an enameled pan - steel of cast iron work well and then transfer for the slow braise.

patty24

Loved this…will make again and again. One if the best I’ve tried from this site

Annie

Pork shoulder is such a great stew meat that you could use it in any stew recipe & it would be delicious. I made this mostly according to the recipe, but after reading notes, I left out the brown sugar to keep it from being too sweet. Served it over rice. There’s no way it makes 8 servings. I’d say 4.

Deanna

I’ve made this twice and both times it was delicious. But browning the meat ruined my enameled Dutch oven the first time; the second time I used a cast iron skillet, which you kind of can’t ruin, but it took a lot of scraping and scrubbing to get that cooked on crust off. I think this must be due to the brown sugar? Has anyone else had this problem? Any tips? Thx!

Liz

I made this almost exactly according the recipe, which is unusual for me. I did use a habenero rather than the scotch bonnet because it looked fresher. At the end, I added some cooked barley, which I think was a great addition. It wasn't spicy at all, more sweet, but that's what I like. I don't think I'd use so much carrot the next time. And I might add hot sauce. I gave some to my neighbors and they liked it too. It is even better the second day!

Charlie P

For my heat sensitive household I used a single large Jalapeño instead of Scotch Bonnet (also not available where I live). The result was great and loved by the family. A nice heat that seemed to build to just the right note. Really great recipe and will be added to repertoire of winter dinners.

Betsy

Tom didn't season with salt and pepper at the end as I thought he would, so no wonder it ate a little sweet at first. Better with salt and pepper.

Ariel

My husband really enjoyed the flavors of this dish, and I enjoyed its ease of preparation. Scotch bonnets not being readily available in my area, I used another reader’s suggestion of habaneros. Also, not wanting to leave my gas stove on for a few hours, I followed another reader’s option of using a crockpot. Six hours on low worked well.

Amara

Made it without the scotch bonnet since my little one can’t do spicy and the family really enjoyed it. The only downside of pork shoulder is that it’s a really fatty cut and there was a large layer of fat at the top that needs to be skimmed.

SK19118

This is so delicious! Meat was nice and tender after ~2 hour simmer. Made as described except couldn’t find scotch bonnet so used a jalapeño- broth definitely had a kick and it got more spicy as we were eating our bowls. Also didn’t have ketchup; used Hank’s Hot Sauce and some tomato paste. Really nice with a piece of crusty bread; plantains would be terrific!

NYC Cook

This was easy, complex, and soul-satisfying. I couldn’t find shoulder so I used butt and chose a Serrano pepper when I couldn’t snag a habanero. There was virtually no heat, so I’ll plan ahead next time and get the right chile. I agree with others about the cornstarch flurry. That was key, although even with that, the stew is begging to be served on top of rice or smashed potatoes. I doubled the recipe and I’m glad I did. Leftovers will warm up these cold January days.

Teri

Taste often and remove hot pepper when heat is starting to be noticeable. Add veggies after an hour of simmering the pork alone in the liquid.

Al

Great recipe. I made it exactly as stated and it was great. The second time I was short on garlic, used one clove, and had to substitute beef broth for chicken and it was just as delicious. This is my favorite stew recipe of all time.

NR

Made this while visiting Trinidad & Tobago. Found most everything at the market except some of the spices. They had some spice packs which I substituted. It turned out AMAZING. Rich and deeply flavorful. The spice pack called Hakka included: star anise, sesame seed, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel and allspice. We like it spicy so added a couple extra scotch bonnets and let it all ride for 3 hours plus. Even our Trini friends loved this recipe.

Eli

Couldn't find shoulder so I used one pork tenderloin and two bone-in chops. Marinated for about fours, then put the marinating liquid and the bones in with the broth for the long cook. Cook time was true to the recipe's estimate, mine was fork tender in about 1hr45m. Very delicious and great flavor, recipe seems forgiving. I might cut the allspice a tiny bit next time but not sure, this was great as-is.

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Brown Stew Pork Shoulder Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best part of the pork for stew? ›

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.

Do you put ketchup in stew pork? ›

Transfer the seared pork to a plate. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until they are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Return pork and any juices to the pot and add the carrots, bell peppers, Scotch bonnet pepper, bay leaves, thyme, ketchup, vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt.

How many minutes per pound for pulled pork? ›

Good rule of thumb is cook 1 hour per pound of pork. In this case I have a three pound pork shoulder, so I cooked it for 3 hours. Always cook until the pork is very tender and easily falls apart. If you pull it out after the three hours and it still seems tough, place it back in the oven and check every thirty minutes.

Can you make beef stew without browning the meat? ›

Turns out you can add complex, savory flavor to stew by skipping the sear and instead adding garlic, herbs and spices while the meat cooks.

Is pork stew meat the same as pork shoulder? ›

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.

Can you overcook pork stew? ›

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.

What does tomato paste do in stew? ›

Tomato paste can be used to intensify flavor over time in slow-cooked recipes or can quickly add a burst of flavor in quick 30-minute recipes for weeknights.

Why add tomato paste to stew? ›

Tomato paste adds crucial flavor and body to the stew meat when cooked with herbs, garlic and wine. If you don't have any on hand, try one of these tomato paste substitutes.

What does tomato paste add to stew? ›

A bit of tomato paste amps up the flavor of beef stew, giving it a richness and a punch of umami that makes the stew truly memorable.

Is pork shoulder the same as pork butt? ›

Pork butt is a cut of meat that comes from the shoulder of the pig and has a high fat content, while pork shoulder also comes from the shoulder but has more muscle.

How many sandwiches will 5 pounds of pulled pork make? ›

One pound of pulled pork will make between 3-5 sandwiches, depending on how thick you like your sandwiches. This pulled pork sandwich recipe calls for 8 pounds of pulled pork and will make somewhere between 24 – 40 sandwiches. It's a fantastic way to feed a large crowd!

How many people will 2 lbs of pulled pork feed? ›

If you're wanting to estimate how much pulled pork you should make for a party or event you should keep these two general rules in mind: One pound of pulled pork will feed approximately 3 people (about 5 ounces per serving).

Why put vinegar in stews? ›

Vinegar can add depth of flavour to soups, sauces, and stews. Especially great for tomato-based recipes, you can add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar towards the end of the cooking process to amplify the flavours of your other ingredients.

What is the best way to brown stew meat? ›

Browning by Cooking With the Lid Off

The final key technique for developing browned flavor in stew without drying out the meat is used during the actual stewing phase. For most of my stew recipes (like, say, my Texas chile con carne), I cook with the lid slightly ajar.

How long do you brown stew meat for? ›

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place butter and vegetable oil in a large roasting pan and heat in oven until butter is melted. Season beef with salt and pepper and add to the hot pan. Brown the beef in the oven, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes.

What are the best cuts of meat to use for stewing? ›

Go for the chuck

The most common beef used for stew is chuck steak, also known as gravy beef or braising steak. Beef chuck comes from the forequarter of the animal consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade and upper arm. It is easy to find and it's affordable, making it a great choice for your stew.

What is the best piece of pork to slow cook? ›

The Best Cut of Pork for Pulled Pork

You can find bone-in pork shoulders, though I prefer a boneless pork shoulder for more meat in my slow cooker. Choose a pork shoulder that's well marbled (for extra flavor), but not too much fat on the edges. You can trim any excess fat off as well.

What is most tender pork to cook? ›

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.

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