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.

Pam Tulchinsky

Can I substitute beef for the pork?

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.

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?

Samantha

Too sweet, too salty.

Janice Z

Love this recipe however I grabbed a habanero pepper by mistake as it looks very similar to a scotch bonnet. Super hot! So be careful! I used some jalapeño the next time and it was great

Habeneros make this stew deliciously spicy!

Had inadvertently been using serrano instead of scotch bonnet peppers. Stew was good but missing something. Switched to habanero….soooooooo good!

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.

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Brown Stew Pork Shoulder Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to brown a pork shoulder? ›

It's optional, but if you have time, searing will deepen the final flavor of your pork and give it some textural contrast. Heat a tablepsoon or two of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the pork and sear on all sides, working in batches as needed so as not to crowd the pan.

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 to brown stew meat with flour? ›

Heat oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven. Place meat in bag with the flour and shake until well coated. Shake off meat pieces and add them to the oil and stir until slightly browned, Add remaining flour from the bag and the finely chopped onion. Stir until well browned.

Should I brown pork shoulder before slow cooking? ›

Preparing the pork

I prefer to season the meat before adding it to the slow cooker with my favourite spices, along with salt and pepper. I also recommend browning the meat slightly prior to slow cooking which will help maximise the flavour. However, this is a step that can be left out if you don't have enough time.

Which is the best cooking method for a pork shoulder? ›

Pork shoulder benefits from long, slow cooking that tenderizes the meat and melts the fat. The best cooking methods for pork shoulder are braising or stewing, but it may also be fried, baked, or made into ground pork.

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.

Why is my pork stew meat tough? ›

Tough cuts of any animal need time to break down. It's ok to braise meat for at least four hours on a low setting, prior to adding veggies for another two hours.

What does tomato paste do in stew? ›

Tomato paste adds crucial flavor and body to the stew meat when cooked with herbs, garlic and wine.

Why do people coat stew meat in flour? ›

As for why it's such a prevalent method at all, the two main reasons people will supply are that it helps create a more flavorful sear on the meat and that it thickens up the sauce or broth of the final product.

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.

Should you coat stew meat with flour before browning? ›

The idea behind coating meat with a sprinkling of flour before browning in a hot pan is pretty simple: Flour is full of starch that will caramelize quickly and give a deeper color and flavor. You most often see this technique called for in stews, where flour is used to thicken the cooking liquid.

How long do you brown stew meat for? ›

The Test: Moisture Loss in Seared Stew Meat
CutTime to BrownWeight Loss (in Moisture)
Cubes25 minutes (two batches)25%
Steaks11 minutes (one batch)12%
One whole piece8 minutes7.5%

Should you season stew meat before browning? ›

Melvin also recommends dusting the meat in seasoned flour before browning it. The flour will add body to the dish and help thicken up the sauce that comes together while the ingredients cook low and slow.

How do you brown pork before slow cooking? ›

Sear Before You Slow Cook

Before sticking the pork directly in the slow cooker, cut it into quarters, pat the meat dry with a paper towel, and season each piece thoroughly with salt and pepper. Sear each piece in a cast-iron skillet with oil just until the exterior is evenly browned.

Should you sear pork shoulder before roasting? ›

Sear it good. This is an optional step, but if you have the time, adds a lot of flavor. Heat a little oil in a large skillet or your Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the pork heavily on all sides until golden brown.

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