Pork Stew with Hard Cider, Baby Onions, and Potatoes

Family Meal, Great Leftovers, Rewarms Well

I often look for alcoholic beverages other than wine and beer to add flavor and depth to stews. For pork stews, hard cider fits this role perfectly. It’s not too sweet, yet its subtle apple flavors marry perfectly with pork and ingredients such as onions and potatoes. In the last few years, several artisanal producers have responded to the demand for hard ciders. Check out your local specialty liquor store to see what is available in your area and buy extra to serve with the stew. I like Two Rivers Cider from Sacramento, California.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ pound bacon (I use applewood-smoked; see Sources), cut crosswise into ¼-inch-wide strips
• 3 pounds boneless Boston butt or boneless country-style ribs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup chopped shallots
• ½ cup finely chopped peeled parsnips
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
• ½ cup Calvados (optional)
• 1½ cups hard cider, still or sparkling
• 2 cups homemade pork stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 30 small boiling onions, trimmed and peeled
• 1½ pounds small red potatoes (about 2 inches in diameter), scrubbed and cut in half
• 2 semitart apples (Granny Smith, Pippin, or Jonathan), peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch dice
• 1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving about 3 tablespoons of fat in the pot.
2. Season the pork with salt and pepper and place in the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and brown the pork on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and parsnips, and cook, covered, for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Stir in the sage and cook for 1 minute more. Add the Calvados (if using) and reduce until almost evaporated, 5 minutes. Add the cider, stock, and reserved bacon and pork and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 40 minutes.
4. Add the onions and potatoes and cook for 10 minutes more. Add the apples and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until the potatoes and pork are fork-tender. Strain the solids from the liquid and reserve.
5. Return the liquid to the pot and skim off the fat from the surface. Whisk in the mustard, bring to a boil, and cook until just thickened and syrupy, 10 minutes. Return the solids to the pot and heat for 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve in shallow soup bowls.

ALTERNATIVE CUTS:

• Shanks, cut into 2-inch rounds (cook for 1½ hours before adding the potatoes) or cheeks (cook for 1½ to 2 hours before adding the potatoes).

COOK’S NOTES:

• Instead of Calvados, you can use brandy.
• For a great variation, substitute yellow or orange sweet potatoes for the red potatoes. Cut them into 2-inch chunks.

LEFTOVERS:

• Turn leftovers into a deep-dish pie. You’ll need about 4 cups. Pour into a deep-dish pie plate or a casserole dish and top with your favorite flaky biscuit recipe, or use the crust from Irish Beef-Cheek Pie with Stout